Restricted Handling Podcast

How do you keep delivering medicine when Russia is hunting your trucks?

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Ukrposhta CEO Igor Smelyansky joins Ryan Fugit and Glenn Corn to explain how Ukraine's postal service keeps a country connected through invasion, blackouts and repeated attacks on its network. He describes improvised parcel exchanges, workers reaching pensioners by boat, and the decisions that determine whether a branch opens or a truck leaves.

His assessment of Russian decision-making connects with the leadership and institutions mapped in RH's Russia Power Network (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/russia).

In this episode, we cover:

• Mobile post offices, medicine deliveries and cash pensions near the front • Keeping Ukrainian currency circulating under occupation • Getting Ukrainian exports to American buyers without flights from Ukraine • Automation, AI experiments and a distributed marketplace • Igor's assessment of Putin, negotiating tactics and hostage diplomacy • Why he believes drones and infrastructure attacks demand Western attention

This is a conversation about the civilian systems that keep a country alive and what Americans can learn from Ukraine's experience.

Go deeper with Restricted Handling

• Explore drones and air-defense systems in the Ukraine Arsenal Map (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/ukraine/arsenal). • Revisit Glenn Corn on the Drone Strike Near His Train and Ukraine's Lifelines (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/glenn-corn-ukraine-drone-strike), our September 15 conversation about attacks on transport and keeping Ukraine supplied.

Timeline / chapters

• 00:00 Meet Ukrposhta CEO Igor Smelyansky • 03:02 Keeping Ukraine's villages supplied under attack • 05:05 Power, fuel and improvised parcel hubs • 07:03 Paying pensions in occupied territory • 10:39 The human cost for postal workers • 12:31 Russian negotiations and filtered intelligence • 13:40 Why Igor says Putin sells the past • 16:31 U.S. envoys and Russia's hostage diplomacy • 21:03 Moving Ukrainian exports without airports • 25:25 A marketplace built for wartime delivery • 28:44 Automation and AI in postal logistics • 32:28 Workers who need to be told to stop • 35:28 Procurement, corruption and wartime urgency • 38:22 Glenn on attacks against civilians • 40:45 Why drone threats extend beyond Ukraine • 43:04 Winter, blackouts and keeping cash available • 46:15 Public service when private companies pull back • 47:24 Get the RH Daily Intel Brief

About Igor Smelyansky

Igor Smelyansky is the Ukrainian American CEO of Ukrposhta, which he has led since 2016. He previously worked at Boston Consulting Group and KPMG and holds an MBA from Georgetown University and a law degree from George Washington University.

Igor Smelyansky's official Ukrposhta biography (https://www.ukrposhta.ua/en/ceo)

How to find Glenn Corn

Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multi-time Chief of Station in some of the world's most difficult posts. You can find him at the Institute of World Politics (https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/) or his consultancy at Great South Bay Consulting (https://greatsouthbayinc.com/).

Restricted Handling (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/)

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Every interceptor fired today changes what America can defend tomorrow.

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CSIS senior adviser and retired Marine Colonel Mark Cancian joins Ryan Fugit and Glenn Corn to examine America's missile shortages, Ukraine's air defense crisis, and the implications for deterring China.

Revisiting his April report on munitions inventories, Cancian explains why Patriot and THAAD interceptors are especially difficult to replace. He gives his stockpile estimates, assesses the production bottlenecks, and considers what could help Ukraine sooner.

For background on the weapons discussed, explore the U.S. Arsenal Map (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/united-states/arsenal).

In this episode, we cover:

• Patriot, THAAD and SM-3 inventories, and the risk of a Pacific conflict • Why expanding production takes years, even with more funding • How planning for short wars squeezed out industrial surge capacity • Critical minerals and competing civilian demand • The obstacles to manufacturing Patriot interceptors in Ukraine • Cheap drones, expensive defenses and emerging counter-drone systems • Allied stockpile deals and the difficulty of hunting mobile launchers

Glenn brings observations from Ukraine, where shortages force painful choices about what to protect. The conversation connects factory output to civilian survival, allied commitments and U.S. readiness.

