Hoover Daily Report | June 20, 2025

This Friday, Abbas Milani argues that only a rejection of the Khamenei regime by the Iranian people, and their embrace of democracy, can resolve Iran’s nuclear threats. Michael McFaul shares the most pressing questions on his mind ahead of a possible American strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. And Jacquelyn Schneider shows how new unmanned military technologies are changing the battlefield in Ukraine and across the Middle East, with significant implications for the future of US defense. 

View the full report: Hoover Daily Report | June 20, 2025

Episode Transcript

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Welcome to the Hoover Daily Report. . Ideas Advancing Freedom . .  It's  Friday, June 20, 2025.

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This Friday, Abbas Milani argues that only a rejection of the kaamuhnei regime by the Iranian people, and their embrace of democracy, can resolve Iran’s nuclear threats. Michael McFaul shares the most pressing questions on his mind ahead of a possible American strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. And Jacquelyn Schneider shows how new unmanned military technologies are changing the battlefield in Ukraine and across the Middle East, with significant implications for the future of US defense.
Only "Democracy" Can End Iran’s Nuclear Threat. .  In a commentary piece for Project Syndicate, Research Fellow Abbas Milani argues that a long-term solution to the problem of Iran’s nuclear program and regional aggression depends on the Iranian people changing their form of government and ejecting the current regime from power. Milani writes, “As with the Palestinians, the lives of innocent Iranian citizens must be safeguarded. Iran’s people and their democratic aspirations are the only hope for changing the regime.” Milani emphasizes that, quote, “any deal with this brutal, hypocritical regime will be broken as soon as its leaders believe that they have gotten clear of their current predicament,” underscoring the need for a turn toward democratic governance. To do this, Milani calls for supporting “democratic voices within Iran” and their allies across the Iranian diaspora. Iran’s people, Milani writes, “cannot but benefit from the end of a regime mired in the dogmatism of a nona genarian cabal.” Milani also discussed Iran’s regime and US foreign policy on PBS News Hour.

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Questions That Need to Be Answered Before Trump Bombs Iran.  Writing at his Substack, Senior Fellow Michael McFaul argues that the “mullahs ruling Iran can never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.” But, he notes, even if that “goal is clear, the best strategy for denying Iran a nuclear weapon is not.” McFaul stresses that going to war “should always be the last resort,” and that bombing Iran would be very costly. McFaul proceeds to share questions he has for the current administration, beginning with, “is Iran really weeks away from obtaining a nuclear weapon?” After considering reasons to doubt the claim that Iran is on the verge of achieving nuclear breakout, McFaul asks, “if the Israeli strikes have been successful against Iran’s nuclear facilities, doesn’t that push out the clock for when Iran can obtain a nuclear weapon and buy time for diplomacy?” The piece proceeds to lay out five more questions. McFaul summarizes in his conclusion, quote, “Americans should examine the pros and cons of the decision to go to war more seriously and deliberatively.”

Subverted (01:29):
by Drones. . At Defining Ideas, Hoover Fellow Jacquelyn Schneider analyzes the “unmanned revolution” in combat playing out in the Middle East and Ukraine, framing the story as one of “intense and rapid experimentation and innovation.” Schneider asks, “How are these wars changing our understanding of drones and warfare, and will they force the United States to reevaluate its beliefs about unmanned technology and the future of the American way of war?” Building on her recent publication, with Julia Macdonald, of The Hand Behind Unmanned

Fifty Years of the Shadow Open Market Committee (02:30):
A Retrospective on Its Role in Monetary Policy. . Today, the "Hoover Institution Press" features the upcoming publication Fifty Years of the Shadow Open Market Committee
More Allegations, of Race and Gender Focus, in Harvard Law Review Screening Process. . At his The Volluck Conspiracy blog, Senior Fellow Eugene Volluck quotes from and links to a recent article in the Washington Free Beacon arguing that the Harvard Law Review “selects articles based on race.” While noting that he will be on the lookout for a response from the Review to share with his readers, Volluck says it is “valuable to know more about how an institution that has historically aimed to be seen as a leading scholarly journal, rather than just as an ideological advocacy organization, actually operates.” Volluck then suggests two questions raised by the controversy. First, quote, “whether a law review's race-based selection decisions (if such have been made) violate anti-discrimination law,” and second, “whether a law review might have a First Amendment defense to any such charges.” Volluck closes the piece by reiterating how he primarily is interested in, quote, “what such journals are actually doing.”

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Featured Research Initiative Renewing Indigenous Economies The Hoover Project on Renewing Indigenous Economies is dedicated to understanding how the rich history of governance, entrepreneurship, and trade allowed indigenous peoples to thrive before colonization and how restoring these traditions can help rebuild indigenous economies, cultures, and communities from the ground up.
That’s your Hoover Daily Report for Friday, June 20, 2025. Each weekday, we bring you research, analysis, and commentary focused on public policy, national security, and the ideas shaping American society and government. The Hoover Institution at Stanford University is grounded in constitutional principles with a commitment to sustaining the safeguards of the American way of life. Thank you for listening . .  For links to all the articles and interviews mentioned today, visit hoover.org slash hdr.