Who’s Actually Running Iran? with Abbas Milani

Iran scholar Abbas Milani discuss life within the beleaguered theocracy: who’s in charge, and will added economic pressure in the form of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and a halt on Iran’s oil trade bring about an end to the regime. After that: the fellows’ thoughts on Hungary’s election, Iran war “winners and losers”, America’s woeful tax code, and the Artemis II space mission. 00:00:00 - Why No Agreement is Bad News for Tehran 00:04:24 - Why the Regime Wants a Deal They Can't Admit To 00:09:11 - The $7 ATM Limit: Can a Collapsing Economy Topple a Tyrant? 00:13:37 - Electing a "New People": Why Tehran Imports Foreign Proxies to Stay in Power 00:16:36 - What Happens When Iran Reaches the "Existential Mode"? 00:21:06 - A "Dirty Deal" or a Real Victory? The 50-Year Strategic Vacuum 00:25:14 - Lessons from 1945: Why Air Power Alone Can't Kill a Regime 00:31:59 - The South Africa Model: Can Corrupt Leaders Be Bought Out of Power? 00:35:34 - The Fall of Viktor Orban: Is Populism Losing Its Grip on Europe? 00:41:49 - Firing General Randy George: Fighting "Phantoms" vs. Restoring the Chain of Command 00:45:22 - Why a Battlefield Win Might Still Cost Trump, Vance, and Netanyahu Everything 00:52:01: Is Xi Jinping Waiting for the U.S. to Run Out of Ammo? 01:01:51 - Moon Shots and Nixonian Reruns: Why 2026 Feels Like a 1970s Soundtrack We hope to see you at Stanford University for GoodFellows's first ever, live audience edition of the show! Unable to attend? Join our newsletter to be watch this episode: https://www.hoover.org/publications/goodfellows?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=gf_youtube&utm_content=04172026 __________ The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University. © 2026 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University. 🔔 Subscribe for more discussions: @HooverInstitution 👍 Like and share this video! 🌐 Follow us on social media: • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HooverInstStanford • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hoover-institution-at-stanford-university • Instagram: https://instagram.com/hooverinstitution • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hooverinstitution • X: https://www.twitter.com/HooverInst