Go deeper with Restricted Handling

• Explore the military command and strategic institutions in the China Power Network (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/china). • Revisit Dave Berke on Iran, Drones, and the Future of Air War (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/dave-berke-air-war) for his perspective on adapting to drones and finding mobile missile launchers.

Timeline / chapters

00:00 Introducing Mark Cancian 01:10 Patriot, THAAD and the shortage of substitutes 03:40 How Patriot performs against advanced missiles 04:54 How many interceptors are left? 05:51 The China contingency and interception trade-offs 08:22 Can America accelerate missile production? 12:56 How short-war planning stripped out surge capacity 15:55 Critical minerals and the civilian economy 17:07 Zelensky's Patriot demands and U.S. supply limits 20:32 Who gets the next Patriot interceptor? 21:59 Can Ukraine manufacture Patriot interceptors? 24:58 Cheap drones, jet-powered threats and countermeasures 29:10 Glenn's account of Ukraine's worsening air defense 31:11 Could allies send Patriots and be backfilled later? 32:29 Why hunting mobile missile launchers is so difficult 34:22 Why Russian air defenses struggle with drones 35:30 Cancian's Marine artillery and targeting experience 37:01 How to get the RH Daily Intel Brief

About Mark Cancian

Mark Cancian is a senior adviser with the CSIS Defense and Security Department and a retired U.S. Marine Corps Reserve colonel. He previously served as chief of the Force Structure and Investment Division at the Office of Management and Budget.

Mark Cancian at CSIS (https://www.csis.org/people/mark-f-cancian)

Read the report discussed: Last Rounds? Status of Key Munitions at the Iran War Ceasefire (https://www.csis.org/analysis/last-rounds-status-key-munitions-iran-war-ceasefire)

How to find Glenn Corn

Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multi-time Chief of Station in some of the world's most difficult posts. You can find him at the Institute of World Politics (https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/) or his consultancy at Great South Bay Consulting (https://greatsouthbayinc.com/).

Restricted Handling (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/)

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What would it take to stop Putin's war? Ambassador John Herbst makes his case.

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John Herbst joins Ryan Fugit and Glenn Corn to connect U.S. diplomatic experience with today's strategic choices.

In this episode, we cover: • Lukoil, sanctions, Ukraine and NATO • Russia, China, Central Asia and the Caucasus • U.S. negotiators, Uzbekistan after 9/11, and Iran

Go deeper with Restricted Handling Explore related conversations in the episode archive.

Timeline / chapters • 00:00 Arm Ukraine to the teeth • 00:14 Ambassador John Herbst • 01:08 Lukoil and negotiations • 06:21 Russia and China • 09:18 Central Asia and the Middle Corridor • 17:36 Putin's aims in Ukraine • 20:47 Russian active measures • 35:48 Negotiating with Moscow • 43:57 Uzbekistan after 9/11 • 47:29 Ukraine and NATO • 50:08 Iran and U.S. strategy • 54:52 Closing and the RH community

About John Herbst Former U.S. ambassador to Uzbekistan and Ukraine, Herbst leads the Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council.

How to find Glenn Corn

Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multi-time Chief of Station in some of the world's most difficult posts. You can find him at the Institute of World Politics or his consultancy at Great South Bay Consulting.

Restricted Handling

What would it take to stop Putin's war? Ambassador John Herbst makes his case.

👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast at Restricted Handling to get a daily intel brief on Russia, China, Iran, Economics/Sanctions, Espionage, and more

John Herbst joins Ryan Fugit and Glenn Corn to connect U.S. diplomatic experience with today's strategic choices.

• Lukoil, sanctions, Ukraine and NATO
• Russia, China, Central Asia and the Caucasus
• U.S. negotiators, Uzbekistan after 9/11, and Iran

Explore related conversations in the episode archive.

