The Shawn Ryan Show – Episode #289: Michael Lester

Title: Is the United States Going to War with Iran For Israel?
Date: March 19, 2026
Host: Shawn Ryan
Guest: Michael Lester (Decorated USMC Combat Pilot, Author, Adjunct Prof, Family Security Entrepreneur)

Brief Overview

In this urgent return appearance, Michael Lester – a highly credentialed Marine veteran, author of We Are the Bad Guys, and expert on US foreign policy – joins Shawn Ryan to confront the escalating US-Iran conflict and the question: Is America being drawn into war with Iran primarily for Israeli interests? The discussion spans the roots and real drivers of America's latest Middle East intervention, exploring political, historical, economic, religious, and intelligence factors shaping the unfolding war. Lester provides both context and critique, focusing on Israeli influence, US policymaking, the interplay of religious Zionism, and the risks of forever wars without clear goals.

Major Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. Context: Why Michael Lester Returned Now

• US-Iran War Erupts: Operation Epic Fury launched Feb 28, 2026, with the US engaging Iranian forces. Lester’s previous appearance, following his book We Are The Bad Guys, “read like it predicted the playbook.” ([01:04])
• Geopolitical Chaos: Ongoing US engagements in Venezuela, Cuba, Ukraine, plus Israel’s conflicts: “Are we stretching ourselves a little thin here?” — Shawn Ryan ([03:11])
• Israeli Influence in US Policy: Explicit efforts by US officials (Sen. Lindsey Graham, Secretary of State Marco Rubio) to push the war as an Israeli security imperative. ([05:00], [07:35])

2. Prominent Resignations & Dissent

• Joe Kent Resignation Letter: Director of the National Counterterrorism Center resigns, stating,
  "I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” ([05:00])
• Questioning US Leadership: “If you're in there and you're not able to do the job, then what the fuck are you still doing in there?” — Shawn Ryan ([04:22])

3. The Machinery of Influence: How War Is Sold

• Senate Coaching Netanyahu:
  "A U.S. Senator traveled and talked to a foreign leader and mentored them on how to get a better deal from our President. That should be treasonous." — Michael Lester ([07:04])
• The News & Public Apathy: Wide polarization, manipulated narratives, and the challenge of breaking through both right- and left-leaning media filters: “People don't want to move out of their comfort zone.” — Lester ([11:22])
• TRUMP’s Shift from “No More Wars” Rhetoric to Intervention: Review of past statements from Trump, advisors (Stephen Miller, JD Vance, Tulsi Gabbard), contrasting promises of peace with current escalation. ([22:36])
• Broken Promises: “Every single one of these things is a complete lie.” — Lester ([24:08])

4. What Does Israel Want? The Strategic Picture

• Greater Israel Ambition:
  “Netanyahu came out… and said, 'We are going to be a superpower in the Middle East and a superpower in the world.' Israel wants to be a superpower. To be a superpower you have to be more powerful than anybody else.” — Lester ([25:16])
• Pattern of US Wars for Israeli Security: Deconstruction of previous interventions: Iraq (“Weapons of mass destruction... Israel told us, trust us, they have WMDs… million Iraqis dead.”), Libya, Lebanon, and now Iran. ([25:13])
• History of Manufactured Intelligence:
  "We went to war for weapons of mass destruction that were never there." — Ryan ([32:10])

5. The Iran File – Myths, Realities, and Pretexts

• Nuclear Weapon Claims Debunked:
  “Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified: There is no evidence Iran is building a nuclear weapon. So, if we weren't there because of nukes, why are we there now?” — Lester ([36:07])
• US Pulled Out of Inspection Agreements:
  “We had an agreement for inspections... we took it away. And then we say, we think they're building nuclear weapons.” — Lester ([38:02])
• Forever War Trap:
  “Ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon... that's never done... We've just signed up for a forever war.” — Lester ([41:14])

6. US Domestic Impacts & Global Economic Fallout

• Oil Shock Consequences:
  “Oil's over $100 a barrel now. Europe's pissed. China's pissed. Everyone in the Middle East is pissed except Israel.” — Ryan ([43:49])
• Strategic Reserves Dwindle: US and others dipping into oil reserves; loss of Middle East petrodollars could crash US markets. ([45:20])
• BRICS and De-Dollarization Threat:
  “If the Middle East no longer trades their oil in US Dollars... our dollar could decrease to pennies. When your retirement's worth 1/20th, that's a big issue.” — Lester ([80:41])

7. Military Feasibility and Risks

• Iran Is Not Iraq or Afghanistan:
  “Iran is half the size of the US, highly mountainous terrain, functional government, coordinated military. Boots on the ground? That's not going to happen.” — Lester ([49:05])
• Cheap Iranian Weapons, Massive US Cost: Drones at $20K shot down by $4M Patriot missiles; $4B in munitions spent week one. ([51:56])
• Proxies and Domestic Terrorism Risk:
  “Supposedly, sleeper cells… simultaneous attacks… It’d be a hell of a lot scarier than missiles.” — Ryan ([55:13])

8. The Deeper Roots: US-Iran Relations & Anti-US Sentiment

• History of Overthrow and Oil Exploitation:
  “The US orchestrated a coup in Iran in 1953… 40% of Iran's oil was signed over to the US and GB… not defending them, but our hands aren't clean here.” — Lester ([63:14])
• Iran’s Actual Motivations:
  “Iran wants to be left alone. We're not leaving them alone. Israel isn't leaving them alone. And Israel is our new best friend. So let's go take out Iran.” — Lester ([66:52])

