Two days ago, the U.S. and Israel launched massive joint air operations against Iran, saying they were targeting military infrastructure and seeking regime change. Hundreds of civilians have been killed, including more than a hundred young Iranian girls, whose school was bombed. Several senior Iranian military figures and politicians have also been killed, including the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Iran has since launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases across the Gulf. The confrontation is ongoing and continues to escalate.

The death of Ayatollah Khamenei has invited a spectrum of responses from outright condemnation of what many see as illegal aggression, to support from those who argue that removing authoritarian regimes may create space for democracy.
In this episode, we step back from the headlines to examine the first principles of geopolitics: who has the right to decide, and on what grounds.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Dashran Yohan

Presented by: Dashran Yohan, Sharaad Kuttan

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Categories:  international,  politics,  government

Tags:  middle east conflicts,  the bigger picture,  beyond the ballot box,  regime change,  israel,  iran,  human rights,  us foreign policy,  geopolitics,  international law,  sovereignty,