• 00:00 Arm Ukraine to the teeth
• 00:14 Ambassador John Herbst
• 01:08 Lukoil and negotiations
• 06:21 Russia and China
• 09:18 Central Asia and the Middle Corridor
• 17:36 Putin's aims in Ukraine
• 20:47 Russian active measures
• 35:48 Negotiating with Moscow
• 43:57 Uzbekistan after 9/11
• 47:29 Ukraine and NATO
• 50:08 Iran and U.S. strategy
• 54:52 Closing and the RH community

Former U.S. ambassador to Uzbekistan and Ukraine, Herbst leads the Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council.

Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multi-time Chief of Station in some of the world's most difficult posts. You can find him at the Institute of World Politics or his consultancy at Great South Bay Consulting.

Restricted Handling

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One Russian submarine can turn the North Atlantic into a hunting ground.

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Russian submarines, vulnerable undersea cables, and Arctic shipping routes are bringing the High North into sharper focus. Ryan sits down with Dr. Steve Wills, a 20-year U.S. Navy veteran and navalist at the Center for Maritime Strategy, to explain what is at stake for the United States and its allies.

Steve describes a modern Russian cruise missile submarine as an underwater Bismarck: difficult to find, dangerous to pursue, and capable of threatening targets ashore. He explains why Greenland and the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap matter, how Arctic conditions complicate cable repairs, and what China wants from a region far from its own coastline.

For background on the Russian security and energy institutions behind these issues, explore the [Russia Power Network](https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/russia) (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/russia).

In this episode, we cover:

- Undersea cable threats around Svalbard and the difficulty of Arctic repairs - The Northern Sea Route, Russian control, and shadow fleet sanctions evasion - Greenland's military value and the submarine routes into the North Atlantic - Deep-diving Russian submarines, undersea vehicles, and lessons from Ukraine's drone war - China's Arctic energy interests and growing shipbuilding capacity - Canada's icebreakers, shipyards, and practical cooperation with the United States - Life at sea, Cold War naval strategy, and Steve's souvenir from the cruiser Moskva

The conversation connects the Arctic's geography to everyday security: the cables carrying data, the ships moving energy, and the naval forces protecting access.

Go deeper with Restricted Handling

- Explore the [Russia Arsenal Map](https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/russia/arsenal) (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/russia/arsenal) for related background on missile systems, including the sea-launched Kalibr. - Revisit [What Sanctions Cost Russia, Even When It Finds a Way Around](https://www.restrictedhandling.com/roman-steblivskyi-russia) (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/roman-steblivskyi-russia), our June 29 conversation with Roman Steblivskyi, for more on sanctions enforcement and Russia's shadow fleet.

Timeline / chapters

• 00:00 Russia's underwater threat and introducing Steve Wills • 01:11 Dog sledding and polar bears on Svalbard • 02:14 Life at sea and steel beach picnics • 04:36 Undersea cable threats and difficult Arctic repairs • 07:05 Why the High North matters: resources and shipping • 09:40 The Northern Sea Route and dealing with Russia • 13:16 Russia's shadow fleet and sanctions evasion • 15:25 Greenland, Cold War bases, and Project Iceworm • 18:16 Russian submarines and the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap • 21:45 Underwater drones and Russia's deep-sea capabilities • 24:08 U.S. naval reach versus Russia's Northern Fleet • 26:38 What China wants in the Arctic • 29:06 The Arctic risks people overlook • 31:24 Canada, icebreakers, and ship maintenance • 33:30 NATO service and favorite port visits • 36:17 Cold War strategy and Soviet submarine bastions • 37:20 Steve's Moskva souvenir and a Cold War time capsule • 39:17 China's shipbuilding advantage: quantity versus quality

About Steve Wills

Dr. Steve Wills is a navalist at the Center for Maritime Strategy. He served 20 years as a U.S. Navy officer, with assignments at the Defense Intelligence Agency and NATO. His work focuses on naval strategy, surface warfare, and Cold War naval history.

[Steve Wills at the Center for Maritime Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/dr-steven-wills/) (https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/dr-steven-wills/)

[Restricted Handling](https://www.restrictedhandling.com/) (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/)

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What if Putin sees a peace deal as time to prepare for his next war?

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Ambassador John Tefft joins Ryan Fugit and Glenn Corn to explain how Moscow sees Ukraine, why he doubts Putin is ready for a lasting settlement, and what American negotiators need to understand before sitting across from the Kremlin.

Across 45 years in the Foreign Service, Tefft served as U.S. ambassador to Lithuania, Georgia, Ukraine, and Russia. He brings firsthand stories from NATO negotiations, Ukrainian universities, and a Moscow farewell party where a Russian diplomat said something about Georgia and Ukraine that stayed with him for decades.

His account of Putin's ambitions connects directly to the people and institutions mapped in the Russia Power Network (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/russia).

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Tefft believes Putin sees territorial expansion as his legacy.
• Russian pressure on NATO, Poland, and the Baltic states.
• Whether a settlement could give Moscow time to rebuild and attack again.
• A 1997 NATO negotiation and the military explanation that silenced the room.
• How Ukrainian civil society challenges Moscow's assumptions.
• Repression, economic strain, and the war's growing costs inside Russia.
• Ukraine's technical talent and its importance to European security.
• Returning to Moscow after retirement and the family commitment behind a diplomatic career.

This conversation connects the terms of a possible peace deal to the question that follows: would it leave Ukraine secure enough to prevent another war?

Go deeper with Restricted Handling

• Explore the Ukraine Arsenal Map (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/ukraine/arsenal) for background on Ukrainian drones, missiles, aircraft, and air defense.
• Revisit What Would Actually Get Putin to Stop? (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/glenn-corn-russia-iran), the August 14 conversation with Glenn and Ryan about ceasefire terms, sanctions, and the risk of another Russian attack.

Timeline / chapters

• 00:01 Introducing Ambassador John Tefft • 03:36 Are Russia and the West heading toward a shooting war? • 04:49 Putin's ambition to become a "gatherer of lands" • 10:00 Russian hybrid warfare and Baltic deterrence • 16:03 Would Putin accept a lasting compromise? • 20:21 Could a settlement let Russia rebuild and attack again? • 21:51 The 1997 NATO negotiation that silenced the room • 23:46 What Moscow misunderstands about Ukrainian society • 27:52 The war's growing costs inside Russia • 34:03 Ukraine's universities and wartime innovation • 36:06 What negotiators need when dealing with Moscow • 37:34 What students in eastern Ukraine actually wanted • 39:10 Why Tefft made university visits a diplomatic priority • 42:17 Russia's 1990s transition and the roots of today's conflict • 44:10 A Moscow farewell party and a revealing remark • 45:54 Coming out of retirement for Moscow • 49:18 The unexpected Rome assignment his family loved • 51:57 Professionalism, family sacrifice, and public service

About John Tefft

John Tefft served as U.S. ambassador to Lithuania, Georgia, Ukraine, and Russia during a 45-year Foreign Service career. His assignments included leading the embassy in Georgia during the 2008 war and returning from retirement to serve in Moscow.

Read his RAND commentary discussed in this episode: The War Is Coming Home to Russia (https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2026/02/the-war-is-coming-home-to-russia.html).

How to find Glenn Corn

Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multi-time Chief of Station in some of the world's most difficult posts. You can find him at the Institute of World Politics (https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/) or his consultancy at Great South Bay Consulting (https://greatsouthbayinc.com/).

Restricted Handling (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/)

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Glenn Corn had just evacuated his train when a Russian drone struck a nearby locomotive.

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Back from Ukraine, Glenn joins Ryan Fugit to recount a drone strike near the Polish border while traveling with a delegation led by General David Petraeus. He describes repeated evacuations, anti-aircraft fire overhead, railway workers shouting for passengers to run, and families moving into nearby fields. Glenn says nobody was hurt in the incident.

He also explains why he believes the strike was intended to intimidate foreign visitors and threaten Ukraine's connections to the outside world. For background on the leadership and institutions discussed, explore the Russia Power Network (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/russia).