9. The Religious & Political Web: Zionism and Christian Zionism

• Why So Much US Support for Israel?
  • Not just Jewish-American lobbying; “Christian Zionists represent about 25% of the United States.” — Lester ([119:37])
  • “Christian United For Israel” has 10 million members, twice AIPAC’s reach. ([126:20])
• The Scofield Bible’s Outsized Influence:
  • Evangelical belief in Israel as a precondition for the Second Coming. ([121:36])
• AIPAC and Funding Networks:
  • Groups like AIPAC, APAC PAC, United Democracy Project, and the American Israeli Education Foundation drive lobby and fundraising through scores of subgroups—“It’s like swarm technology… what’s harder to defend against: one incoming missile or a hundred?” — Lester ([115:30])

10. War Powers, Law, and Congressional Abdication

• Breach of Constitutional Duty:
  “Congress abdicated their power to declare war to the President.” — Lester ([146:41])
• Leahy Act and Willful Blindness:
  “Israel’s been charged by how many countries with genocide? We're giving them weapons… A Senate bill to investigate was voted down 72-11.” — Lester ([151:58])

11. Paths Forward: Can This Be Fixed?

• 19-Point Reform Plan Preview: Electoral College abolition (via the Popular Vote Compact – see key suggestions below), campaign finance transparency, citizen activism. ([153:58], [156:05])
• “There are tools out there… You can use APAC Tracker, ask candidates have you taken money from AIPAC, Saudi Arabia, Russia or any other foreign country?” — Lester ([162:01])
• “Physical letters still force elected officials to read them. Send one a day.” — Lester ([165:02])

12. Where is This Headed? Historical Parallels & Worst-Case Scenarios

• Not 1939, but 1913:
  “It’s more like 1913—a tinderbox of alliances and mobilizations where one triggering event could cascade into world war.” — Lester ([181:01])
• Endless Expansionism:
  “No empire has lasted forever… the US empire will end. Question is: do we end gracefully, or implode?” — Lester ([72:15])

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

"A U.S. Senator traveled and talked to a foreign leader and mentored them on how to get a better deal from our President. That should be treasonous."
— Michael Lester ([07:04])

"We went to war for weapons of mass destruction that were never there. I don’t want my four-year-old going and looking for weapons of mass destruction that don’t exist."
— Shawn Ryan ([32:10])

"Our director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, testified there is no evidence that Iran is building any sort of nuclear weapon."
— Michael Lester ([36:07])

"That’s never done. We just signed up for a forever war here."
— Lester on the goal to “ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon” ([41:14])

"Oil’s over $100 a barrel now. Europe’s pissed. China’s pissed. Everyone in the Middle East is pissed except Israel."
— Shawn Ryan ([43:49])

"If the Middle East no longer trades their oil in US Dollars, our dollar value could decrease to the point of the dollar being worth pennies on the dollar."
— Lester ([80:41])

"Iran is half the size of the U.S. ... functional government ... coordinated military. You think we’re going to put boots on the ground in Iran? That’s not going to happen."
— Lester ([49:05])

"We are fighting this war with our munitions and our people... for Israel."
— Michael Lester ([54:25])

"Does Iran want to take over the US? They don’t. They want to be left alone. We're not leaving them alone."
— Lester ([66:52])

"Christian Zionists represent about 25% of the United States."
— Lester ([119:37])

"The goal was never peace. The goal is destruction of everybody other than Israelis."
— Lester ([108:51])

"Congress abdicated their power to declare war to the President. That’s not what the Constitution says."
— Lester ([146:41])

Important Segments (Timestamps)

• Opening Framing, Israeli Influence: [01:00–10:20]
• Joe Kent Resignation Letter Read: [05:00–07:00], again at [19:47–20:07]
• How US Wars Get Framed, Manipulated: [12:46–24:31]
• Pattern: US Wars for Israel, Iraq, Iran: [25:11–36:06]
• Nuclear Pretext Debunked: [36:07–43:08]
• Economic Implications, Oil Markets: [43:38–48:43]
• Iran Military Realities, Proxies/Drones: [48:43–54:26]
• US-Iran History and US Coup (1953): [60:38–66:52]
• Religious Influence, Christian Zionism: [108:01–129:30]
• AIPAC, Money, Political Influence: [111:43–117:32]
• Congressional Timeline: Abdicating War Powers: [146:41–153:55]
• Reform Ideas, Abolishing Electoral College/Popular Vote Compact: [156:05–162:01]
• Historical Parallels, 1913–Guns of August: [181:01–195:29]
• Resignation vs. Fighting from Within: [175:15–176:40]

Concluding Thoughts & Action Items

Michael Lester’s Citizen Action Suggestions:

• Push the Popular Vote Compact to effectively abolish the Electoral College ([161:48])
• Monitor Campaign Funding via resources like APAC Tracker
• Contact Legislators: Send physical letters for maximum impact ([165:01])
• Demand Transparency: Ask every candidate: “Are you taking money from foreign lobbies?”
• Educate and Engage: “The #1 duty of a citizen is to know what’s going on. Don’t abdicate that responsibility.” ([213:32])

Tone & Takeaways

Candid, urgent, and informed. Lester argues that the current US-Iran conflict is a product of manufactured crises, powerful foreign lobbies, and long-running religious and political myths exploited for war. The episode is deeply skeptical of the narratives justifying intervention and highlights the mechanisms—political, economic, and religious—that perpetuate endless foreign entanglements. The central concern: US interests and lives are being risked not for defense but for the ambitions of an ally with disproportionate influence over our leaders.

The call to action: Break the pattern by becoming informed, holding leadership accountable, and reforming systems that enable endless, unaccountable wars.

Episode ends with thanks, a discussion of Michael Lester’s privacy/security business, and Sean urging listeners to “get loud” and “share this everywhere.”