IRGC more hardline post-war
Intelligence seen by a Republican senator on the Foreign Relations Committee indicates the IRGC is more consolidated and hardline now than at the start of the war.
Snapshot · The Rest Is Politics: US
197. Vance Vs Hegseth: Who Takes the Fall for Trump’s Iran Deal?
Explore episode
Jun 18, 2026
Where this was said
Senate Intelligence and the IRGC: Why the Deal Makes America Less Safe
At 16:50 · chapter starts 15:00
Katty delivers the most damning material of the Iran segment: a direct conversation with a Republican senator on the Foreign Relations Committee who has reviewed recent intelligence. His three-word verdict — 'ludicrous, ill-informed, fantastical' — lands hard. What the intelligence shows is worse: the IRGC, Iran's hardline elite force, is more consolidated and in control than at the start of the war. Iran is not becoming Switzerland. The day-one injection of cash from oil sales will flow directly into weaponry, putting American allies at greater risk. The MOU that has been signed, Katty says, actively hurts American national security. Scaramucci adds the Kushner framing: Jared Kushner has always believed you can override any ideology with a business deal, from Palestinian condos in the first term to Iranian partnerships now.
The IRGC Is Stronger Now Than Before the War
A Republican senator on the Foreign Relations Committee told Katty Kay the intelligence picture is damning: the IRGC, Iran's most hardline force, is more consolidated and in control now than when the war started. The deal's premise — that Iran is a normal country ready for business — is fantasy. The first cash injection from oil sales will go straight to weapons.
Senator: deal 'ludicrous, ill-informed, fantastical'
A Republican senator on the Foreign Relations Committee called the US-Iran deal ludicrous, ill-informed, and fantastical in a private conversation.
47 Years of the Iranian Playbook: Negotiate, Relieve Pressure, Preserve the Regime
Iran's strategy for 47 years has been simple: negotiate to relieve sanctions pressure, pocket the relief, and preserve the regime. They don't have an electoral clock. They measure time in decades, not news cycles. Every American administration — from Carter to Trump — has fallen for the same play.
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