The Michael Knowles Show — Wired In Live: The World Reacts (March 1, 2026)

Episode Overview

This special live edition of Wired In, hosted by Cabot Phillips from The Daily Wire HQ, delivers comprehensive analysis and real-time updates on the extraordinary events unfolding in the Middle East. In the last 36 hours, the U.S. and Israel have launched “Operation Epic Fury”—a coordinated military operation targeting Iran’s top leadership and nuclear facilities. The show features detailed reporting on the strikes, political reactions within the U.S., implications for international alliances, civilian and military casualties, and interviews with foreign policy experts, lawmakers, and journalists both at home and abroad.

Main Theme

Historic US-Israeli Strike on Iran, Death of Ayatollah, and Consequences for the Middle East and Beyond

The episode breaks down the ramifications of the decapitation strike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and dozens of top Iranian officials, the reaction at home and abroad, the political calculus in Washington, military implications, and the reconfiguration of power, both regionally and globally.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Operation Epic Fury: What Happened?

• US and Israel Launch Joint Strike: Targets included Iranian missile stockpiles, anti-air defenses, nuclear facilities (US focus), and senior Iranian leadership (Israel focus).
  • “Yesterday, President Donald Trump launched Operation Epic Fury, joining with Israel in a historic military operation targeting the Islamic Republic of Iran.” [00:15]
• Death of Ayatollah Khamenei: Confirmed by President Trump and global media. Over 40 senior Iranian leaders also killed.
  • “Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei... one of the most evil people in history is dead.” – Trump [Recap at 00:58, quote at 51:49]
• Public Response in Iran and Diaspora: Iranians flood streets domestically and abroad, celebrating the death of the Supreme Leader. Statues toppled, fireworks seen in Tehran.
  • “Overnight, videos flooded social media showing Iranians around the world celebrating... demonstrating... tearing down a large statue of the Ayatollah.” [02:03]

2. Immediate Aftermath and Military Situation

• Iranian Regime’s Response: Interim council (President Massoud Pazistan, Judiciary Chief Golmel Mohsen, jurist from Guardian Council) takes temporary power. Regime vows revenge against US and Israel.
  • “They've been adamant that... an interim committee will run the country until a permanent leader is chosen.” [03:34], [09:05]
• Day Two of Bombing Campaign: US and Israel continue airstrikes. Israel claims air superiority over Tehran and western Iran. Iranian missile retaliation is largely intercepted by Israel/UAE; Iran’s arsenal reportedly dwindling.
  • “Israel has declared air superiority over all of Tehran and all of western Iran.” [09:51]
  • “The UAE just announced they shot down 90 or 96% of Iranian missiles.” [11:14]
• First US Casualties: CENTCOM reports three US service members killed, five seriously wounded.
  • “As of 9:30 Eastern Time, March 1st, three US service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded...” [05:02], [17:11], [54:01]

3. Political Reactions in Washington

• Congressional Division: Senate Democrats call for War Powers Resolution to condemn or restrict further action. Some Republican dissidents (Massie, Rand Paul) echo concerns over executive war powers and “forever wars.”
  • “Democratic leaders... calling for a referendum vote... to condemn or affirm the president’s strikes... to prevent another forever war.” – Tim Rice [07:40]
  • “Expect to see a lot of anonymous stories of... lawmaker is furious that they weren’t briefed on the attacks.” [08:26]
• Shifting Polls & Public Opinion: Prior to the strike, majority Americans opposed preemptive action; now support surges as operation appears successful, though fatalities may cause fluctuation.
  • “These things go up and down... right now, 54% of Americans already support the strike.” -- Bhatia Ungar Sargan [46:58]
• Debate Over Intelligence Justifications: Administration claims credible threat of imminent Iranian attack; parallels drawn to pre-Iraq WMD justifications. Skeptics on the left question this narrative.
  • “The US wanted to avoid arousing suspicion that a strike was coming, so they kept the negotiations going.” [06:46]
  • “There are plenty of skeptics... drawing parallels to President Bush assuring... weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.” [06:56]
  • “White House saying they had evidence of an imminent strike from Iran... Do you expect Trump to make that the main thrust?” [13:52]

