One Decision
One Decision
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John Bolton and Operation Iraqi Freedom Commander: The Lessons from Iraq Trump Can't Ignore
1 hour 4 minutes Posted Mar 4, 2026 at 1:43 pm.
John Bolton
Power Vacuum Risks
Gulf States Reaction
Iran Retaliation Strategy
Israel Influence Question
Oil Shock And Putin
China And Taiwan
Deterrence And Alliances
Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling
Decapitation and Unrest
Iraq Lessons on Disbandment
Intel Gaps and Planning
Wider Regional Fallout
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Show notes
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton doesn't mince words: the opening strikes on Iran were just the beginning. In this special bonus episode, Bolton breaks down why he believes the Iranian regime will fragment from within, what the Gulf Arab states are about to do, and how war in Iran affects Russia, Ukraine, and China. 
Then, retired Lt. General Mark Hertling brings the view from the ground. A veteran of multiple Iraq deployments and the former Chief of War Plans on the Joint Staff. Hertling has seen this before. He's asking the question nobody in Washington seems to want to answer: Is there actually a plan for the day after the strikes?
In this episode:
Show Notes: 
Opinion | With attack on Iran, U.S. deterrence is being restored - The Washington Post 
Order Mark Harling’s book: If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal
Lt. General Mark Hertling recorded on March 2, and Amb. John Bolton recorded on March 3. 
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