Emergency Episode: War with Iran

Podcast: Call Me Back – with Dan Senor
Date: February 28, 2026
Guests: Mark Dubowitz (CEO, Foundation for Defense of Democracies), Nadav Eyal (Yediot Ahronot journalist)
Theme: Urgent analysis on the state of war between Iran, Israel, and the United States, with real-time updates and insights into geopolitical, military, and diplomatic developments.

Episode Overview

This special "emergency episode" brings together leading experts and journalists to break down the unfolding war triggered by a joint US-Israeli strike on Iran. The conversation covers the immediate military actions, Iran’s response, potential regime change, the international diplomatic climate, and existential questions for both the region and global security. While grounded in real-time reporting, the episode aims to present the dilemmas and stakes faced by both Israelis and Americans to a worldwide audience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Timeline and Details of the Strikes

• Initial Joint Operation
  • Israeli strikes: Preemptive hits on strategic Iranian sites—including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Kermanshah, Karaj, and Elam—focusing on military leadership, missile sites, and infrastructure. (04:27)
  • US follow-up: Massive air and sea assault, including carrier-based aircraft; US targets included Iranian missile and nuclear assets, as well as the IRGC navy. (02:34, 09:51)

“Israeli jets hit preemptively dozens of targets in Tehran, in Isfahan, in Qom... Then the US followed, striking by air and sea. Certainly not small strikes.”—Mark Dubowitz [02:34]

• Civilian Defense and Immediate Fallout

  • Israeli airspace closed, hospitals move underground, and countrywide civilian defense systems engaged as Iran launches retaliatory ballistic missiles at Israeli cities and US bases across the Gulf. (02:48)

• Early Reports of High-Profile Casualties

  • Reports (still unconfirmed at time of recording) that Israeli-US strikes killed Iran’s defense minister and IRGC commander.
  • Unprecedented attempt on the Supreme Leader Khamenei’s life; initial indications suggest he may be dead, but it's unverified. (04:27, 16:36, 41:29)

2. Iranian Response and the Nature of Counterattacks

• Missile/Drones Barrage

  • Iran fires dozens of missiles at Israel, as well as targeting US bases and Gulf states (Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Syria).
  • Defensive systems in the Gulf repelled most attacks; one civilian reported killed by missile debris in the UAE. (04:42)

• Hezbollah and Regional Proxies

  • Sirens in northern Israel amid suspected Hezbollah launches.
  • Warning of a broader regional escalation: Houthis in Yemen declare intent to join the conflict; potential for protracted attritional warfare. (04:42)

“The Houthis have promised they’re going to join the fight as we are speaking... It’s very possible that Hezbollah is joining this war…”—Nadav Eyal [04:42]

• Strategy Clarity
  • The Israeli/US strategy is decapitation of military and political leadership, destruction of missile and nuclear infrastructure, and weakening Iran’s ability to retaliate.

3. Regime Change: Goal or Consequence?

• US vs. Israeli Messaging
  • President Trump frames action around eliminating dangerous nuclear/missile capacity but calls for Iranians to “take over your government.”
  • Netanyahu more direct about removing Iran’s “existential threat.”
  • Israel appears focused on leadership strikes; US focused on strategic weapons and infrastructure. (09:51, 13:45)

“He called on Iranians to take over your government. The hour of freedom is at hand.”—Mark Dubowitz [09:51]

“I think this is an attempt for regime change. I just don’t think the US would want to commit right now.”—Nadav Eyal [13:45]

• Decapitation Strategy
  • Beyond eliminating current leaders, Israel targeting potential successors to prevent rapid power consolidation or hardline backlash. (13:45)

4. Reconstitution of Iran’s Military Capabilities

• Rapid Iranian Regeneration

  • Despite having its nuclear program set back in the June 2025 strikes, Iran began rebuilding almost immediately; focus includes heavily fortified “Pickaxe Mountain” and rebuilt tunneling near Natanz. (12:03)

• Missile Program Warnings

  • Chinese assistance allows Iran to rebuild missile capabilities quickly, including advances in solid fuel and anti-naval missiles—a direct threat to global and US interests. (12:03)

“Trump had said that he had obliterated Iran’s nuclear program back in June. He severely damaged it... [but] Iranians have been hard at work in rebuilding it.”—Mark Dubowitz [12:03]

5. International and Regional Diplomatic Response

• Surprisingly Broad Support
  • EU, Canada, Australia publicly support the US-Israel operation, despite past divisions.
  • Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, denounce Iranian attacks as unprovoked and side more openly with US, Israel, and UAE under fire—putting to rest doubts about regional alliances. (18:47)

“Saudi Arabia’s... statement condemning Iranian strikes... Saudis are clearly on the side of the Emiratis, the Israelis, and obviously the Americans.”—Dan Senor [19:20]

• Russian and Usual Suspects
  • Russia condemns the operation as “unprovoked armed aggression.”

