Target Usa Podcast By Wtop

The U.S.–Iran crisis has entered a volatile new phase—and the stakes are rising fast.In this episode, Ambassador Gordon Gray, veteran diplomat and the Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, breaks down the reality behind the rhetoric: from President Donald Trump’s inflammatory messaging to the strategic consequences unfolding in the Persian Gulf.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In one of the most volatile stretches of the Iran conflict, a warning came from President Donald Trump that “a whole civilization will die” if escalation continued, followed by a sudden stepdown into a cease-fire framework.In this episode, we sit down with Ambassador Gordon Gray, Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Affairs at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, to unpack how we got there.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Ambassador Gordon Gray, the Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, delivers a clear-eyed assessment of the rapidly evolving global security landscape. Drawing on deep experience inside the national security apparatus, Gray analyzes the convergence of geopolitical flashpoints, strategic competition with adversaries, and the internal pressures shaping U.S. decision-making.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The United States and Israel have devastated Iran’s military capabilities—crippling its air defenses, missile systems, and leadership ranks.But the bigger picture tells a different story.In this episode, Dana Stroul, Research Director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, explains how Iran is using asymmetric tactics to disrupt global energy flows, pressure the economy, and hold strategic leverage—even after major battlefield losses.The result: tactical success for the U.S., but no clear strategic win.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Iran war has crossed a critical threshold. What began as a military campaign is now expanding across leadership structures, regional boundaries, domestic security systems, and global power competition.In this episode, we break down the most important developments from the war, including Israel’s targeting of Iran’s leadership, Iran’s widening retaliation, and the growing impact on global systems like shipping and energy. Retired General Ben Hodges, former Commander of U.S. Army Europe, and Dr. Nick Redman, Director of Analysis and Editor-in-Chief at Oxford Analytica from Dow Jones. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The war between the United States, Israel, and Iran is entering a dangerous phase. While the fighting is still concentrated in the Middle East, the ripple effects are already spreading across global energy markets, international security networks, and cyberspace. Dr. Nick Redman, director of analysis and editor-in-chief of Oxford Analytica from Dow Jones, joins us to put it into contextSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over the past 5 days, the war in Iran has been confusing. The air space in the region has been clogged with fighter jets, drones, and missiles. The objective has evolved. Joining us on this episode to put it into perspective are Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, and Ret. General Ben Hodges, former Commander of US Army Europe, See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As discussions of ceasefires and negotiations circulate, Ukraine faces its deadliest year for civilians since the full-scale invasion began. With more than 2,500 killed and nightly shelling nearly constant, Ukrainian leaders outline how Ukraine’s rapidly evolving defense industry and battlefield innovations are reshaping modern warfare and NATO’s future security posture. Halyna Yanchenko, a member of Ukraine's parliament, joins us to discuss.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sudan’s war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has driven more than ten million people from their homes and pushed parts of Darfur toward famine. Dan O’Malley, Red Cross chief in Sudan, joins us with a firsthand assessment of a crisis accelerating beyond control.At the same time, February 17–18 talks in Geneva between Ukraine, Russia, and U.S. representatives ended without a ceasefire or concrete progress, even as Russian strikes continued. Ambassador Kurt Volker breaks down what the stalled diplomacy means for the war’s trajectory.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Russian missile and drone strikes continue to hammer Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, hundreds of thousands are living in brutal winter conditions—minus 15 to minus 20 degrees at night—with no electricity, no heat, and sometimes no running water.Former Ukrainian Ministry of Defense spokesman Yuriy Sak describes what daily life is like inside Kyiv and across the country.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Germany has issued a formal travel warning for its citizens visiting the United States — a move that would have been almost unthinkable just a few years ago. The advisory cites escalating violence tied to protests and confrontations involving government authorities, raising alarms among European security officials about stability inside the world’s most powerful democracy.In this episode, Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director at the Counter Extremism Project and a German who lives in the U.S. part-time, talks about why this warning matters far beyond tourism.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The transatlantic alliance is facing its most serious test in decades. President Donald Trump’s aggressive push to assert control over Greenland—combined with mounting pressure tactics against U.S. allies—has accelerated a quiet but consequential shift in Europe’s strategic thinking.In this episode, Ambassador Daniel Fried, Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former senior U.S. diplomat deeply involved in NATO and European security policy, joins us to discuss how harsh rhetoric and failed coercion fractured long-standing assumptions about American leadership.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After a blistering speech that lasted more than an hour, which centered around the US taking Greenland, President Donald announced that a deal had been made. Listen to an excerpt of his speech and hear Ambassador Kurt Volker, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, explain what happened.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former Greenland finance minister Maliina Abelsen delivers a blunt warning about President Donald Trump’s renewed talk of “taking” Greenland. This episode examines how power politics, symbolism, and messaging are colliding with international law, alliance norms, and Arctic security—and why Greenlanders see the rhetoric as a threat, not protection.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As U.S. military actions stretch from Venezuela to the North Atlantic, allies and adversaries are reassessing what American power now means. This episode, featuring retired General Ben Hodges and Ambassador Kurt Volker, examines the seizures, the rhetoric, and the growing concern in Europe that long-standing rules are giving way to something more dangerous—and more unpredictable.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Retired General Ben Hodges, former Commander of U.S. Army Europe, says the U.S. military activity off Venezuela is repeating one of the most dangerous mistakes of Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan: no clear strategy, no defined end state, and questionable legality. And the consequences, he argues, extend far beyond any single operation, putting U.S. troops, alliances, and global credibility at risk.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former U.S. Army Europe commander General Ben Hodges delivers a blunt assessment of America’s shifting military posture and the risks it carries. He raises urgent questions about the legality of recent U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels, the absence of clear rules of engagement, and the strategic vacuum surrounding U.S. actions from the Western Hemisphere to Ukraine. He addresses these issues in Part One of Unchecked Force. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode pulls back the curtain on daily life inside a country under siege. From a darkened apartment in Kyiv, Ukrainian Member of Parliament and mother Halyna Yanchenko describes nights without electricity, heat, water, or internet. Elevators stop. Food cannot be cooked. Homes go cold. This is not a war fought only on front lines or maps. It is a deliberate campaign aimed at civilians, families, and children, designed to exhaust, frighten, and break a society from the inside out. In her own words, Yanchenko explains what it means to raise children in darkness, and why Ukraine says this is not just war, but an attempt to erase civilian life itself.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Russia intensifies its campaign, Ukraine faces another threat from within: systemic corruption undermining its own war effort. In this episode, Kurt Volker, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Special Envoy to Ukraine, and Distinguished Fellow at CEPA explains how corruption is weakening Western support. It's also complicating battlefield decisions and giving Moscow strategic breathing room. A hard look at Ukraine’s internal battle and what must change for Kyiv to win the external one.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

An Afghan national shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. Counterterrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler says this may be more than a mental health case. He warns extremist networks in Taliban-run Afghanistan now reach directly into Afghan diaspora communities online. The attacker’s travel, target selection, and ambush tactics match modern lone-actor terror patterns. Schindler says social media platforms—not law enforcement—hold the real early-warning data. A close look at a threat environment turning darker in the U.S.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.