4. Expert Analysis and Wider Implications

• Brian Hook (Fmr. US Special Representative for Iran):

  • America and Israel’s actions have degraded Iran’s proxies; “not seeing any sort of response from them—emergence of a new Middle East.” [23:59]
  • Operation is a message to China, Russia, North Korea—America’s military dominance and willingness to act. [26:07]
  • Diminished Iranian oil exports to China will further weaken the regime. [29:38]
  • “President Trump has offered all along the diplomatic track which the regime has consistently exploited... Here we are again.” [21:51]

• Senator Bill Haggerty (R-TN):

  • Emphasizes historical Iranian violence, need for US action, surgical strikes on missile/nuclear capabilities, and “generational opportunity” for Iranians to retake their country. [34:41], [36:30]
  • Downplays risk of drawn-out war, “denominated in days or weeks.” [38:21]
  • Criticizes Democrats for politicizing response, keeping DHS shut during a national security crisis. [41:21], [42:18]
  • “This is about American interest. This is surgical.” [35:39]

• David Friedman (Fmr. US Ambassador to Israel):

  • Praises unprecedented US-Israel military coordination.
  • Notes regime is “decapitated,” doubts anyone is really in charge in Tehran. Predicts Iranian regime will quickly lose ability to retaliate, opening path for people-powered change. [61:57]
  • Contrasts Iran with Iraq: “Iran is a very different population... advanced movement for freedom and democracy…” [64:00]
  • “President Trump is not going to let this drag... This is America’s show.” [60:14]

• Brent Sadler (Heritage/Pentagon):

  • Strikes’ daylight timing and regime disarray most surprising. Iranians resorting to “use it or lose it” missile launches. Poor targeting, lack of coordinated massed attacks (due to decapitation of leadership), leading to low effectiveness. [73:27], [74:34]
  • Cautions against Iraq/Afghanistan lessons: US should avoid regime change mistakes, instead facilitate space for Iranians to decide their own future. [76:36]
  • “What we ended up doing by the de-Baathification in Iraq… turned all of them into enemies and into insurgents... Afghanistan’s another lesson.” [76:56]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• President Trump Statement on Khamenei:

  • “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history is dead. This is not only justice for the people of Iran, but for all great Americans and those people... that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty thugs.” [00:54; 51:49]

• On the Israeli Role and Air Superiority:

  • “Israel has declared air superiority over all of Tehran and all of Western Iran... this is a big breakthrough throughout this conflict.” (Cassie Akiva) [09:51]

• On Public Celebrations:

  • “Thousands of people flooded the streets, dancing, honking horns, and setting off fireworks... demonstrators tore down a large statue of the Ayatollah...” [02:17]

• On US Fatalities:

  • “Three U.S. service members have been killed in action, and five are seriously wounded... Our response effort is ongoing. The situation is fluid.” (CENTCOM) [05:02; 17:11; 54:01]

• On Intelligence Coordination:

  • “The Mossad is very ingrained... The CIA is taking credit for knowing where Khamenei was, and they say they passed it along to the Israelis who carried out the strike. Very coordinated.” (Cassie Akiva) [16:14]

• On Divided US Political Response:

  • “Congress has shifted into... phase two... fighting with each other and demanding more information... Democratic leaders... calling for a referendum vote... dissident Republicans... prevent another forever war...” (Tim Rice) [07:10]

• On Iranian Missile Ineffectiveness:

  • “UAE just announced they shot down 90 or 96% of Iranian missiles... It's only a few more days until Iran might run out of missiles.” (Cassie Akiva) [11:19]

• On Lessons from Previous Regime Changes:

