Behnam Ben Taleblu is senior director of the Foundation For Defense of Democracy’s Iran Program, and a senior fellow specializing in Iranian security and political issues.

We ask this noted scholar the burning questions of the day like, “Do you lose weight on Ramadan?” and “What’s it like to have a fatwa on your head?”

We also discuss the potential for an American (and Israeli?) strike on Iran, the incredible resilience of Iranian society, how Ayatollah Khamenei is playing us all, where Behnam is more hawkish than his Israeli colleagues.

Follow Behnam on X and check out his writing at the FDD.

Happy Purim, Ramadan and Nowruz to all!

Also:

* No one has done a better job at secularizing Iranian society than the Islamic republic itself.

* What is Iran?

* We’re all from Malta now.

* Is Ramadan intermittent fasting?

* I’m sorry I can’t come to your event, the Iranianss are after me.

* Where is Hezbollah now?

* Iranian society deserves a collective Nobel Peace Prize.

* Bumbling idiot or 7D chess player?

* The knife and the handshake.

* The JCPOA created this mess.

* This is a war of choice, and Iran chose it.

* Khamenei needs to thank Trump, instead he’s leaving him on “read”.

* Tucker Carlson didn’t like the Ben Gurion Airport McDonald’s.

* No one and everyone has a right to exist.

* Benham has a favorite Hamentaschen flavor.

* Persian food with a Shmear.

* Kebab and Chinese

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