INSIDE THE ATTACK ON IRAN WITH AVI MELAMED | UNPACKING ISRAELI HISTORY

Interview of Avi Melamed on the Podcast “Unpacking Israeli History” about the Attack on Iran 2026-02 | “Emergencey Episode”

In this special episode, Noam Weissman sits down with Middle East expert and former Israeli intelligence official Avi Melamed to unpack the forces driving the Israel–Iran–U.S. confrontation. From the Sunni–Shiite split to Iran’s 1979 Islamic takeover, Avi explains how theology, grievance, and ideology shaped the Islamic Republic. He explores how Tehran’s proxy network, from Hezbollah to the Houthis, turned the Israeli–Palestinian conflict into a driver of regional escalation. They also confront the urgent question: What happens next?

🔹 Core Themes

• Iran’s ideology — not just geopolitics — drives the regional conflict
• The Sunni–Shiite divide remains a major fault line in Middle East politics
• Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution reshaped regional power dynamics
• Theology, historical grievance, and revolutionary ideology are central to Tehran’s worldview

🔹 Iran’s Regional Strategy

• Iran operates through proxy forces rather than direct confrontation
• Hezbollah and the Houthis serve as key instruments of Iranian influence
• Proxy warfare allows escalation while maintaining plausible deniability
• The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is leveraged to mobilize regional actors

🔹 Israel–Iran–U.S. Tensions

• The confrontation is part of a broader regional power struggle
• Actions across multiple fronts are interconnected
• Understanding Iran’s motivations is essential to predicting future escalation

🔹 Forward-Looking Questions

• What scenarios could trigger wider war?
• How might U.S. involvement evolve?
• What are the risks of miscalculation between Iran and Israel?

Avi Melamed is a former Israeli intelligence official and a former senior Arab affairs advisor. Fluent in Hebrew, Arabic, and English, he is an apolitical non-partisan educator, analyst, and author. His area of expertise is the geopolitics of the contemporary Middle East. He paints a multidimensional picture of the realities in the region and provides an unparalleled understanding for forecasting its future events. Melamed’s non-profit, Inside the Middle East, provides courses and workshops which empower a wide range of audiences to understand the region to not only accurately project the developments that will take place throughout the Middle East but also the ramifications worldwide. His latest book “Inside The Middle East | Entering a New Era,” has received high acclaim from executives, journalists, think tanks, and thought leaders, many from across the Arab world. Under his guidance, in May 2023, ITME launched a five-part documentary series, خط التماس | Kav Ha Tefer | קו התפר | The Seam Line | Avi Melamed’s Jerusalem Living on the Edge of Eternity. The Seam Line is a unique opportunity to explore the conflict in and over Jerusalem, gain unique insights, uncover perspectives rarely explored by Western media, and understand the Israeli-Palestine conflict in the context of the complex reality of the Middle East.

If you want to have a better understanding of the news and what really drives the unfolding events…
Read the latest book of Avi Melamed,
INSIDE THE MIDDLE EAST | ENTERING A NEW ERA, available now >>>

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