Ian Bremmer

We do not have that

in the region, and wisely so, by the way.

Iran is about four times the size of Iraq, and it's about, you know, more than double the size in terms of population.

Iran's population is more than double the size of Iraq's.

So we're not sending troops to occupy Iran.

There may be some targeted operations like the Marine Expeditionary Force that is going to probably wind up there on the coast there to deal with

the hits on the tankers or the drones and these boats and the mines.

So it's very targeted, small number.

I'm not saying it's not a risk.

It's not a form of escalation.

And obviously, as Ian said, there's a risk to lives, even if the total number of forces deployed is smaller, but it is not some massive ground operation.

That's the first thing.

Second thing, the Iranian people

have been courageously fighting against this regime at various points over the last couple of decades in ways that we in the West don't pay enough attention to and deserve extraordinary respect and support and should have called for presidential support and presidential acknowledgement to put a spotlight on it in 2009.

There was a big uprising in 2018 in 2022 was a big uprising.

There have been the Iranian people have been taking to the streets and risking their lives against a regime that was brutal and strong.

And I would say I agree with you, Ian, that this whatever's left of this regime, if it remains in power.

its intentions will be to be brutal and perhaps even more strident and more, you know, than what, if you can believe that, than what the Iranian people have had to deal with.

But one big difference is I think they will be weaker, right?

The principal tools and instruments of repression in Iran are being weakened every single day as a result of what the U.S.