The Peter Zeihan Podcast Series Everybody Wants to Bomb Qatar || Peter Zeihan
Sep 23, 2025
The latest discussion delves into Israel's surprising airstrikes on Hamas targets within Qatar, highlighting a bold change in military strategy. The conversation navigates Qatar's complex foreign policy and its waning influence due to these attacks. Examining the implications for CENTCOM and the U.S.-Israel relationship reveals potential shifts in credibility and deterrence in the region. This unfolding conflict not only alters the geopolitical landscape but also raises urgent questions about the future of alliances in the Middle East.
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Israel's New Regional Reach
- Israel struck targets in Qatar, marking its first strikes in the Persian Gulf in decades and signaling a major escalation.
- Peter Zeihan says expanded range and weapons enable Israel to act far beyond its neighborhood with impunity.
Gulf Air Defenses Proved Insufficient
- Zeihan explains Israel likely used Red Sea approaches and mid-air refueling to hit Qatar, showing advanced operational reach.
- He warns Gulf air defenses and decades of integrated hardware cannot match Israeli technologies and tactics.
Normalization Of Extraterritorial Strikes
- Israel's willingness to strike beyond nearby borders normalizes cross-border punitive strikes as policy.
- Zeihan says this lowers the barrier for Israel to target any regional actor that crosses perceived lines.