How to Keep Iran from the Bomb?

How to Keep Iran from the Bomb?

Author: Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control May 22, 2025 Duration: 59:14
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In this episode of Iran Watch Listen, we sat down with Behnam Ben Taleblu and Michael Eisenstadt, experts on the strategic challenges posed by Iran. We discussed the opportunities and pitfalls facing the second Trump administration as it makes a last-ditch effort to prevent Iran's increasingly advanced nuclear program from crossing the threshold to a bomb. The conversation took place on April 22 and was hosted by Valerie Lincy, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, and John Caves, a Senior Research Associate at the Wisconsin Project.

Expert Bios

Behnam Ben Taleblu is senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' (FDD's) Iran Program, where he oversees FDD's work on Iran in addition to serving as a senior fellow specializing in Iranian security and political issues, including nuclear non-proliferation, ballistic missiles and drones, sanctions, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxies, and Iranian politics.

Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Senior Fellow and director of The Washington Institute of Near East Studies' Military and Security Studies Program, with a focus on Persian Gulf and Arab-Israeli security affairs, irregular and conventional warfare, and nuclear proliferation. He previously worked as a military analyst with the U.S. government and served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Related Resources

Michael Eisenstadt, "Attacking Iran's Nuclear Program: The Complex Calculus of Preventive Action," The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, March 11, 2025. 

Orde Kittrie, Andrea Stricker, and Behnam Ben Taleblu, "Iran's Nuclear Disarmament: The Only Deal That Protects U.S. and Allied Security," Foundation for Defense of Democracies, March 2025.

Credits

Intro/Outro music by AudioCoffee (Denys Kyshchuk): https://www.audiocoffee.net.


Produced by the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, Iran Watch Listen delves into the complex and critical world of Iranian proliferation. Each episode focuses squarely on Iran's nuclear and missile development efforts and the multifaceted international strategies designed to curb them. Rather than offering surface-level news, this podcast facilitates detailed conversations on the mechanisms of illicit procurement networks and the often-overlooked tools of statecraft, namely export controls and sanctions regimes. You'll hear from a rotating panel of specialists-analysts, former officials, and investigators-who provide non-partisan, evidence-based perspectives that cut through the noise of daily headlines. These discussions aim to unpack not just the "what" but the "how" and "why," giving context to the technical challenges and diplomatic maneuvers shaping this ongoing security issue. As an audio companion to the broader Iran Watch project, the series serves as a resource for anyone seeking a deeper, more nuanced understanding of a topic frequently simplified in political discourse. New installments of this podcast are released periodically, prioritizing thorough examination over a rapid publishing schedule.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 11

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