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According to a recent CBS / YouGov poll, 41% of Americans think that the war with Iran is going well, while 59% believe it is going badly.

Can a war be won when the country fighting it doesn’t agree on whether it’s going well?

As the U.S. moves to blockade the Strait of Hormuz following failed negotiations, the debate is no longer just about battlefield gains, it’s about strategy, legitimacy, and what success really means. Dan Senor brings together former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and FDD CEO Mark Dubowitz for a good-faith debate on where the war stands and where it should go next. From military progress to political will, and from alliance dynamics to endgame scenarios, this conversation unpacks the fault lines shaping the American debate.

In this episode:

• Where do things stand after the failed U.S–Iran talks and the Hormuz blockade?
• How Dan and Mark define whether the war is “going well”
• What the U.S. and Israel have actually achieved militarily
• Can the war be won if the Iranian regime remains intact
• What economic, political, and human costs should Americans expect from this war?
• How is the war affecting U.S. alliances and global standing?
• Is the best path forward to escalate, contain, or shift strategy?
• What happens if the war ends before achieving its core objectives?

This episode was sponsored by United Hatzalah. Donate today at IsraelRescue.org/CallMeBack. Add this number to your phone right now if you live in Israel – 1221, and for those visiting it’s 972-2-5-383838.

Listen to Mark’s podcast The Iran Breakdown.

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

For the full episode, subscribe here to Inside Call me Back

This is a sneak peek from this week’s members-only Inside Call Me Back (Part 3 of our 4-part series on Inside Mossad’s Shadow War with Iran with Ronen Bergman).

In the aftermath of the JCPOA, Israel is forced to rethink its approach. With a military strike off the table, the strategy shifts. Mossad is tasked with finding a definitive “smoking gun” that would prove Iran’s military nuclear ambitions. That effort sets off a chain of events that leads to one of the most daring intelligence operations in modern history - the discovery and theft of Iran’s nuclear archive.

For the full series, subscribe here to Inside Call me Back

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

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Did Iran blink, or did the U.S. pull back too soon?

At the 11th hour, the U.S. and Iran agree to a two-week ceasefire, stepping back from a major escalation. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is set to resume under the ceasefire—but the core issues driving the war remain unresolved.

Dan is joined by Nadav Eyal and Mark Dubowitz to break down what was actually agreed to, why Israel’s security establishment is uneasy, and whether this pause reflects strategic success—or a missed opportunity.

Is this a real off-ramp…or just a temporary pause before the next phase?

In this episode:

03:15 - A Ceasefire at the Brink: What Was Actually Agreed

05:33 - The Strait of Hormuz: Reopening Under What Terms?

06:57 - The Missing Pieces: Nuclear Program and Missiles Still Unresolved

08:18 - Israel’s Alarm: Why the Security Establishment Is Worried

14:30 - Did Iran Blink—or Gain Leverage?

15:42 - Trump’s Red Lines: What Must a Final Deal Include?

21:21 - Political Risks: Israel, the U.S., and the Blame Game

35:24 - Endgames: Diplomacy, Regime Pressure, or Renewed War

This episode was sponsored by the Jewish Communal Fund. Learn more about JCF’s donor advised funds at jcfny.org.

Listen to Mark’s podcast The Iran Breakdown.

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

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Will Trump’s ultimatum trigger a decisive strike on Iran—or force a last-minute deal?

As the clock ticks toward a U.S. deadline, Dan is joined by Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal to break down what comes next: a widening war, a strategic endgame, or something in between. They unpack competing military options, the role of Iran’s energy sector, the risks of escalation across the region, and whether regime change is a realistic outcome—or a dangerous illusion.

In this episode:

02:45 - Trump’s Ultimatum: What It Actually Means

05:45 - Extend, Escalate, or Strike: The U.S. Decision Tree

06:42 - Targeting Iran’s Energy Sector: Pressure vs. Shock

11:03 - Ground Forces on the Table? Risks and Realities

17:00 - No Deal, No Deterrence: Can This War End Cleanly?

