In this episode of The Hundred Year Pivot, Demetri and I are joined by geopolitical strategist Kamran Bokhari for a sweeping, historically grounded exploration of how Iran arrived at its present moment of instability—and where it may be heading next. Kamran traces Iran’s modern political evolution from Qajar Persia through the Pahlavi monarchy, the 1953 Mosaddegh coup, and the 1979 Islamic Revolution, explaining how the regime’s dual-military structure—split between the regular army and the IRGC—was forged in war and later transformed into a vehicle for political and economic dominance.

From Iran’s revolutionary ideology and fear of encirclement to the rise and possible unraveling of its proxy network, the conversation builds toward a sober assessment of today’s protests, currency collapse, and internal decay—arguing that while the Islamic Republic may be weakening in unprecedented ways, the path forward is likely to be turbulent, uncertain, and region-shaping rather than clean or sudden.

Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper and Silver Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.

Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm…

Demetri and I welcome journalist and author Brian Winter to The Hundred Year Pivot to discuss the recent events in Venezuela and where they fit into the upheaval coming at us from seemingly every direction. Brian is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly and a seasoned analyst of Latin American politics and his balanced perspective is a welcome antidote to the unbridled certainty about the future that seems to have erupted since Maduro’s extradition/kidnap. We discuss the finer details of Venezuelan politics, what likely happens next, other key potential flashpoints in Latin America as well as the surprising resurgence of right-wing politics across a continent with a history of tending very consistently towards the other extreme of the political spectrum.

Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper and Silver Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.

Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm…

In this episode of The Grant Williams Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. John Bosetti, MD, an eye surgeon who has dedicated his career to tackling one of the most devastating—and most solvable—health crises in the developing world: preventable blindness. Dr. Bosetti recounts how a life running a successful ophthalmology practice in Napa, California gave way to a mission in Sub-Saharan Africa after witnessing first-hand the scale of untreated cataracts and the limits of short-term medical missions. What followed was a bold plan to build local capacity through Eye Surgeons International—creating world-class training, infrastructure, and sustainability to restore sight, dignity, and economic vitality to millions of people who have been left behind by global healthcare systems.

What better way to start the new year than with a profoundly moving conversation that offers hope to thousands and provides an opportunity for us to give back?

Happy New Year everyone!

Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper and Silver Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.

Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm…