Jyotishman Mudiar
India & Global Left
CHATS WITH
CHRIS HEDGES
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Chris Hedges on the U.S.–Israel War on Iran: “Iranians Will Decide the Outcome”
Summary
The episode of India and Global Left features an extensive conversation with Chris Hedges, an American journalist and author, focusing on the ongoing Israeli-American conflict with Iran. The discussion situates the war within the volatile geopolitical landscape shaped during Donald Trump’s presidency, highlighting the impulsive and incoherent nature of Trump’s foreign policy. Hedges critiques Trump’s approach as naïve and driven by misinformation, particularly pointing to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s influence in pushing aggressive policies against Iran.
The war with Iran is framed as a disastrous and escalating conflict with no clear exit strategy, threatening regional stability and the global economy. Iran is portrayed as a powerful actor with significant strategic control, capable of inflicting economic and military damage far beyond its borders, including attacks on Gulf allies and Israel. Hedges argues that Iran’s leadership, especially following the death of its Supreme Leader, has become more militant and determined, rejecting any form of appeasement.
The conversation covers the severe economic consequences of the conflict, especially for Europe, India, and other global economies reliant on Gulf oil, while also noting the U.S. faces domestic economic pressures that could eventually force a political reconsideration of the war. Israel’s military and political overreach is discussed, emphasizing its vulnerabilities and the potential for a prolonged war of attrition with Iran, which is supported by Russia and China through intelligence and possibly weaponry.
Hedges also explores the broader implications of the war for U.S. global hegemony, suggesting that the conflict marks a significant moment in the decline of American influence in the Middle East, with rising Russian and Chinese roles. Regional instability is expanding, notably in Iraq and Bahrain, fueled by sectarian divides and protests, intensifying the complexity of the conflict.
The discussion touches on the Palestinian struggle, linking it to the wider regional resistance against Israeli policies. Hedges condemns the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the international community’s failure to uphold humanitarian law or halt arms shipments to Israel. He warns of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences if the conflict escalates further, including potential destruction of vital infrastructure like desalination plants.
Finally, the conversation addresses the state of anti-war mobilization in the United States, noting the stark contrast with the mass protests seen during the Iraq War. Hedges attributes the lack of large-scale protests partly to authoritarian repression of dissent, censorship on campuses, and the criminalization of activism related to Palestine and anti-war movements. He stresses that mass civil disobedience remains the only viable tool to challenge the war and authoritarianism. Without significant grassroots resistance, Hedges fears the continuation of these destructive policies and a further erosion of democratic freedoms.
Highlights
- [01:00] 🔥 Trump’s impulsive foreign policy and Netanyahu’s influence exacerbated the war on Iran.
- [05:00] 🚀 Iran has significant strategic control and is deliberately escalating economic and military damage in the Gulf.
- [11:00] 💸 The war’s economic cost is mounting rapidly, affecting global markets, especially Europe and India.
- [14:00] ⚠️ Israel’s vulnerabilities are increasing with advanced Iranian missile capabilities and internal defense failures.
- [19:00] 🌏 The conflict marks a potential decline in U.S. influence in the Middle East, with Russia and China gaining ground.
- [27:00] 🕊️ Palestinian resistance remains central to the regional struggle despite international neglect and repression.
- [33:00] ✊ Mass protests and civil disobedience are necessary but currently suppressed within the U.S. due to authoritarian repression.
Key Insights
[02:00] 🤔 Trump’s Naivety and Netanyahu’s Manipulation: Hedges reveals that Trump’s lack of understanding of Iranian political dynamics led him to accept Netanyahu’s false narrative that Iran could be quickly subdued by assassinating its leader. This miscalculation ignores Iran’s resilience and strategic depth, which has led to an escalating conflict rather than a swift victory. The lesson here is that foreign policy driven by misinformation and impulsiveness can have catastrophic consequences, especially in a volatile region like the Middle East.
[05:30] 🎯 Iran’s Strategic Restraint and Escalation: Despite suffering damage, Iran has strategically withheld its most advanced weapons, including hypersonic missiles, signaling a calculated approach to the conflict. This restraint indicates confidence in a long-term war of attrition, using economic warfare (such as threatening the Strait of Hormuz) to pressure the U.S. and its allies. Iran’s approach contrasts with the more reckless escalation tendencies of the U.S. and Israel, highlighting the asymmetric nature of the conflict.
[11:30] 💰 Economic Fallout Beyond the U.S.: While the U.S. is somewhat insulated due to domestic oil production, the economic damage from rising oil prices and disrupted supply chains is severe for Europe, India, Japan, and South Korea. This reveals how interconnected global economies are vulnerable to regional conflicts, and how U.S. foreign policy decisions can have far-reaching unintended consequences on allies and global markets, potentially destabilizing international economic systems.
[18:00] 🛡️ Divergent Objectives of Israel and the U.S.: Israel aims to transform Iran into a failed state, emulating its approach in Syria, Libya, and Iraq, while the U.S. ostensibly seeks regime change. This divergence complicates the conflict’s trajectory, as Israel’s goals may lead to more destructive tactics, whereas the U.S. faces domestic and international constraints. Understanding these different objectives helps explain the conflict’s complexity and why a unified exit strategy is elusive.
