NatSec Matters

Michael is joined by Gen. (Ret.) Joseph Votel, former CENTCOM Commander, to examine the high-pressure maneuvering between Washington and Tehran amid the recently extended Mideast ceasefire. Gen. Votel warns of a looming "escalation trap" as the US and Iran navigate a delicate truce. He also provides a candid assessment of a potential second round of negotiations in Islamabad and explains why the U...

Former NSC Director for Iran Richard Nephew returns to NatSec Matters to discuss the tactical and economic shifts in the Mideast conflict. Richard, a senior research scholar at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy, gives Michael a candid assessment of the military campaign so far, highlighting the sophistication of allied coordination while questioning whether U.S. tactics are tran...

Michael is joined by Roger Zakheim, Washington Director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, and Rich Goldberg, Senior Advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to discuss the high-stakes blockade of Iranian ports by the US Navy. Following a busy weekend in Islamabad that failed to yield a long-term resolution to the Mideast conflict, the trio gathered Monday to analyze the sh...

Michael sits down with Admiral (Ret.) Chris Grady, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to break down the tactical evolution of the Iran conflict following President Trump's recent address to the nation. Admiral Grady provides an insider's perspective on the new deadline the President has announced for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating new strikes. He also expla...

In this special episode, Michael discusses President Trump's primetime address to the nation on the Iran war with Matt Kroenig, Vice President for Geostrategy at the Atlantic Council. Matt offers his reaction to the President's forward-looking timeline and the administration's strategic claim that the conflict's final objectives are now within sight. He also assesses the likelihood of a ground inv...

Michael speaks with Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, following his recent trip to Ukraine. Admiral Montgomery explores the warfare strategies currently defining the conflict, as well as the evolving "gray zone" tactics Russia is employing against the Baltics. He also identifies critical weak spots in the Russian military machine, from...

Michael speaks with Dr. Seth Jones, president of CSIS's Defense and Security Department, to analyze a critical moment in the Iran conflict: are we headed for a diplomatic off-ramp or a rapid escalation toward regime change? Dr. Jones assesses the degradation of Iran's naval and drone capabilities and explains why the current campaign has successfully reset the regional balance of power. However, h...

Michael speaks with Yaakov Katz, former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post and author of "While Israel Slept", about the profound shift in the Israeli perspective as the focus of the war moves from regional proxies to a direct conflict with Iran. Yaakov explains why a majority of Israelis now support this military campaign, viewing it as a "unique historical opportunity" to dismantle the source...

In this special episode, Michael zeroes in on the potential for a collapse in global energy security amid the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. First, he speaks with Clay Seigle, a senior energy security fellow at CSIS, about the economic impact of the dangerous choke point at the Straits of Hormuz, where a paralyzed trade is threatening to send global oil prices soaring. Clay also analyzes the strategic...

Michael speaks with Michael Doran, Director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East and a former senior director in the National Security Council, about the outlook for U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. Mr. Doran explains the internal power dynamics within the Iranian regime and why they matter to potential negotiations to de-escalate or end the conflict. He also exp...

Michael discusses the rapidly developing conflict in the Middle East with General Joseph Votel, former commander of CENTCOM and U.S. Special Operations Command. General Votel analyzes the strategic implications of Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz and the challenges of a potential special operations raid to recover highly enriched uranium in the country. He also examines the shifting power dynami...

Michael Allen discusses Iran's new Supreme Leader with Jeffrey Feltman, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and former UN Under-Secretary-General. Feltman examines the sudden rise of Mojtaba Khamenei following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, and discusses the regime's internal cohesion despite widespread domestic opposition. He also explains Israeli military targeting strategies,...

In an exclusive conversation, Michael talks to former National Security Council Director for Iran Richard Nephew about the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and the regime's response. Richard, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, explores how a collapse of the Islamic Republic could unfold and the last-ditch retaliation measures the regime could take against its Middle East...

Michael joins Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies to discuss the U.S.-Israel combined attacks on Iran. RADM Montgomery, an expert in U.S. national security, explores the potential for Iranian regime change, regional security impacts, and Iran's strategic vulnerabilities. He also breaks down the massive air power currently assembled in the region and the...

Michael speaks with Dr. Ryan Berg, Director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about the violent fallout from the Mexican army's deadly operation against drug kingpin "El Mencho." Ryan analyzes what's at stake for the U.S. as narco-barricades and violence force Americans to shelter in place, and explains how the U.S.-Mexico relationship is shifting as th...

Michael speaks with Josh Meservey, a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute and one of the nation's leading experts on African geopolitics and counterterrorism. Josh discusses the high-stakes Sudanese Civil War, its ripple effects across the Red Sea into the Middle East, and why the US has a stake in the region's stability, trade, and security. Josh also explains the Great Power competition unfoldi...

Michael speaks with the former Chief of the IDF Intelligence Directorate Maj. Gen. (res.) Tamir Hayman about the increasing likelihood of military action against Iran's missile program. Gen. Hayman—who serves as Executive Director of the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)—analyzes the complex regional "reshuffle," explaining how Saudi Arabia is recalibrating its position...

Michael speaks with Gregory Brew, Senior Analyst at the Eurasia Group and country analyst for Iran, about the high-stakes decision facing the Islamic Republic: "strikes or talks." Greg analyzes the upcoming diplomatic summit in Istanbul, where the U.S. is pushing for "maximalist concessions" regarding Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missile stockpile, and regional proxy networks like Hamas and H...

Michael speaks with Richard Goldberg, a Senior Advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Director for Countering Iranian WMD at the National Security Council. Rich provides a masterclass on the historical and modern context of Iranian protest movements, explaining why the most recent uprising is fundamentally different from previous ones. He breaks down the regime's playbook...

Michael speaks with former Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman about the precarious state of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the latest wave of mass protests there. Jeff analyzes the regime's use of brutality, coercion, and a total internet blackout to quiet the streets, while arguing that survival does not equal success. Jeffrey also discusses the economic catastrophe Iran faces, the strategic ambi...

Michael Allen speaks with Dr. Ryan Berg, Director of the Americas Program and Head of the Future of Venezuela Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), about the stunning aftermath of the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. Ryan breaks down the high-stakes Delta Force raid that successfully captured Nicolas Maduro for trial in New York—an operation that lasted o...

In this special episode marking one million downloads for the podcast, Jeremy Bash speaks with David Shedd, former acting director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, about the "breathtaking" US military operation in Venezuela over the weekend. They discuss the high-stakes mission to capture Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, to face trial for narco-terrorism in the US. David explores the...

Michael speaks with Craig Singleton, China Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, about the new frontiers of the US-China tech competition. Craig explains China's willingness to weaponize its dominance in rare earth magnets and how that leverage has left US assembly lines vulnerable. He also explores the high-stakes debate over semiconductor export...

Michael speaks with Yaakov Katz, former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post and author of the new book  While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East . Yaakov discusses how the catastrophic intelligence failure leading up to October 7th was rooted in a moment of "lack of imagination" and Israel's fatal commitment to the misbelief that Hamas wanted quiet pr...

Michael speaks with Roger Zakheim, the Washington Director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, about the recently released National Security Strategy  and the findings of the  Reagan National Defense Survey of American public opinion. Although Roger critiques the National Security Strategy for a "huge missed opportunity" in failing to explicitly name China and Russia as adv...