In this episode, we cover:

• The evacuation, explosion, and eventual crossing into Poland.
• Ukrainian railway workers who had to turn around and return to danger.
• Glenn's assessment of the message to foreign visitors, including Petraeus and Boris Johnson.
• Traveling with Petraeus and the everyday strain on Ukrainian civilians.
• Why praise for Ukrainian resilience can ring hollow without help.
• Sanctions, air defense shortages, and Glenn's Berlin Airlift analogy for a winter supply effort.
• Putin, the G20, energy ceasefire skepticism, and possible NATO air defense options.

An eyewitness account of one frightening journey opens a larger discussion about keeping Ukraine connected, supplied, and protected as winter approaches.

• Explore the aircraft, drones, and air defense systems in the Ukraine Arsenal Map (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/ukraine/arsenal).
• Revisit Glenn Corn and Ghost on Ukraine, 9/11, and the Cost of War (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/glenn-corn-ghost-ukraine), our September 11 conversation on civilian resilience, battlefield adaptation, and a veteran's recovery.

• 00:00 Glenn returns from a nearby drone strike
• 02:12 The rail route from Ukraine into Poland
• 07:26 Evacuated again as the train waits near the border
• 09:02 Anti-aircraft fire, warnings to run, and the explosion
• 12:35 The railway workers who had to go back
• 15:02 Glenn's assessment: a warning to foreign visitors
• 20:27 What traveling with General Petraeus is like
• 22:09 Ukrainian civilians living with constant attacks
• 24:47 Ryan explains danger close
• 25:42 Sanctions, accurate reporting, and air defense
• 27:29 A Berlin Airlift analogy for supplying Ukraine
• 29:15 Putin, the G20, and Russian influence channels
• 31:40 Would an energy infrastructure ceasefire hold?
• 32:42 Ryan's NATO hypothesis and Ukraine's approaching winter
• 35:40 Could NATO aircraft help intercept drones?
• 38:17 Mayday, jet lag, and Glenn's Ukrainian banya experience
• 41:38 Upcoming guests and a Petraeus invitation
• 42:17 Get the RH Daily Intel Brief

Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multi-time Chief of Station in some of the world's most difficult posts. You can find him at the Institute of World Politics (https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/) or his consultancy at Great South Bay Consulting (https://greatsouthbayinc.com/).

Restricted Handling (https://www.restrictedhandling.com/)

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From the morning of 9/11 to Ukraine's underground fighting positions, this episode follows the people who carry the cost of war with Ryan and Glenn discussing what 9/11 meant and if we should believe a ceasefire in this new war is coming soon.

👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ to get a daily intel brief on Russia, China, Iran, Economics/Sanctions, Espionage, and more

Ryan Fugit and Glenn Corn mark the anniversary of 9/11 with Glenn reporting from Kyiv. Glenn recalls watching the first plane hit the World Trade Center from an overseas posting, the order that followed, and the relentless years of operations that transformed the CIA and the military.

The conversation then turns to Ukraine. Glenn describes Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure, Ukrainian resilience ahead of another hard winter, the limits of current peace negotiations, and why drones and constant surveillance are pushing the war underground.

In the second half, Glenn speaks with Ghost, a Ukrainian combat veteran who fought in the Avdiivka direction. Ghost recounts running into danger to help wounded comrades, surviving an artillery strike after a combat medic shielded him from the blast, and recovering from a brain injury and ruptured eardrums. He now helps other Ukrainian soldiers confront combat stress and psychological trauma.

In this episode, we cover:

• Where Ryan and Glenn were on 9/11 • The quiet courage and lasting costs of the post-9/11 wars • Mike Spann and the opening chapter of the war in Afghanistan • Ukrainian morale ahead of another difficult winter • What Russian strikes reveal about Putin's approach to negotiations • A potential larger role for CIA Director John Ratcliffe • How drones, artificial intelligence, and surveillance are driving warfare underground • Ghost's first combat missions with the Third Assault Brigade • The combat medic who sacrificed himself to save Ghost • Ukraine's evolving approach to combat stress and psychological recovery

This episode connects two generations of war through duty, sacrifice, deterrence, and the human consequences that remain after the headlines move on.

Timeline / chapters

• 00:00 Why John Ratcliffe may matter in Ukraine peace talks • 00:22 Ryan and Glenn open from Kyiv • 02:03 A Russian strike erupts during Glenn's Ukraine call • 05:55 Where Glenn was on 9/11 • 09:05 Quiet courage, CIA duty, and the cost of war • 14:23 How the war on terror narrowed America's focus • 15:44 Ukraine's morale before another hard winter • 18:37 What Putin's strikes say about peace negotiations • 21:06 Ratcliffe, Moscow, and the language of strength • 24:56 Why drone warfare is driving soldiers underground • 28:34 Hybrid warfare, sabotage networks, and Glenn's message from Kyiv • 30:57 Glenn introduces Ghost in Kyiv • 32:53 From economics student to Third Assault Brigade soldier • 36:56 Why Ghost ran into danger to rescue his comrades • 37:48 The artillery strike and the medic who saved Ghost • 40:29 Brain injury, evacuation, and learning to speak again • 41:24 Helping soldiers confront combat stress • 44:43 A more brutal battlefield and what shapes frontline morale • 47:01 How Ghost got his call sign

About Ghost

Ghost is a Ukrainian combat veteran who joined the Third Assault Brigade, fought as an infantryman in the Avdiivka direction, and survived a severe artillery strike. After recovering from a brain injury and ruptured eardrums, he began helping soldiers in the Third Army Corps with morale and psychological recovery.

How to find Glenn Corn

Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multi-time Chief of Station in some of the world's most difficult posts. You can find him at the Institute of World Politics (https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/) or his consultancy at Great South Bay Consulting (https://greatsouthbayinc.com/).

Restricted Handling https://www.restrictedhandling.com/

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Who is running Iran when its supreme leader stays out of sight? See the Iran leadership chart at https://www.restrictedhandling.com/power-network/iran

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Ryan Fugit sits down with Iran expert and author Alex Vatanka to examine who holds power inside the Islamic Republic, why the regime has survived sustained pressure, and what a realistic American strategy would require.

Vatanka explains why Mojtaba Khamenei's absence leaves unanswered questions, how Revolutionary Guard networks shape decisions, and why disagreements inside the regime still matter. He also challenges the assumption that airstrikes and economic sanctions alone can deliver regime change.

In this episode, we cover:

• What we can and cannot conclude about Mojtaba Khamenei's absence • Why the IRGC could benefit from a politically weak supreme leader • The divide between factions seeking a deal and those preparing for prolonged confrontation • How Washington could support Iranian civil society • Iran's enriched uranium and the limits of destroying nuclear facilities • The Strait of Hormuz, energy markets, and economic warfare • Why public anger does not automatically become an uprising • What the United States needs to decide about its end state • Polymarket questions about Mojtaba's public return and a possible American ground invasion

The central question: how does military pressure become a political outcome? Vatanka lays out the stakes for Washington, the Iranian people, and the wider region.

Prediction-market figures discussed reflect the conversation at the time of recording.

Timeline / chapters

• 00:00 Alex Vatanka's warning on the Iran war • 00:59 Is Mojtaba alive, and who is running Iran? • 05:09 Why Mojtaba was chosen as supreme leader • 08:06 Can military pressure and sanctions force a deal? • 11:06 The factions dividing Iran's leadership • 15:56 How the US could support Iranian civil society • 19:43 Iran's enriched uranium and nuclear bargaining power • 20:33 Sponsor message • 21:31 Hormuz, economic warfare, and rebuilding nuclear capabilities • 23:55 How to track Iran's competing power networks • 26:20 Could economic decline trigger an uprising? • 29:43 What should America's end state in Iran be? • 32:52 Polymarket: Will Mojtaba make a public appearance? • 33:59 Polymarket: Will the US launch a ground invasion?

