Podcast / The Time of Monsters / Feb 1, 2026

War Clouds Over Iran

On The Time of Monsters: Amir Handjani on Trump’s new threats.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

War Clouds Over Iran w/ Amir Handjani | The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
byThe Nation Magazine

Donald Trump is sending over what he calls “a massive Armada” to Iran with the

promises to do a reprise of his quick attack on Venezuela that ended with the

kidnapping of president Nicolás Maduro. Trump claims that “like with

Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission.” But will a

war with Iran really be so simple? To look at the prospects for war and the

larger politics driving the conflict, I spoke with Amir Handjani of The Quincy

Institute.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

(Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images)

Donald Trump is sending over what he calls “a massive armada” to Iran, promising to repeat the kind of quick attack that ended with the kidnapping of President Nicholas Maduro in Venezuela. Trump claims that, “like with Venezuela, [the US] is ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission.” But will a war with Iran really be so simple? To look at the prospects for war and the larger politics driving the conflict, I spoke with Amir Handjani of The Quincy Institute

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Iran War Heats Up w/ Matt Duss / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
byThe Nation Magazine

The purported ceasefire in the Iran War was always tenuous and now the war is not only heating up but entering a dangerous new phase. The Iranians have closed the Strait of Hormuz and the Houthis are firing on the Red Sea while Donald Trump promises a new wave of attacks on Iran’s civilian infrastructure. I talk about the state of the Middle East and related matters with Matt Duss, vice president of the Center for International Policy.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Jeet Heer

Jeet Heer is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation and host of the weekly Nation podcast, The Time of Monsters. He also pens the monthly column “Morbid Symptoms.” The author of In Love with Art: Francoise Mouly’s Adventures in Comics with Art Spiegelman (2013) and Sweet Lechery: Reviews, Essays and Profiles (2014), Heer has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The American Prospect, The GuardianThe New Republic, and The Boston Globe.

More from The Nation

Iran War Heats Up

Iran War Heats Up Iran War Heats Up

Matt Duss on Trump’s flailing foreign policy.

Jeet Heer

The bridge linking Bandar Abbas and Kehuristan in Iran’s Hormozgan province, where Iranian authorities said the US carried out attacks on 95 locations across 12 cities over the past 10 days, on July 19, 2026.

The Iran War Kills US Troops, the US and Saudi Arabia Strike a Nuclear Deal, Zelensky Fires His Top General The Iran War Kills US Troops, the US and Saudi Arabia Strike a Nuclear Deal, Zelensky Fires His Top General

Danny and Derek break down the week’s global headlines, from Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Gaza to Lebanon, Ukraine, the DRC, Trump’s tariffs, and US foreign policy.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

The US Resumes the Iran War, the Ebola Outbreak Surges in the DRC, Andy Burnham Becomes the UK’s PM

The US Resumes the Iran War, the Ebola Outbreak Surges in the DRC, Andy Burnham Becomes the UK’s PM The US Resumes the Iran War, the Ebola Outbreak Surges in the DRC, Andy Burnham Becomes the UK’s PM

Danny and Derek round up the week’s global news, from Iran, Gaza, and Yemen to Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, the ICC, and shifting US-China influence.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

US President Donald Trump poses with other heads of state prior to the North Atlantic Council meeting held at the 36th NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, 2026.

The US-Iran Ceasefire Collapses, Hamas Dissolves Gaza’s Government, Sudan’s El-Obeid Braces for an RSF Assault The US-Iran Ceasefire Collapses, Hamas Dissolves Gaza’s Government, Sudan’s El-Obeid Braces for an RSF Assault

Danny and Derek break down the week’s global headlines, from NATO, Iran, and Gaza to Syria, Sudan, Ukraine, Latin America, and US strategy in the Pacific.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a news conference in Jerusalem on June 15, 2026.

How Zionism Failed—With Omer Bartov How Zionism Failed—With Omer Bartov

Omer Bartov joins the program to talk about Zionism’s transformation from an emancipation movement into a form of ethnonationalism.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

Former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez is escorted by Members of the Police Special Forces to be extradited to US to face charges of taking bribes from drug traffickers.

HondurasGate and US Power in Latin America—With José Luis Granados Ceja HondurasGate and US Power in Latin America—With José Luis Granados Ceja

Danny and Derek talk to José Luis Granados Ceja, head of the Latin America desk at Drop Site News, about the HondurasGate scandal and US policy in Latin America.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

x