# Will the war with Iran defeat the Mullahs and the Islamic Republic? | Bret Stephens

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/switzerland-with-tom-switzer-7650433/will-the-war-with-iran-defeat-the-mullahs-and-the-islamic-republic-bret-stephens
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/switzerland-with-tom-switzer-7650433/will-the-war-with-iran-defeat-the-mullahs-and-the-islamic-republic-bret-stephens.md
Podcast: [Switzerland with Tom Switzer](https://stenobird.com/podcast/switzerland-with-tom-switzer-7650433)
Published: 2026-03-09T23:59:40+00:00
Episode link: https://tomswitzer.podbean.com/e/will-the-war-with-iran-defeat-the-mullahs-and-the-islamic-republic-bret-stephens/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/g9zychqqsrhg688z/Brett_Stephens_audio9k699.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2530

## Resource

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Bret Stephens joins host Tom Switzer to discuss the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict under President Trump. Drawing on his book ”America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder,” Stephens argues why confronting Iran is a moral and strategic imperative, countering critics who liken it to another Iraq quagmire. Read Tom’s Substack: https://substack.com/@tomswitzer Tom Switzer is a journalist and broadcaster who has been a prolific commentator on politics and international affairs. His writing and commentary have appeared in outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times (international), The Australian, and across ABC and Sky News, where he has been a regular presenter and panellist. For 30 years, since 1995, he has worked at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute, the Australian Financial Review, The Australian, the London-based Spectator magazine, and the Sydney-based Centre for Independent Studies, which he headed from 2017 to 2025. He is the host of Switzerland, a long-form interview series exploring global politics, modern history, and the ideas shaping the world.

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## Transcript

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