18:00 - Iran’s Leverage: Hormuz and Regional Retaliation

21:30 - Endgames: Regime Change, Containment, or End

This episode was sponsored by Hadassah. Please go to Hadassah.org to make a gift that helps Hadassah continue its longstanding, life-changing support for the people in Israel.

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Link to Javad Zarif article on Foreign Affairs: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/middle-east/how-iran-should-end-war-javad-zarif

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

Subscribe to Inside Call me Back to listen to our 3-part series with Ronen Bergman

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Is the war heading towards a ground assault or a push for a deal? To explore out the possibilities, Dan is joined by Ark Media contributor Nadav Eyal and Fred Kagan, director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute.

In this episode:

- Two Tracks, One War: Escalation vs. Diplomacy

- Inside the Air Campaign: What’s Been Degraded—and What Hasn’t

- Iran’s Mindset: Why Tehran Thinks It’s Winning

- The Strait of Hormuz: Leverage, Illusion, or Real Control?

- Diplomacy During War: Contradiction or Strategy?

- What a U.S. Ground Operation Could Look Like

- Energy, Escalation, and Regional Spillover Risks

- Endgames: Deal, Deterrence, or Something Bigger?

More Ark Media:

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• X | Dan
• Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
• Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

For the full episode, subscribe here to Inside Call me Back

This is a sneak peek from today’s members-only Inside Call Me Back, Part 2 of our 3-part series on Inside Mossad’s Shadow War with Iran with Ronen Bergman.

Dan and Ronen pick up where Part 1 left off, diving into the growing tension between Israel and the United States over whether—and when—to strike Iran’s nuclear program. From dramatic exchanges with Presidents Bush and Obama to deep divisions inside Israel’s own security establishment, this episode explores the early fault lines that would shape one of the most consequential strategic debates in recent history.

For the full series, subscribe here to Inside Call me Back

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

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What does freedom mean when pain is still present?

As Passover approaches, Dan Senor speaks with Rachel Goldberg-Polin about how this year’s Seder lands differently. In a moment shaped by war, loss, and uneasy relief, they explore how the rituals of Passover hold both joy and sorrow—and why that tension is the point.

From the Exodus story to the symbols on the Seder table, Rachel reflects on memory, meaning, gratitude, and the challenge of holding both relief and restraint. Less about retelling the past, this conversation asks what it means to be free right now.

In this episode:

- Why This Passover Feels Different

- Setting the Table: From Slavery to Nationhood

- What Actually Happens at the Seder

- The Power of Questions (and Why Answers Matter Less)

- Bitterness, Memory, and Eating Our Pain

- Relief vs. Glee: A Moral Distinction

- Dayenu and the Discipline of Gratitude

This episode was sponsored by the Jewish Communal Fund. Learn more about JCF’s donor advised funds at jcfny.org.

This episode was sponsored by Hadassah. Please go to Hadassah.org to make a gift that helps Hadassah continue its longstanding, life-changing support for the people in Israel.

Purchase tickets to see Dan in conversation with Rachel Goldberg-Polin at the Streicker Center on April 20.

More Ark Media:

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• Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
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• Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
• Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

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Are the stakes of the Iran war higher than Israelis understand?

Micah Goodman joins Dan to try and understand the different narratives that drive this war: Iran’s war against the West, the Iranian people’s war of liberation, the United States’ paradoxical relationship with Israel, and China’s hegemonic fantasies. While Israelis are primarily concerned with guaranteeing their own safety, Micah argues that the war puts all these narratives to the test, and that the stakes of winning (or losing) the war may define the future of the balance of power around the world.

In this episode:

- The “Great Convergence”: Why This War Is Different

- The U.S.-Israel Paradox

- America First and MAGA (Can Israel’s Military Beat Conspiracy Theories?)

- Trump’s War Doctrine: Strength Without Quagmire

- The Global Stakes: China, Iran, and Deterrence

- Zionism and the Bigger Meaning of This War

This episode was sponsored by Hadassah. Please go to Hadassah.org to make a gift that helps Hadassah continue its longstanding, life-changing support for the people in Israel.

Find Theodore Herzl's The Jewish State here.

More Ark Media:

• Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.
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• Watch Call me Back on YouTube
• Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
• Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
• X | Dan
• Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
• Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo