IsraelCast host Steven Shalowitz speaks with Jonathan Schanzer, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, about what FDD calls the “axis of aggressors” — China, Russia, and Iran — and how Iran’s internal turmoil could reshape the Middle East. Schanzer describes Iran’s long-running protest cycle, severe economic collapse, and the regime’s vulnerability after major Israeli and U.S. strikes, then outlines three possible U.S. paths: renewed diplomacy, degrading Iran’s military capabilities, or pursuing full regime decapitation. They discuss whether Iran’s military will fire on its own people, and the regime’s reliance on proxy forces. Schanzer explains Iran’s global networks, including links through Venezuela and Hezbollah’s illicit finance routes, and argues Iran’s “axis of resistance” is unusually weakened. The conversation also covers shifting regional power dynamics, Saudi Arabia and the Abraham Accords (including Indonesia), concerns about Egypt and Jordan, and confusion over President Trump’s “Board of Peace.” They close on the value of history, anti-Semitism’s recurring patterns, and Schanzer’s book on Gaza as a warning sign.
Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where he oversees the work of the organization’s scholars and policy experts. Previously, he served as a terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, helping track and freeze funding for Hamas and al-Qaeda. He has also held research roles at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the Middle East Forum. A frequent congressional witness and media commentator, Schanzer appears regularly on CNN, Fox News, BBC, and MSNBC. He is the author of several books, including Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War.