American Foreign Policy Council

It really makes a difference.

And to learn more about AFPC's research, visit us online at www.afpc.org. For questions or comments, you can always reach me at graypowerpod@afpc.org. Until next time.

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Welcome to Space Strategy, a podcast from the American Foreign Policy Council's Space Policy Initiative, where we are shaping a vision for the next strategic frontier.

Now here's your host, AFPC Senior Fellow in Defense Studies, Peter Gerritsen.

Welcome to the Space Strategy Podcast.

I'm your host, Peter Gerritsen, a senior fellow in defense studies at the American Foreign Policy Council.

I'm John Batchelor.

I welcome Cleo Pascal of the American Foreign Policy Council, who takes us on adventures in the Pacific.

If I recall correctly, Cleo, good evening to you.

In 2025, you were on a freighter transporting in the Federated States of Micronesia to a small island called Yap.

Uh, but the United Airlines, which has a, a chokehold on the region is so reviled that the Chinese keep trying to, uh, propose an alternative airline to go across the region.

And eventually if, if United or a Western friendly competitor doesn't, uh, go in and support the region, a Chinese-linked airline will, and then it will bypass security checks in places like Guam and really open up the region for influx of bad Chinese actors and affiliated.

American Foreign Policy Council, Cleo Pascal, back from Wuliai, a part of the Yap chain.

I'm John Batchelor.

I think there are more chapters to be written in this standoff between Washington and the regime in Tehran.

Then, Elon Berman of the American Foreign Policy Council joins me to discuss his argument that the Revolutionary Guards have effectively consolidated control of the Iranian state and why North Africa may be another front.

It's less about Sunni versus Shia.

It's more about the Muslims versus the enemies of Islam.

So how does the system function now? How has it differed? What is still the same? Joining me now is Elon Berman.

Thank you so much for being here.

He's Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council.

Welcome to Eye for Iran.

It really makes a difference.

And to learn more about AFPC's research, visit us online at www.afpc.org. For questions or comments, you can always reach me at graypowerpod at afpc.org. Until next time.

But as genuinely exciting as that idea may be from a purely engineering and economic standpoint, there's a catch.

A 2026 security analysis published by the American Foreign Policy Council pointed out that, fundamentally, a device designed to accelerate and launch objects at high velocities is inherently dual use.

As in, not only could it launch satellites or cargo, it could also launch weapons from a worryingly unstoppable, undetectable platform.

The report identifies several categories of concern.

I want to welcome Ilan Berman to the show.

Ilan is Senior Vice President at the American Foreign Policy Council and also Editor-in-Chief of Statecraft and Strategy.

An expert on regional security in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Russian Federation, Ilan has consulted for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency as well as the U.S.

Departments of State and Defense.

All right, great.

Well, you're in the center of the beast.

And just tell us, what's keeping you busy right now at the American Foreign Policy Council?

Well, so I do a lot of things in my day job.