In this episode of The Deep Focus Show, Arn Menconi sits down with retired U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, for a deeply consequential conversation about the wars, political decisions and shifting alliances that are reshaping the world.Wilkerson argues that the conflicts in Ukraine and Southwest Asia are becoming part of a much larger geopolitical struggle involving the United States, China, Russia and Iran. He warns that the world may be repeating the catastrophic miscalculations that led to World War I — only this time, nuclear weapons are part of the equation. Is the world already moving toward World War III?The conversation also examines why Wilkerson believes President Donald Trump is increasingly trapped by the Iran war, the roles of Benjamin Netanyahu and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and how the conflicts in Israel, Iran and Ukraine are becoming increasingly interconnected. Menconi and Wilkerson also discuss China's challenge to American economic and financial power, the future of the U.S. dollar, stablecoins and the global financial system.The conversation then turns to the future of American democracy, the 2026 elections, the role of the military, political violence and the possibility of civil conflict inside the United States — as well as what Wilkerson believes Americans should be paying attention to right now.This is a sobering conversation about nuclear weapons, war, geopolitics, economics, American power and the future of the United States with one of America's most outspoken military and foreign policy critics.**CHAPTERS**2:40 – Are We Already in World War III?5:20 – America Is an Empire in Decline6:15 – The Growing Danger of Nuclear War10:34 – The Iran War Is a Global Conflict13:09 – How a Regional War Could Become Global16:12 – Are We Repeating the Mistakes of 1914?17:31 – Is There Any Way Out of the Iran War?23:13 – The Economics Behind War and Political Power25:20 – Is the Iran War Really About the Dollar?32:33 – What Do We Tell Our Children About the Future?38:00 – Will Trump Try to Control the 2026 Elections?40:06 – Could America Face Another Civil War?**ABOUT THE DEEP FOCUS SHOW**The Deep Focus Show features in-depth conversations with leading newsmakers, investigative journalists, authors, whistleblowers and independent voices examining global politics, geopolitics and the major issues shaping our world.Subscribe to The Deep Focus Show for more long-form conversations that go beyond the headlines.#LawrenceWilkerson #WorldWarIII #IranWar #NuclearWar #Geopolitics #Trump #Ukraine #DeepFocus

Could the Ukraine War and the Iran War become one conflict?In this exclusive interview, Trita Parsi joins Arn Menconi on The Deep Focus Show to explain why some policymakers may benefit from merging the wars, what it could mean for the world, and whether diplomacy still has a chance.We discuss:• Trump and the Iran conflict• Ukraine's role in the Middle East• Netanyahu's strategy• The Strait of Hormuz crisis• Why another forever war may be unfolding• Can diplomacy still prevent escalation?• The future of the Iran nuclear deal• Media coverage of the conflict• War crimes and international lawTrita Parsi is Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and one of America's leading experts on U.S.-Iran relations and Middle East diplomacy. Check out his Substack!https://tritaparsi.substack.com/Subscribe for in-depth interviews featuring leading journalists, scholars, whistleblowers and policymakers covering global politics, geopolitics, economics and international affairs.#Iran #Ukraine #Trump #Netanyahu #WorldWar3 #Geopolitics #MiddleEast #TritaParsi #DeepFocus #foreignpolicy 02:12 Is This the Beginning of World War III?02:40 Why Israel & Ukraine Could Benefit From One Conflict03:52 The Dangerous Plan to Merge the Ukraine & Iran Wars06:13 Trump's Biggest Foreign Policy Dilemma06:59 Is This Becoming Another Forever War?08:24 Why the Strait of Hormuz Changes Everything13:16 Could an Energy Crisis Force Peace?14:42 The Negotiation That Could End the Conflict15:47 Three Scenarios That Could Stop the War16:34 Lessons From Obama's Iran Nuclear Deal18:30 Could a New Iran Nuclear Deal Happen?19:28 Why Europe Has Lost Influence20:56 Why Qatar, Oman & Saudi Arabia Matter More22:11 Netanyahu's Real Agenda in Washington23:29 Is Israel Offering Trump a New Military Plan?24:21 The Human Cost of War in Iran & Lebanon26:25 How Mainstream Media Repeated the Iraq War29:33 The Truth Behind Iran Protest Death Claims30:52 Has the U.S. Committed War Crimes?31:44 The War on International LawLinks to Arn Menconi's work:https://substack.com/@arnmenconihttps://x.com/ArnMenconihttps://arnmenconi.net

As the Middle East continues to shift and tensions with Iran reshape global politics, longtime peace activist and CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin joins The Deep Focus Show for a wide-ranging conversation on war, activism, U.S. foreign policy and the future of American democracy. From the growing opposition to military intervention in Congress to the rise of a multipolar world, Benjamin explains why she believes grassroots movements—not Washington—will determine what comes next.Host Arn Menconi also reflects on Benjamin's decades of civil disobedience, her countless arrests protesting war, and the lessons she's learned confronting power firsthand. Together they discuss the Pentagon's trillion-dollar budget, Israel and Gaza, the conflict with Iran, Trump's foreign policy, the influence of lobbying and defense contractors, the state of the anti-war movement, and what ordinary citizens can do if they want to create meaningful political change.What are your thoughts? Do you believe public pressure can influence U.S. foreign policy, or are the decisions already made long before the public ever hears about them? Let us know in the comments below.If you enjoyed this conversation, please Like, Subscribe, and Share to help support independent journalism and in-depth conversations that challenge the mainstream narrative.00:00 The U.S. Empire Is Losing Control02:54 Congress Is Finally Breaking With Israel?08:15 The Iran War Could Spiral Out of Control11:49 Why She Keeps Getting Arrested16:20 Is America Becoming a Police State?20:02 Why the World No Longer Follows Washington22:37 Trump's Hidden Foreign Policy27:28 The One Thing That Could Stop Another War32:12 Speaking Truth to Power Isn't What You Think39:07 The Money Behind Endless Warshttps://www.codepink.org/Links to Arn Menconi's work:https://substack.com/@arnmenconihttps://x.com/ArnMenconihttps://arnmenconi.net