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Episode 23- Nuclear Dominoes: Inside the Iran-Israel Showdown. With Marc Finaud
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Nuclear weapons expert Mark Finaud returns to the Greenfield Report for a timely examination of the expanding conflict between Israel, Iran, and now the United States. What began with the October 7th Hamas attacks has evolved into a dangerous new phase of warfare, featuring devastating Israeli strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and unprecedented American military involvement.
Finaud brilliantly demystifies the technical aspects of nuclear weapons development that underpin this crisis. From explaining the difference between uranium and plutonium pathways to breaking down the critical distinction between various enrichment levels, he provides listeners with essential knowledge often missing from mainstream coverage. Perhaps most surprising is his revelation that the United States initially established Iran's nuclear program in the 1950s during the Shah's pro-Western regime – a historical irony that frames the dramatic reversal in relations following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The conversation explores Iran's strategic miscalculations that led to its current vulnerability. Despite warnings from international experts, Tehran remained trapped in a rigid tit-for-tat mentality following Trump's 2018 withdrawal from the JCPOA nuclear agreement. This failure to adapt has culminated in Israel's devastating air campaign – demonstrating complete air superiority as not a single Israeli aircraft has been lost while Iran's nuclear infrastructure suffers massive damage from American-supplied bunker-busting bombs.
Finaud offers a provocative analysis of Netanyahu's motivations, suggesting the Israeli leader has consistently amplified the Iranian nuclear threat primarily to prevent Palestinian statehood, which would threaten his political coalition. As this conflict continues to escalate, potentially toward regime change in Tehran, listeners gain invaluable context for understanding not just how we arrived at this dangerous moment, but what might come next in this rapidly evolving crisis.
Join us for our next episode as we continue tracking these developments and their implications for global security.
Chapters
1. Introduction to the Greenfield Report (00:00:00)
2. Background on Israel-Iran War (00:00:49)
3. The Science of Nuclear Weapons (00:03:35)
4. Iran's Nuclear Program History (00:08:01)
5. JCPOA and International Negotiations (00:17:32)
6. Why Iran Was Singled Out (00:30:33)
7. Iran's Strategic Miscalculations (00:43:06)
8. Future Implications and Closing Thoughts (00:48:26)
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