<![CDATA[The Free Press: School of War]]>https://www.thefp.com/s/school-of-warhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XTc7!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9cb7f208-a15c-46a8-a040-7e7a2150def9_1280x1280.pngThe Free Press: School of Warhttps://www.thefp.com/s/school-of-warSubstackMon, 20 Apr 2026 01:26:48 GMT<![CDATA[The Future of Warfighting Technology Is Now, with Aviv Shapira]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/the-future-of-warfighting-technologyhttps://www.thefp.com/p/the-future-of-warfighting-technologyFri, 17 Apr 2026 09:02:33 GMTAviv Shapira, the co-founder and CEO of XTEND, joins the show to discuss his journey from competitive drone racing to building groundbreaking defense technology. How are drone swarms changing warfare? What are the ethical implications of AI weaponry? What happens if this technology falls into the wrong hands? What comes next?

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]]><![CDATA[How Trump’s Blockade of Iran Actually Works with Sal Mercogliano]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/how-trumps-blockade-of-iran-actuallyhttps://www.thefp.com/p/how-trumps-blockade-of-iran-actuallyWed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:28 GMTSal Mercogliano, associate professor of history at Campbell University and host of the What’s Going on with Shipping YouTube channel, joins the show once again to discuss the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz imposed by United States Central Command. How might this blockade unfold? Is it a tactic to bring Iran back to the negotiating table, or a st…

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]]><![CDATA[The Strategic View from the Baltic Sea with General Michael Claesson]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/the-strategic-view-from-the-baltichttps://www.thefp.com/p/the-strategic-view-from-the-balticTue, 14 Apr 2026 09:02:11 GMTGeneral Michael Claesson is Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces. I ask him: How did Russia’s annexation of Crimea change Sweden’s global strategy? Is Russia weaker than it appears? How strong is the American alliance with Europe? We discuss all this at a time when the landscape of war is rapidly and unpredictably shifting, the stakes are high,…

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]]><![CDATA[Danger Lurks in J.D. Vance’s Negotiations with Iran]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/danger-lurks-in-jd-vances-negotiationshttps://www.thefp.com/p/danger-lurks-in-jd-vances-negotiationsThu, 09 Apr 2026 20:59:57 GMTMark Dubowitz, chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins School of War to discuss the ceasefire negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. What are the biggest fears surrounding these talks? Where are the two sides close on the proposed ceasefire, and where are they miles apart? What signals should we watch for to indicate how the…

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]]><![CDATA[Is the Strait of Hormuz Closed Forever? with Sal Mercogliano]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/is-the-strait-of-hormuz-closed-foreverhttps://www.thefp.com/p/is-the-strait-of-hormuz-closed-foreverTue, 07 Apr 2026 09:01:24 GMTSal Mercogliano, associate professor of history at Campbell University and host of the What’s Going on with Shipping YouTube channel, joins School of War to discuss the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the complexities of navigating the Strait under normal and elevated circumstances. The conversation looks at the impact of the …

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]]><![CDATA[America’s Incredible Rescue of Its Downed Airmen in Iran and Trump’s Strategic Options Ahead]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/americas-incredible-rescue-of-itshttps://www.thefp.com/p/americas-incredible-rescue-of-itsMon, 06 Apr 2026 21:17:58 GMTRich Goldberg, senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and Garrett Exner, adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute, join the show to break down the dramatic events of the weekend and take a look at the road ahead in the Iran war. We discuss the American F-15E shot down in Iran, and the subsequent rescue of its crew by special operatio…

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]]><![CDATA[Even as America Fights Iran, It’s Not Ready for China—with Eyck Freymann]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/even-as-america-fights-iran-its-nothttps://www.thefp.com/p/even-as-america-fights-iran-its-notTue, 31 Mar 2026 09:01:55 GMTEyck Freymann, Hoover Fellow at Stanford University and author of Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China, joins School of War to explain the complexities of deterring China aggression toward Taiwan. We discuss the shifting strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific, and what the wars in Ukraine and Iran mean for potential conflict there. W…

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]]><![CDATA[How Can America Defeat Iran? With John Spencer]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/how-can-america-defeat-iran-withhttps://www.thefp.com/p/how-can-america-defeat-iran-withFri, 27 Mar 2026 09:01:42 GMTJohn Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point and host of the Urban Warfare Project podcast, joins School of War to break down how the U.S. and Israel are executing a “neurological” campaign—using precision strikes to target the Iranian regime’s center of gravity. It’s not a new strategy; in fact, it draws on con…

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]]><![CDATA[Are We About to Send the Marines Into Iran? With Rich Goldberg and Garrett Exner]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/are-we-about-to-send-the-marineshttps://www.thefp.com/p/are-we-about-to-send-the-marinesMon, 23 Mar 2026 21:38:43 GMTOn this episode of School of War, Rich Goldberg, senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and Garrett Exner, executive director of the Public Interest Fellowship, break down what’s really happening behind the Iran war headlines—from covert strikes on nuclear sites to the fragile possibility of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. How are …

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]]><![CDATA[Did Trump Miscalculate on Iran? with Niall Ferguson ]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/did-trump-miscalculate-on-iran-withhttps://www.thefp.com/p/did-trump-miscalculate-on-iran-withSat, 21 Mar 2026 16:05:47 GMTSir Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and columnist at The Free Press, joins School of War to discuss how geography and choke points have always been pivotal in global conflicts. Just like the Dardanelles during World War I, today’s hot spots, such as the Strait of Hormuz and Taiwan, remind us that some strategic cha…

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]]><![CDATA[Can Trump Beat China by Winning in Iran? with Zineb Riboua]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/can-trump-beat-china-by-winning-inhttps://www.thefp.com/p/can-trump-beat-china-by-winning-inTue, 17 Mar 2026 14:13:39 GMTZineb Riboua, research fellow with Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, joins Aaron MacLean on School of War to talk about the ongoing U.S.-Israel war with Iran, focusing on China’s interests and involvement. How dependent is China on the region’s energy resources? How does China project power in the Middle East and in Af…

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]]><![CDATA[Did the Islamic Revolution Succeed? And Can It Survive? with Ray Takeyh]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/did-the-iranian-revolution-succeedhttps://www.thefp.com/p/did-the-iranian-revolution-succeedThu, 12 Mar 2026 09:02:32 GMTRay Takeyh, senior fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of The Last Shah: America, Iran, and the Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, joins the show to talk about the origins, evolution, and possible future of the Islamic Republic of Iran. What forces produced the 1979 revolution, and how did it reshape Iran’s political …

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]]><![CDATA[How the War in Iran Actually Works with Mark Montgomery]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/mark-montgomery-on-how-the-war-inhttps://www.thefp.com/p/mark-montgomery-on-how-the-war-inMon, 09 Mar 2026 09:02:58 GMTOn this episode of School of War, Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, joins Aaron to give his thoughts on naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz, including their strategic implications for the progress of the war. They also di…

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]]><![CDATA[General Frank McKenzie on the War in Iran]]>https://www.thefp.com/p/general-frank-mckenzie-on-the-warhttps://www.thefp.com/p/general-frank-mckenzie-on-the-warFri, 06 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMTGeneral Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie Jr., USMC (retired), commanded U.S. Central Command from 2019 to 2022. General McKenzie led a distinguished 42-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, commanding at multiple levels and serving on the Joint Staff. In this in-depth conversation, General McKenzie shares his insights on the recent U.S.-Israeli military campaig…

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