6. Strategic Implications and the “Exit Plan”

• Possible Endgames
  • US may halt after disabling major nuclear/missile threats, pressing for renewed negotiations from a position of strength.
  • Alternatively, a campaign of maximum pressure and support for Iranian opposition could push toward regime collapse. (26:02, 27:36)

“Once the US Air Force, with Israeli support, has done that, then President Trump could stop and he could say to the Iranians once again... Are you getting the message? Are you ready for serious negotiations?”—Mark Dubowitz [26:02]

• Risks
  • A quagmire remains possible if Iranian resistance remains cohesive or if chaos follows decapitation attempts. (28:51)

7. The October 7 Legacy and What’s at Stake for Israel and the Region

• From Proxy War to Direct Confrontation
  • The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack is framed as a catastrophic miscalculation—setting in motion the destruction of regional “Axis of Resistance”: Hamas, Hezbollah, Assad, and possibly the Islamic Republic itself. (36:40)

“You just have to take a step back and think... I can’t think of a bigger singular mistake by a series of actors than October 7, 2023.”—Dan Senor [36:40]

• Counterfactuals and Palestinian Dynamics
  • Dubowitz: Even knowing the cost, Hamas’ Sinwar would have exploited the situation for the Palestinian cause—focused less on regime survival, more on shifting global opinion and undermining US-Israel support.
  • Eyal: Regardless, regional power structures are fundamentally altered; Israel faces new legitimacy challenges if the war turns badly. (38:14, 41:29)

8. Domestic and Psychological Impact for Israelis and the Region

• A Moment of Reckoning
  • For Israelis, this war is seen as a historic opportunity to end the biggest existential threat; for the US, as a test of global authority.
  • Grim caution paired with hope for a “different future.”
  • Public scenes of celebration in Tehran at rumors of the regime’s collapse underscore deep domestic opposition to Iranian leadership. (33:16, 41:29)

“For Israelis, this is really a moment of an opening for a different future for the region.”—Nadav Eyal [33:16]

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “The hour of freedom is at hand.”—Mark Dubowitz quoting Trump [09:51]
• “Israeli jets hit preemptively dozens of targets in Tehran, in Isfahan, in Qom... Then the US followed, striking by air and sea.”—Mark Dubowitz [02:34]
• “Senior sources are telling me the Supreme Leader is out of touch with the entire Iranian state apparatus. They will be surprised if he was not hit.”—Nadav Eyal [00:33, 41:29]
• “This is an attempt for regime change... This is an opportunity for Iranians to rise up.”—Nadav Eyal [13:45]
• “Saudi Arabia’s... statement condemning Iranian strikes... Saudis are clearly on the side of the Emiratis, the Israelis, and obviously the Americans.”—Dan Senor [19:20]
• “I praise his approach because the President did in the State of the Union... framed the threat from Iran as a threat to the United States.”—Dan Senor [21:41]
• “I saw the videos coming from Tehran as the bombing were there. People were already starting to celebrate in the streets thinking that the leadership is gone... This is an oppressive dark regime that has dominated the region.”—Nadav Eyal [41:29]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:34] Mark Dubowitz details the initial strikes: joint US-Israeli operations, key targets, and the severity of the assault
• [04:42] Nadav Eyal explains Iran’s retalitation, involvement of proxies, and the scale of escalation across the region
• [09:51] Analysis of US intentions—regime change versus strategic containment; comparison of US and Israeli objectives
• [13:45] Attempts to decapitate Iran’s leadership and implications for future regime stability
• [16:36] First real-time news that Iranian Defense Minister and IRGC commander reported killed; uncertainty over Supreme Leader Khamenei’s fate
• [18:47] Mark Dubowitz and Dan Senor discuss international reactions, focus on Gulf states and Western allies
• [26:02] Prospective US “exit plans”: crippling Iran’s capabilities, pressing negotiations, or supporting regime change
• [33:16] Nadav Eyal on how Israelis are viewing the moment as historic reckoning
• [36:40] Dan Senor reflects on October 7 as a transformative mistake with massive regional consequences
• [41:29] Nadav Eyal reports updated intelligence on Khamenei; voices Israeli and regional sentiment and concerns about international legitimacy

Memorable Moments

• Real-time information flowing in: Nadav fielding texts from sources, giving listeners the sense of being “in the room” during history.
• The candid exchanges between Dubowitz and Eyal on the meaning and possibility of regime change, and the division (or lack thereof) between US and Israeli objectives.
• Dan Senor’s somber, reflective commentary on the broader sweep of history—linking the October 7 attack to a possible remaking of the Middle East.

Episode Tone

Urgent, analytical, reflective, and at times personal—conveying both the immediacy of breaking news and the gravity of long-term regional transformation. The panelists balance expert assessment with emotional resonance, particularly in expressing Israeli perspectives on existential risk and historical opportunity.

Conclusion

This episode captures an unprecedented moment in Middle Eastern history, with the fog of war still present. The panel maps the dilemmas, stakes, and possible futures spawned by the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, provides rare insight into behind-the-scenes dynamics, and grounds dramatic breaking news within a broader geopolitical narrative. While some developments remain uncertain, the consensus is clear: this is a hinge moment with the potential to redefine the future of Israel, Iran, the region, and the global order.