Why Nobody Came to Help the U.S in Iran || Peter Zeihan

What happened in this episode?

Geopolitical analyst Peter Zeihan addresses why U.S. allies like Japan and European nations have not contributed forces to the ongoing Iran conflict despite their dependence on Persian Gulf energy imports. Zeihan reveals that on February 11th, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pitched President Trump on a joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran during a White House meeting, promising the war would end in four days and that Iran might even rename its capital Trumpopolis in Trump's honor. According to Zeihan, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned Trump this was a disastrous idea that Netanyahu has attempted to sell to multiple American presidents over 30 years, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth supported it, and U.S. carriers deployed that same day. Zeihan explains that the United States deliberately structured the post-World War II order to prevent allies from developing long-range power projection capabilities, meaning only Japan, the United Kingdom, and France maintain navies capable of deploying to the Persian Gulf. He reports that the Trump administration launched the conflict without the intelligence sharing and coalition building that normally precedes U.S. military action, only demanding allied assistance weeks into the war when it became clear operations were not going well. Zeihan claims there was no actual intelligence supporting the attack, just Netanyahu's pitch deck, and that Trump has sidelined the State Department and National Security Council, preventing both allied consultation and technical diplomatic talks with Iran. He warns that Iran has demonstrated the capability to strike all Persian Gulf infrastructure and monitor the entire Strait of Hormuz, creating conditions for a global energy-induced depression, while diplomatic resolution remains impossible because Trump refuses to work with diplomats and relies instead on advisors like Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff who recently traveled to Doha only to be turned away by Iranians requesting technical talks that have never occurred.

What are the key points?

• Netanyahu pitched Trump on February 11th for a joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran, promising a four-day war and that Iran might rename its capital Trumpopolis in Trump's honor.
• Rubio and Joint Chiefs warned Trump the plan was terrible and Netanyahu had tried selling similar proposals to presidents for 30 years, but carriers deployed the same day.
• The Trump administration launched the Iran conflict without intelligence sharing or coalition building with allies, only requesting help weeks later when the war was going poorly.
• Most U.S. allies lack long-range naval power projection capabilities by design, as the post-WWII security arrangement deliberately prevented them from developing such forces.
• Iran has demonstrated ability to strike all Persian Gulf infrastructure and monitor the entire Strait of Hormuz, creating risk of global energy-induced depression.
• Trump has sidelined the State Department and National Security Council, preventing diplomatic negotiations and technical talks needed to resolve the conflict.
• No technical diplomatic talks have occurred since the conflict began in February, with Iranian officials recently declining to meet with Trump's negotiators Kushner and Witkoff in Doha.

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How is this page sourced?

Programme

Peter Zeihan Podcast

Published

14 July 2026

Duration

7m

Original episode

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