Washington’s Broad Military Buildup Against Iran, with Elijah J. Magnier

#iran On February 2, 2026 (U.S. Pacific Time), JWE President Helena Cobban conducted this wide-ranging conversation with the European strategic analyst Elijah J. Magnier. They discussed principally the points he’d raised in his Feb. 1 blog post “Why Washington Flaunts Naval Power When the Real War Architecture Lies Elsewhere”, which is at: bit.ly/elijah-iran.

Chapters
0:00:00 Introduction – Helena Sets Context
0:00:52 Introduction to Elijah J. Magnier
0:02:00 Question: US-Israeli War Architecture Against Iran
0:02:46 Understanding US-Israeli Objectives
0:03:03 Iran’s Nuclear Program – Reality vs Claims
0:05:40 The Real Target: Iran’s Missile Capabilities
0:06:47 Clarification: Missiles vs Nuclear Issue
0:07:48 Regime Change and Regional Destabilization Risks
0:08:54 Failed Coup Attempts During 12-Day War
0:10:30 History: US Rejection of Pragmatic Iranian Governments
0:13:22 Trump’s Theatrical Maximum Pressure Campaign
0:14:33 Trump’s Character and Military Strategy
0:15:07 Military Bases Required for War with Iran
0:17:33 Iran’s Counterstrike Capabilities
0:18:38 Ayatollah Khamenei’s Recent Statement
0:20:03 Question: Why Display Naval Power?
0:20:22 Aircraft Carriers: Show of Force vs Real Capability
0:22:00 Limitations of Carrier-Based Warfare
0:24:13 F-35 Issues and Air Campaign Challenges
0:26:33 Question: US Military Bases in Region
0:26:46 Iran’s Air Defense Systems Explained
0:29:09 Geographic Constraints on US Operations
0:31:47 Israel’s Military Limitations
0:34:28 Trump’s True Objectives: Money and Control
0:37:11 Iran’s Strategic Calculation
0:40:17 Iran’s Response Strategy and Red Lines
0:43:34 Avoiding Provocation: Iran’s Restraint
0:46:03 Connection to Gaza Genocide
0:48:46 Iran’s Constitutional Commitment to Oppressed Peoples
0:51:01 October 7th and Regional Coordination
0:51:44 Gaza’s Ongoing Destruction
0:53:18 Closing Remarks