[20:30] 🌐 Multipolar Support for Iran and Declining U.S. Hegemony: The support Iran receives from Russia and China, including advanced satellite intelligence, challenges U.S. military superiority and signals a shifting balance of power in the Middle East. This multipolar engagement undermines traditional U.S. dominance and suggests a more fragmented and contested geopolitical future where regional conflicts serve as proxy arenas for global powers.
[27:30] ✊ Palestinian Struggle as a Core Issue: Hedges emphasizes that the Palestinian cause remains a fundamental driver of resistance in the region, despite setbacks and repression. The failure of international actors to stop Israel’s actions in Gaza and the broader region reflects a dangerous erosion of international law and humanitarian norms. This underscores the interconnectedness of regional conflicts and the importance of sustained solidarity and activism to uphold human rights.
[33:30] 🚨 Authoritarian Repression and the Crisis of Democratic Dissent: The discussion highlights how U.S. authorities are aggressively suppressing anti-war activism and free speech, particularly on college campuses. This repression, combined with political cynicism and social media’s fragmented engagement, has stifled mass mobilization against the war. Hedges warns that without large-scale civil disobedience, authoritarian tendencies will deepen, eroding democratic institutions and allowing endless war to continue unchecked.
Conclusion
This episode offers a comprehensive and critical examination of the Israeli-American war on Iran, revealing the catastrophic consequences of impulsive leadership and geopolitical miscalculations. It situates the conflict within broader global shifts in power, economic vulnerability, and rising authoritarianism. Chris Hedges’ insights spotlight the urgent need for mass resistance movements to challenge war, repression, and the erosion of democratic norms, emphasizing that the future of the Middle East and global peace hinges on collective action and political accountability.
ADDENDUM
Cherry on top: Fonda denounces the Moron in Chief
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4 comments
Despite all the justifuable doom and gloom in the degenerate collective West (and poodle regimes eg Japan) there are incredibly optimistic developments to be aware of.
Personally, I can testify that setting up an offgrid dwelling is now more feasible than ever. I just upgraded an old multi component (fiddly to assemble) diesel 12V heater (miserly fuel consumption) which previously cost $150 and now cost only $90 in an integrated single box with better features eg Bluetooth control.
I just replaced 400Ah of failing 12v AGM lead acid batteries with energy equivalent (due to 100% DOD ability) 200Ah LiFePO4 batteries, cheaper with less than half the weight, which I suspect will last me 10 years. Soon, due to the sodium ion battery revolution (now being mass produced by CATL) there will be even cheaper batteries that will last at least 30 years and will still have 80% capacity at that “end”. This is NOT speculation, it has been PROVEN.
Cars powered by sodium batteries (with fast charging and at least 500km ranges) will be much cheaper than ICE cars and have batteries that outlast the bodies.
MPPT solar voltage regulators used to be expensive but I recently bought an 80Amp controller for half the price I paid for a old 40Amp controller (the terminal screws rusted in due to rain exposure, but it is still working – I will moisture protect the new one better).
Pure sine wave inverters and of course solar panels have also dropped in price.
There is ONE reason for all this: CHINA.
Robotisation of much of China’s manufacture has dropped prices and improved quality to levels that can never be matched by anyone anywhere.
Prefab houses can be factory made to any specification (eg insulation to suit arctic conditions, reinforcement to cope with 200km/hr winds) and shipped anywhere and erected in hours (only problem is obstructive councils) and cost less (including delivery) than one third of local construction.
I previously descibed my experiences with biodigester sewage management in a temperate climate, still working well and can be made much cheaper using IBC tanks.
I used to be pessimistic about what seemed the guaranteed end of industrial civilisation due to global petroleum depletion, but China has completely changed humanity’s outlook by developments in Thorium reactors which will not only deliver near limitless electricity but also near limitless industrial heat which will enable pyrolysis of waste hydrocarbons eg discarded plastic or any organic garbage, to be turned into, say, jet fuel or diesel, which serve roles that electric transportation cannot fulfil.
I used to denigrate “technocornucopians” for being scientifically unrealistic (there was and still remains NO evidence in the Western world for any technological optimism nor future affordability of essentials) but China has changed EVERYTHING.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6fLZd3k_PE
Global warming may render the whole of Southern China uninhabitable, but there is vast land north of China to accommodate more than 500 million people, now being developed in cooperation with Russia, and they will have the energy (electricity and fuel) to do it.
Note: economic collapse AKA impoverishment of the collective West will result in demand destruction in those former high consumption countries, enabling globally depleting resources such as copper to remain affordable in the rising East and Russia. Melting permafrost will also uncover new resources.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO ERIC BLAIR for his detailed expanations of promising developments for humanity, and the key role played by China in such advances, demonstrating, inter alia, the superiority of socialist solutions to human organisation problems. One question: what happens now with the “Methane Bomb” as climate warming release methane from its permafrost capsule?
Regarding “organic garbage”:
I propose “soylent green fuel” made from euthanased Zionists, US politicians, techbros, militarists, corporatists and bankers
If global average temperature rises as much as 10degC above holocene, the sapients will migrate to a thawed out Antarctica and the vast majority of homo stupidus will die off.
Humanity experienced a historic genetic bottleneck long before achieving scientific knowledge around 75k years ago, going down to just a couple of thousand breeding pairs.
Much more able to cope with our foreknowledgetoday today but essential that the scientific deniers / obstructionist and warmongering psychopaths all die out.