In this special episode, Noam Weissman sits down with Middle East expert and former Israeli intelligence official Avi Melamed to unpack the forces driving the Israel–Iran–U.S. confrontation. From the Sunni–Shiite split to Iran’s 1979 Islamic takeover, Avi explains how theology, grievance, and ideology shaped the Islamic Republic. He explores how Tehran’s proxy network, from Hezbollah to the Houthis, turned the Israeli–Palestinian conflict into a driver of regional escalation. They also confront the urgent question: What happens next?

The New York Times article:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/02/25/opinion/iran-protests-doctors.html

Inside the Middle East:

https://insidethemiddle-east.com/intelligence-experiences-meet-avi-melamed/

This episode is dedicated in memory of Armand Lindenbaum, the grandson of Rav Avigdor Amiel, by his wife, Jean, and children, Felice, Amiel, and Ariel Lindenbaum-Sebag

Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount.

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Emergency Episode: Inside the Attack on Iran with Avi Melamed