On COI #334, Kyle Anzalone and Connor Freeman cover the latest escalations in the war in Ukraine as well as some recent news about the protests in Iran and the JCPOA.

Kyle discusses President Joe Biden’s statement that we are closer today to nuclear “Armageddon” than anytime since the Cuban Missile Crisis. This came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a “preventative strike” on Russia to “exclude the possibility of use of nuclear weapons by Russia.” It was also revealed that, in addition to a significant CIA presence, the U.S. also has special operations forces deployed in Ukraine.

Connor talks about the revelation reported in the New York Times, that the U.S. intelligence community believes parts of the Ukrainian government are responsible for the brutal car bomb assassination of Russian journalist Darya Dugina outside Moscow.  

The JCPOA talks seem all but dead, but according to Iranian officials there is some diplomatic work being done by the Europeans and others to get talks going again, but this all relies on “political will” in Washington. In another sign that will is lacking, fresh sanctions have been imposed on Iran this month. Connor then analyzes an investigation into the possibility of some of the violent protests occurring in Iran being part of a US covert war.