Iran's Global Game of Drones (& How To Stockpile While Sanctioned) (feat. Kerri Bitsoff)

Iran's Global Game of Drones (& How To Stockpile While Sanctioned) (feat. Kerri Bitsoff)

Author: FDD April 2, 2026 Duration: 31:42
The Iran Breakdown with Mark Dubowitz
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For years, Washington has leaned on sanctions to contain Iran’s most dangerous capabilities.

Tehran’s drone and missile programs didn’t just survive under pressure, they adapted, scaled, and in many ways thrived, fueled in part by Western-made components slipping through global supply chains.

The result: a procurement network that’s harder to disrupt, more resilient, and still very much intact.

Now, Tehran isn’t just building for itself. It’s exporting the model — arming Russia in Ukraine, supplying proxies across the Middle East, and even laying the groundwork for drone production in places like Venezuela, putting parts of the United States within range.

So the question isn’t whether sanctions work — it’s whether we’re hitting the right targets.

To break all of this down, host Mark Dubowitz is joined by Kerri Bitsoff — a former senior official at the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) who has been called a ‘secret weapon’ in the fight against Iran's weapons procurement.


Hosted by Mark Dubowitz, The Iran Breakdown with Mark Dubowitz is a focused miniseries from FDD that cuts through the noise surrounding one of the world's most persistent and complex crises. Rather than just recounting headlines, this podcast delves into the underlying forces-historical, religious, and societal-that shape Iran's actions both at home and abroad. You'll hear detailed analysis on the regime's nuclear ambitions, its support for proxy networks across the Middle East, and the ongoing struggle for human rights within its borders. Each episode aims to connect these geopolitical strategies to their real-world impact, offering a clearer understanding of a nation that consistently defies simple explanation. For anyone trying to make sense of the tensions that ripple from Tehran to the wider world, this series provides essential context and insight, moving beyond surface-level reporting to explore the deeper cultural and ideological drivers. Tune in for a sober, informed exploration that treats the subject with the gravity it demands.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 54

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The Iran Breakdown with Mark Dubowitz
Podcast Episodes
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