  • “What we ended up doing by the de-Baathification in Iraq... turned all of them into enemies and into insurgents... Afghanistan’s another lesson… you have to take the country for what it is and what its people, their aspirations and desires and culture...” (Brent Sadler) [76:56]

• On Political Impact and Divides:

  • “The idea that this is anything like Iraq is just ridiculous. It’s utterly unthinkable that there will be American troops on the ground...” (Bhatia Ungar Sargan) [44:37]
  • “They are going to say that this is not an America first policy if Americans are dying.” (Tim Rice) [18:03]

Important Timestamps (MM:SS)

• 00:01 – Show begins, breaking news recap
• 02:03 – Footage of Iranians celebrating the Ayatollah’s death
• 05:02, 17:11, 54:01 – First official US casualties reported by CENTCOM
• 07:10 – Tim Rice (DW D.C. Bureau): Congressional political reaction, war powers debate
• 09:05 – Cassie Akiva explains Iran’s interim council and succession process
• 11:14 – Iranian missile strikes, success of Israeli/UAE missile defense
• 20:21 – Interview with Brian Hook: US-Iran policy, proxy degradation, message to adversaries
• 34:41 – Senator Bill Haggerty: US casualties change the calculus, defense of the operation
• 44:07 – Bhatia Ungar Sargan: Immediate emotional and political reactions (American Jewish perspective)
• 54:22 – Protest coverage from New York (Breca Stoll): Anti-war/anti-Trump protests vs. Iranian celebration
• 58:36 – Former US Ambassador David Friedman, live from Israel: Mood, comparison to prior conflicts, regime decapitation
• 72:23 – Brent Sadler: Pentagon analysis, surprise at decapitation strike’s effectiveness
• 79:13 – Cabot Phillips recaps breaking news, upcoming developments

Analysis: Flow, Tone, and Major Takeaways

The tone is urgent, clear, and confident—the hosts and guests are unequivocally supportive of decisive US and Israeli action, with detailed breakdowns of military, intelligence, and political implications. The show acknowledges casualties and anti-war sentiment at home but frames them as minor compared to the operation’s perceived historic success in crippling Iran’s regime.

For Listeners:

• If you missed the episode, you’ll learn WHO was hit, WHY (imminent threat + years of proxy wars), HOW US-Israel coordination worked, HOW Iran is (so far) failing to respond effectively, and WHY this moment could reshape the Middle East.
• Insightful contrasts with Iraq/Afghanistan and Venezuela inform both optimism and caution about potential instability and the best path forward.
• The episode closes with a strong appeal to Daily Wire’s membership, emphasizing the uniqueness and importance of independent, uninterrupted coverage.

Quick Reference: Top 5 Moments & Quotes

1. Khamenei’s Death Confirmed and Celebrated
   “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history is dead... justice for the people of Iran and all those... killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty thugs.” — President Trump [00:54, 51:49]

2. Iranians Celebrate Worldwide
   “Videos flooded social media showing Iranians around the world celebrating... in Washington, New York, London, and all across Iran.” [02:03]

3. First US Fatalities
   “As of 9:30 Eastern Time, March 1st, three US service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded...” [05:02]

4. Strategic Success and Political Doubts
   “Israel has declared air superiority over all of Tehran and all of western Iran...” — Cassie Akiva [09:51]
   “Congress has shifted into... fighting with each other and demanding more information...” — Tim Rice [07:10]

5. Lessons of History
   “What we ended up doing by the de-Baathification in Iraq... insurgents... Afghanistan’s another lesson... you have to take the country for what it is...” — Brent Sadler [76:56]

Conclusion

This episode of The Michael Knowles Show – Wired In Live offers virtually real-time, in-depth analysis and diverse perspectives on an event poised to reshape the geopolitics of the Middle East and the world, marked by a historic US-Israeli operation, the death of a notorious adversary, and breathtaking, fluid military and political developments. The show balances military, policy, and human impacts, while highlighting the ideological divides haunting American politics as the dust settles in Iran.