About Alex Vatanka

Alex Vatanka is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute specializing in Middle Eastern security, with a particular focus on Iran. Born in Tehran, he previously served as a senior analyst at Jane's Information Group in London and has testified before the US Congress. His work examines Iranian domestic politics, security networks, and foreign policy. Official MEI biography

MEI profile and latest analysis: https://mei.edu/person/alex-vatanka/

Personal website and biography: https://www.vatanka.com/about

His books:

1. The Battle of the Ayatollahs in Iran: The United States, Foreign Policy, and Political Rivalry since 1979 (2021) Explores how the rivalry between Ali Khamenei and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani shaped Iran's politics and foreign policy. This is the book most directly connected to your conversation about competing power networks. Publisher page at Bloomsbury / I.B. Tauris

2. Iran and Pakistan: Security, Diplomacy and American Influence (2015; paperback 2017) Examines the relationship between Tehran and Islamabad, including cooperation and tensions over Afghanistan, religion, security, and American influence. Publisher page at Bloomsbury / I.B. Tauris Book page on Alex's website

More from Restricted Handling: https://www.restrictedhandling.com/

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America can destroy most of an enemy's air threat and still leave enough hidden launchers to keep the war dangerous.

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Ryan Fugit sits down with Dave Berke, a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot, former TOPGUN instructor, and the only Marine ever to fly the F-22 Raptor.

Drawing on combat missions, carrier deployments, and experience flying the F-18, F-16, F-22, and F-35, Berke explains what extended operations at sea demand from sailors and aviators, why Iran can continue launching missiles after a massive strike campaign, and how drones are forcing the military to rethink air warfare.

In this episode, we cover:

• What more than 250 days at sea can do to an aircraft carrier crew • Steam catapults versus electromagnetic launch systems • Why promising military technology sometimes gets worse before it gets better • What Ukraine has demonstrated about drones, autonomy, and AI • How TOPGUN and frontline warfighters are adapting to unmanned warfare • Why Iran's mobile missile launchers are so difficult to eliminate • What reported aircraft losses reveal about modern combat • How decentralized command gives American forces an advantage • Why Berke filled his leadership book with his own mistakes • Jocko Willink's advice to write 1,000 words a day

This conversation offers a rare operator's view of carrier aviation, technological change, and the uncomfortable reality that even the world's most capable military cannot remove every threat from the battlefield.

Timeline / chapters

• 00:00 The Herculean performance of carrier aviation over Iran • 00:24 Meet former TOPGUN instructor Dave Berke • 02:47 What 250 days at sea does to a carrier crew • 06:25 The shore leave question no one can answer on air • 08:00 Steam catapults versus electromagnetic launch systems • 11:13 What Ukraine teaches the U.S. military about drones and AI • 13:20 How TOPGUN is adapting to unmanned warfare • 14:48 Why Iran's mobile missile launchers are so hard to eliminate • 17:54 What reported U.S. aircraft losses reveal about modern combat • 20:12 Why even a dominant military still takes losses • 21:34 Decentralized command and the future of American airpower • 24:06 Why writing The Need to Lead was so difficult • 26:19 Jocko's 1,000-words-a-day advice • 27:08 Why authentic failure makes leadership lessons stronger • 28:19 How junior pilots helped Berke master the F-22

About Dave Berke

Dave Berke is a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot, former TOPGUN graduate and instructor, and the only Marine ever to fly the F-22 Raptor. He flew combat missions from aircraft carriers and in Iraq and Afghanistan, commanded the world's first F-35B squadron, and is rated on the F-18 and F-16. He is now the Chief Development Officer at Echelon Front and the author of The Need to Lead: A Top Gun Instructor's Lessons on How Leadership Solves Every Challenge.

The Need to Lead: A TOPGUN Instructor's Lessons on How Leadership Solves Every Challenge

In The Need to Lead, retired Marine fighter pilot and former TOPGUN instructor Dave Berke transforms hard-earned lessons from aerial combat, ground operations, business, and family life into a practical guide to leadership. Through candid stories about mistakes, pressure, humility, and growth, Berke shows that leadership is a skill anyone can develop. The book features a foreword by Jocko Willink and offers useful lessons for anyone responsible for leading a team, a family, or themselves.

Restricted Handling https://www.restrictedhandling.com/

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