“Liberate Their Bodies From Their Souls”: The Lies That Sell the Iran War

·47 min·4 clips

How did the war on drugs metaphor become literal, leading to no-knock warrants and Breonna Taylor's death?

The episode opens with a metaphor comparing the war on drugs to current conflicts, highlighting no-knock warrants and police violence against figures like Breonna Taylor. Host Ali Gharib introduces the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, now in its third week, with over 1,400 killed and 18,000 injured, targeting civilian infrastructure. The first segment features Afif Nasouli, an Intercept contributor in Beirut, describing the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes that hit central Beirut, killing 12 and wounding 41. He reports on tent cities in Horsh Beirut park, schools turned shelters, and organizations like Truth Be Told distributing meals. Nasouli discusses Lebanese resentment toward Hezbollah for entering the war only after Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was assassinated, not responding to thousands of Israeli ceasefire violations. He explains how Israeli leaflets and attacks sow sectarian discord, displacing Shia communities and fueling fears of civil war. The second segment interviews Sanam Naderi Anderlini, a peace strategist and ICANN founder, who analyzes the escalation trap involving Iran, Israel, and the U.S. She traces a long-term lobby for regime change in Iran, shifting from nuclear threats to economic pressure via sanctions. Anderlini details how propaganda from outlets like Iran International co-opted the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom movement, with Reza Pahlavi and Mossad-aligned voices encouraging protests that led to a violent crackdown claiming around 7,000 lives. She criticizes the diaspora for using human rights rhetoric to justify war while safe abroad, noting attacks on 60 schools, heritage sites, and chemical plants. Anderlini advocates for guardrails on weapons, releasing political prisoners, and creating a inclusive vision for Iran's future, referencing South Africa's People's Charter. The episode concludes with production credits and a call for listener support.

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A briefing on how civilian casualties, retaliation, and U.S. power turn escalation into a strategy without a clear exit.

The Intercept Briefing treats the U.S. and Israel's war on Iran as an escalation problem with no obvious endpoint. Ali Gharib lays out attacks beginning on February 28, at least 1,400 deaths, more than 18,000 injuries, and damage to civilian infrastructure, including Iranian…

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You want to understand why the U.S. and Israel's war on Iran keeps escalating, and what the damage to civilian life reveals about its logic.

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