Tommy Vitor

And Egypt's an interesting participant in that because in the past, they've kind of been at odds with the Iranians in part because they're Gulf patrons and the Emirates in Saudi war too.

But why do you think we see those countries trying so hard to avert this outcome?

Yeah, that's fascinating.

Yeah, it seems like that Doha strike is kind of what finally got the ceasefire such as it is.

It's not exactly holding, but over the line.

And these are all people he listens to on like, you know, more than I'd say like a Lindsey Graham.

Well, on Iran itself, I mean, you've done great work over the years and just trying to understand both the leadership dynamic in Iran, the public opinion dynamic in Iran.

If we do, I mean, one of the questions that has not been answered, including, you know, Marco Rubio acknowledged this in recent testimony.

He was asked who would come next and he said, nobody knows.

If we do have a regime change scenario, either because of U.S.

military action or just because of some kind of, you know, we wake up one day and, you know, it's like Syria, people are on a plane to Moscow.

What is your sense of what comes next?

I'm sure you get this question all the time, but like who are the players that we should at least be considering as viable alternatives to the Supreme Leader?

Yeah, and that leads to kind of the last thing I wanted to ask you, which is about the diaspora.

You know, I think it's important both because it's a large and influential diaspora.

Also, if people who are not, you know, close to Ron Watchers are just kind of consuming things online, what they're mainly seeing is

is the diaspora, right?

Because there's been an internet blackout in Iran.

And Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah, has kind of not subtly put himself forward as a potential kind of guardian of some transition.

He's also kind of appeared with Benjamin Netanyahu, kind of unsubtly embracing the U.S.