The Iran Breakdown with Mark Dubowitz

Welcome to the Iran Breakdown. Hosted by Mark Dubowitz, this miniseries from FDD is here to guide you through one of the most critical geopolitical and human rights challenges facing the world today.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has been a central player in global headlines for decades: its pursuit of nuclear weapons, funding of terror groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and others; its oppression of its own people, and its growing alliances with global power states like China, Russia, North Korea. But beneath the headlines lies a deeper story, story of a regime that is losing legitimacy, a restless population, hungry for freedom, and a global community with many conflicting ideas about how to respond. And that's what we'll cover in 10 episodes of The Iran Breakdown.

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Episodes

The Israeli Perspective (featuring Yair Lapid and Eyal Hulata)

About the Episode "Death to Israel, the little satan!" It's all too familiar, this rallying cry of Islamic Republic regime officials and their sympathizers — they've been chanting this for almost 50 years now. But make no mistake: they mean what they say. With its terrorist proxies across the region, the Iran threat has been knocking at Israel's door for decades. But on October 7, 2023, they knocked down the door—what was previously considered a "war between wars" came out of the shadows and int...

Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Woman, Life, Freedom (featuring Masih Alinejad)

About the Episode In today’s episode, host Mark Dubowitz is joined by one of the Iranian regime's most fearless enemies, Masih Alinejad. Masih is not just a journalist or an activist—she’s a one-woman revolution. Born in Iran, exiled for speaking truth to power, and now living under constant threat, Masih has become a voice for the voiceless, especially for Iranian women fighting back against the regime's brutality. Her campaigns, My Stealthy Freedom, White Wednesdays, and United for Navid all w...

Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Iran Before the Revolution (featuring Ray Takeyh)

About the Episode Whether you’re a seasoned Iran watcher or just starting to explore the topic, understanding the Islamic Republic requires going back to the events that led to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. And to do that we need to revisit 1953, the year a coup overthrew Iran’s Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh. If you think you already know this story, think again. About the Guest Host Mark Dubowitz is joined by Ray Takeyh—renowned Iran scholar and author of "The Last Shah: America, Iran, and ...

Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 2

The Iran Nuclear File (featuring Rich Goldberg)

About the Episode Welcome to The Iran Breakdown, hosted by Mark Dubowitz. If you know anything about Mark, you know he lives and breathes one mission: stopping a nuclear Iran and ending the Islamic Republic. Back in 2018, The New York Times put it this way: “Mark Dubowitz’s campaign to draw attention to what he saw as the flaws in the Iran nuclear deal has taken its place among the most consequential ever undertaken by a Washington think tank leader.” This excerpt was actually a hit piece that b...

Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Iran v. The Islamic Republic (featuring Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi)

Welcome to inaugural episode of The Iran Breakdown, hosted by Mark Dubowitz. About the Episode There’s a truth we’ll come back to again and again on this show: The Iranian people are extraordinary. Whether in Tehran or Los Angeles, Berlin or Toronto — Iranians are known for their brilliance, resilience, and drive. Here’s the tragedy: Only Iranians living outside the Islamic Republic are free to thrive. Inside Iran, under the grip of this brutal regime, that potential is crushed. But it wasn’t al...

Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Introducing "The Iran Breakdown"

A limited series from FDD Podcasts hosted by Mark Dubowitz.

Feb 26, 2025•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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