Episode summary
Ben Meiselas analyzes the massive funeral procession for Ayatollah Khomeini, which drew tens of millions of Iranians and official delegations from over 28 countries including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, and Pakistan. Donald Trump told Axios he was stunned by the size of the crowds and Iranians crying for Khomeini, contradicting his expectation that the population hated their leader. Trump revealed he considered striking Iran's assembled leadership at the funeral but chose not to preserve nuclear negotiations. US officials now admit that many of Trump's closest advisers believe Netanyahu was completely wrong about Iran's internal dynamics and predicted collapse. Meiselas argues the assassination backfired, unifying Iranians and strengthening international support for the regime rather than weakening it. The episode examines how a new geopolitical coalition called the Islamabad Quartet comprising Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iran is emerging with Chinese backing to replace the US security umbrella in the region. According to a memorandum of understanding, Iran and Arab nations now jointly control transit decisions through the Strait of Hormuz, excluding the United States. Meiselas criticizes neoconservatives like Mark Levin who suggested the funeral was a missed military opportunity, arguing such rhetoric promotes endless war. He recounts the 1988 Iran Air Flight 655 incident when a US battleship shot down an Iranian commercial airplane killing 290 people, for which the US never apologized, to provide historical context for Iranian grievances. The analysis emphasizes the gap between Western assumptions about Iranian regime weakness and the complex reality of significant domestic and regional support.
