The Weapons Defining the Iran Conflict

The Weapons Defining the Iran Conflict

Author: Modern War Institute at West Point March 11, 2026 Duration: 23:48
For more than a week, the United States and Israel have struck a wide range of targets in Iran with air and missile strikes. Iran’s response has included missile and drone attacks against targets in neighboring states in the Middle East—both US military and diplomatic facilities and public sites including Dubai’s airport. What weapons, on both sides of the conflict, have defined the conflict so far? To explore that question, John Amble is joined on this special bonus episode by Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The MWI Podcast is produced with the generous support of the West Point Class of 1974.

Hosted by the Modern War Institute at West Point, this series offers a direct, thoughtful examination of the ideas and strategies shaping contemporary and future battlefields. Each episode brings together the institute’s deep analytical resources with voices from the field, creating conversations that are both academic and grounded in real-world experience. You’ll hear from senior military leaders, policy experts, historians, and scholars who dissect complex topics-from emerging technologies and hybrid warfare to geopolitical shifts and the enduring human elements of conflict. Supported by the West Point Class of 1974, the podcast serves as a primary forum for the institute’s work, moving beyond headlines to explore the underlying mechanics and ethical considerations of modern defense. The discussions are detailed and nuanced, designed for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of national security challenges without the jargon and oversimplification. Tune in for a rigorous, accessible education on the art of war in the twenty-first century, where every conversation aims to inform and provoke thoughtful consideration.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Modern War Institute
Podcast Episodes
The Maven Smart System and the Future of Military AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:24
Both military practitioners and scholars believe that artificial intelligence will influence the character of war in the future. But it’s difficult to know how it will do so exactly, particularly as we look further and f…
October 1993 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:20
Thirty years ago this week—on October 3, 1993—US special operations forces launched a mission in Mogadishu. It was part of Operation Gothic Serpent, which was aimed at capturing Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The m…
Pagers, Walkie-Talkies, and a Shadow War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:37
When news emerged from Lebanon recently that several thousand pagers belonging to members of Hezbollah had exploded, observers quickly began piecing together an assessment of what happened. It looked to be an Israeli int…
The Modern Commander [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:56
Would Patton be an effective battlefield commander today? Do the characteristics of successful commanders generally remain constant over time? Or do they evolve alongside—and in response to—the changing character of warf…
Israeli-Iranian Rivalry and the Middle Eastern Security Landscape [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:37
For weeks, after an Israeli strike that killed a senior Hezbollah commander and the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran, tensions between Israel and Iran have spiked. So far, Iran has yet to follow through on its threats…
F-16s Over Ukraine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:30
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian government began asking its international supporters to provide it with combat aircraft. By 2023, a number of NATO members had agreed to provide training…
Why Military Cohesion Matters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:02
The term "cohesion" features prominently in discussions of military effectiveness, especially at the small-unit level. We all know intuitively what it means, but understanding how to develop and nurture it in practice is…
Competition and Conflict in Cyberspace [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:39
How does cyberspace differ from the other warfighting domains—land, sea, air, and space? What challenges do those differences pose? Does cyber require unique approaches to talent manage to ensure the US military can recr…
Clausewitz and the War in Ukraine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:26
The Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz is held in high regard among US military scholars. But it can be challenging at times to apply his ideas—with necessary nuance—to real-world security challenges. In this…
Defending Against Drones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:44
No unit in the US Army has more experience defending against drone attacks than 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. During a recent deployment to the Middle East, spread out across eight bases in Iraq and Sy…