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At the Water's Edge

At the Water's Edge

By: WRKdefined Podcast Network
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Summary

 The At the Water’s Edge Podcast explores national security and geopolitics from an insider’s perspective, looking at how national power, industrial policy, diplomacy, and military might shape our world and America’s place in it.All rights reserved by WRKdefined Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Former NSC Official: The Iran War Exposed America’s Broken Strategy | Negah Angha

    Former NSC Official: The Iran War Exposed America’s Broken Strategy | Negah Angha
    May 7 2026
    Former State Department senior advisor and National Security Council official Negah Angha joins At the Water’s Edge to discuss what the war with Iran reveals about American strategy, alliances, and decision-making. Angha explains how major national security decisions are supposed to move through the U.S. government, why inconsistent objectives and poor consultation with allies can weaken American credibility, and how Iran’s pressure on the Strait of Hormuz has exposed vulnerabilities in the global economy. The conversation also covers low-cost drones, the limits of the U.S. defense industrial base, Congress’s role in war powers, the lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the complicated role of diaspora communities in U.S. foreign policy. This episode is about more than Iran. It is a broader look at whether the American national security system can still align military power, diplomacy, alliances, public support, and long-term strategy in a crisis that moves faster than Washington’s bureaucracy.
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    49 mins
  • The U.S. Is Losing Control | Robert Pape on Iran, China, and the Escalation Trap

    The U.S. Is Losing Control | Robert Pape on Iran, China, and the Escalation Trap
    May 5 2026
    This is Part 7 of The Escalation Trap, an ongoing series with Robert Pape of the University of Chicago tracking the war with Iran in real time. This week, the Trump administration announced Project Freedom, an effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by escorting ships through the waterway. At the same time, Iran is working with Pakistan and Turkey to expand overland trade routes, Hezbollah has increased drone attacks against Israel, and conflicting reports emerged over a possible encounter involving a U.S. warship. But according to Pape, the bigger picture is clear: The United States is losing control — not only in the Gulf, but across multiple regions at once. Why Project Freedom may mark a shift toward further escalation How Iran is using Pakistan and Turkey to work around the blockade Why U.S. credibility and influence are declining in multiple theaters What a loss of control in the Gulf could mean for Europe and Asia Why a future Trump-Xi meeting could have implications for Taiwan How the war with Iran may be reshaping the global balance of power Why escalation may now look like the only remaining option for Washington What to watch as the U.S. attempts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz This conflict is no longer confined to Iran, Israel, and the Gulf. It is becoming a test of American power — and the consequences may extend across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the global economy. New episodes released weekly as the conflict evolves. At the Water’s Edge delivers practitioner-level insight into national security and geopolitics — bridging academic theory with how conflicts actually unfold in the real world. In this episode:Key takeaway:Follow the series:About the show:
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    41 mins
  • Are We Already in World War III? Ukraine, Iran, and the New Global Conflict | Paul Poast

    Are We Already in World War III? Ukraine, Iran, and the New Global Conflict | Paul Poast
    Apr 29 2026
    Are the wars in Ukraine and Iran separate conflicts—or part of something larger? In this episode of At the Water’s Edge, Scott sits down with Paul Poast, Associate Professor at the University of Chicago, to unpack his argument that we may already be living in a new era of “world war.” Rather than a 20th-century style global conflict, Poast explains how today’s wars can be defined by multiple interconnected theaters, where major powers compete indirectly across regions—and where decisions in one conflict shape outcomes in another. Read is NYT OPED: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/opinion/international-world/iran-ukraine-world-war.html The conversation explores: What actually defines a “world war” in today’s context How the wars in Ukraine and Iran are strategically connected Whether U.S. and Russian actions across theaters are a form of great power balancing The role of alliances—and why strained relationships may still hold How munitions shortages, oil markets, and second-order effects shape modern conflict Why policymakers may be “making it up as they go” in a rapidly evolving environment And why in a conflict like this, success may mean finding the least bad outcome, not outright victory This is a wide-ranging discussion on how to think about modern warfare, great power competition, and the risks of escalation in an increasingly interconnected global system.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
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