In Episode 426 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Stephen Walt, Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, about American grand strategy, the Trump Doctrine of Coercive Primacy, and the implications of Washington’s new Gunboat Diplomacy in the Middle East.

Stephen is a prominent member of the realist school in international relations. He’s been a long-time critic of American adventurism and an advocate for a more restrained approach to U.S. foreign policy.

In the first hour, Stephen provides his assessment of recent events in the Middle East, how U.S. policy in the region improves or worsens America’s global position, and what we can say with certainty about the Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy.

In the second hour, he and Demetri discuss:
(1) America’s policy in the Middle East
(2) Iranian intentions and the potential for regime change
(3) Solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
(4) American grand strategy
(5) The long-awaited U.S. pivot to Asia that has failed to fully materialize

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Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas
Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou

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Episode Recorded on 06/25/2025

Trump Doctrine: A New Era of Gunboat Diplomacy | Stephen Walt

Hidden Forces