Danger Lurks In J.D. Vance’s Negotiations with Iran
Podcast:School of War Published On: Thu Apr 09 2026 Description: Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of FDD, joins Aaron to discuss the ceasefire negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. What are the fears surrounding the talks? Where are the two sides close on the proposed ceasefire, and where are they miles apart? What should we look for to indicate how the talks are going? Looming over everything is the question of whether the negotiating table can, at times, be more dangerous than the battlefield. Times: 02:03 Nature of the ceasefire 04:22 Do we have the upper hand? 08:04 Trump vs. Iranian trap 09:31 Iran’s fragile position 11:49 Broader American strategy 14:59 Negotiation demands 18:57 Lebanon factor 22:48 Who is Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf? 27:45 J.D. Vance’s analogy 30:44 Strait of Hormuz 33:03 Recession fears 36:29 Hormuz circumvention 38:05 Battle for Hormuz 39:00 Global chokepoint lessons Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack