Iran's Military Strategy & Power Projection - Drones, Proxies & Production under Sanctions

Compared to many of the other militaries we’ve looked at, Iran’s force structure and overarching strategy stands out.
From its arsenal of Shah era weapons to its new generation of missiles, in this episode we did a bit deeper into Iran’s military capabilities, limitations, and the industrial capabilities behind them.
Patreon:
/ perunau
Relevant Reading/sourcing
Platform figures per MB2022 as always for sake of consistency with my other works.
IMF data on Iran
www.imf.org/external/datamapp...
IAEA Director General’s Statement on Verification in Iran
www.iaea.org/newscenter/press...
Reporting on the IRGC vs Artesh budget
www.defensenews.com/global/mi...
CSIS - The Iranian Missile Threat - Anthony Cordesman
www.csis.org/analysis/iranian...
CSIS - Missile Defence Project Iran
missilethreat.csis.org/countr...
Iran friendly fire incident
www.theguardian.com/world/202...
IAEA head on Iran
www.reuters.com/world/world-m...
Featured Times article on IRGC in Syria
time.com/90807/iran-syria-rev...
IAEA reporting on Iran (Reuters)
www.reuters.com/world/middle-...
Iran missile test
apnews.com/article/iran-khorr...
FP - Iran is filling Armenia’s power vacuum
foreignpolicy.com/2022/12/01/...
Reporting on Saudi-Iran détente
foreignpolicy.com/2023/06/12/...
Fakour images
irangeomil.blogspot.com/2018/...
French statement on Iran’s nuclear program
onu.delegfrance.org/we-remain...
CRS Reports:
Iran and Nuclear Weapons Production
crsreports.congress.gov/produ...
Iran’s Nuclear Program - compliance with international obligations
sgp.fas.org/crs/nuke/R40094.pdf
Iran’s Nuclear Program and U.N. Sanctions Reimposition
crsreports.congress.gov/produ...
Michael Eisenstadt - IISS - Iran after Sanctions: Military Procurement and Force-Structure Decisions
www.iiss.org/globalassets/med...
Michael Eisenstadt - Iranian military developments and trends
www.washingtoninstitute.org/m...
Iran’s Foreign and Defence Policies
crsreports.congress.gov/produ...
Iran - Background and U.S. Policy
crsreports.congress.gov/produ...
Shaan Shaikh - CSIS - Iranian missiles in Iraq
www.csis.org/analysis/iranian...
CSIS - The Iranian and Houthi War against Saudi Arabia
csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaw...
Reuters on Iran backing Iraqi militia
www.reuters.com/world/middle-...
Khamenei praising Basij
www.reuters.com/world/middle-...
Reporting on the 2017 Iran political rift
www.theguardian.com/world/201...
UK House of Commons Briefing on Iran’s nuclear program
commonslibrary.parliament.uk/...
IranM2 data
www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator...
Included article on sanctions sunset
edition.cnn.com/2023/10/18/po...
Included article on Iran drone production
www.theguardian.com/world/202...
Source on included F-4 image
www.key.aero/article/how-does...
Caveats & Comments:
All normal caveats and comments apply.
In particular - I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes only.
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Opening Words
00:01:26 - What Am I Talking About?
00:02:04 - History
00:09:24 - Position And Strategy
00:16:25 - The Force
00:28:47 - The Proxies
00:38:22 - Economy And Defence Production
00:49:40 - Production And Sanctions Busting
00:57:37 - Missiles And Drones
01:10:34 - Conclusion
01:11:30 - Channel Update

[@PerunAU]

Thank you to the Patrons who voted for this topic - it had been in the works (along with Israel) long before the recent escalation in the region, but I hope people can find value in it given recent events. I'm feeling better this week - just very washed out at this point, so expect the energy levels to be back to normal (with a more regular topic) next week. I would also like to note a small correction to this video - Mohammad Mosaddegh (removed in the 1953 coup) was Iran's Prime Minister, not President. Thank you for your understanding, keeping it civil in the comments and your ongoing support. Cheers.

[@billharwood5844]

All good, hope you're rapidly approaching your normal self. Fun topic, between you and the fat electrician I am able to learn something new every week in the pitiful amount of time my life allows.

[@Syndr1]

Hi Perun, Daylight Savings Time made me late. Dont know how to get a Note for that,lol.

[@Syndr1]

Or it made you early......😉

[@surters]

The plane show must be a concept plane to prof it works, then things like radar, weapons and sight might come later ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaqcZpuDpLKbqLs

[@petergoverts7723]

I really look forward to falling asleep listening to your post . The fact of the matter is that they’re so interesting & well done, that I usually don’t & listen to end entire broadcast, which I then fall asleep & get a good nights rest . Your information is so understandable & easy to listen to , that I really appreciate the knowledge & clear picture you paint . Giving an outline & just enough history makes it very educational. Thanks for all the time you put in , Great job !! P.S If I do fall asleep, I always finish listening to where I left off because you always have good conclusions 👍💯

[@Weedsethesecond]

Came for a Terra Invicta Let's play, stayed for weekly courses on defense economics. Not a single week have gone by without a nuanced, well researched presentation, brought in an excellent manner. This man is an absolute legend.

[@RazorsharpLT]

no wonder Terra Invicta included him as an org that's pretty good lmao He became what they predicted. Imagine having him on your side as the Resistance

[@mrfoxycracker4836]

I found him from these presentations (actually from the first one in the Ruso-Ukrainian war) and then found his gaming videos, it's a shame the gaming channel is dead but I can understand his prioritization

[@americankid7782]

He went from being a little known gaming channel to one of the most trusted resources for military industrial knowledge in just a few weeks.

[@cnlbenmc]

I had the Algorithm deliver his first defense logistics video unto me shortly after Ukraine lit off.

[@mycaleb8]

Dominions 5 crew let's goooo.

[@DevonsWorkshop]

I mean no disrespect when I say I fall asleep every night watching your videos. I’ve probably watched all of your videos 50 times each. Thank you for the playlist so I can fall asleep to only Perun content. Your research & logistical analysis is world class. Keep em coming.

[@PerunAU]

Absolutely no offence taken I promise - I'm just glad you enjoy the presentations!

[@andersbjrnsen7203]

his voice and cadence is actually quite relaxing/soothing now you mention it.

[@sickbozo8152]

dreaming of military procurement.. its only a nightmare if you're german XD 7 years for a helmet!!!!

[@aidenhall8593]

same bruh his voice is calming asf, and even if I only retain 5% of the commentary I still learn a lot

[@krissteel4074]

@@sickbozo8152 German military procurement is the real life equivalent of 'Waiting for Godot'

[@NinjatoBlade]

I’m glad there’s consistently about 300-400 thousand people who agree that spending an hour a week learning about the world as it actually is rather than listening to propaganda for 20s is a worthwhile use of time

[@pooc_0294]

I'm currently 18 years old and doing my mandatory conscript service in the austrian army. The "18 year olds needet to clean rifles" joke resonated way to hard on me

[@irgendwieanders2121]

As long as you are not cleaning any Belgian rifles...

[@kimweaver1252]

Every industry has the grinding boring entry level work. Paying your dues for the entry.

[@thifmaster1466]

Can relate I bin ou glei dabei

[@thifmaster1466]

@@irgendwieanders2121We are proud of our own boom stick

[@og8263]

Didn't know Austria have that these days, in Hebrew we say שפשוף קל (have a nice rub😂) Basically enjoy the shit

[@Dartanis]

"And I believe, that despite the presumed best efforts of the air force and the army, the US navy has never been placed under official US sanctions." Dammit you made me spill my drink for that joke!

[@jakeaurod]

IDK, the way some senators are holding military officer promotions hostage and forces them to keep old ships or make new ships makes me think the opposite may be true.

[@pnutz_2]

@@jakeaurod the new ships is less of a problem because it keeps the shipbuilding experts employed when they would otherwise bugger off and find jobs elsewhere. keeping the old pieces running however...

[@baneh1329]

Fucking dry wit

[@mnorth1351]

"Friends who regularly ask for ballistic missiles are the expensive kind of friends to have." -quote of the day!

[@tyler1107]

Im not sure how to say this the right way, but Perun, you are quite possibly the highest tier of content creator. Not only do you minimize bias, you explicitly describe what biases could affect your interpretation. Then, you do such in depth and detailed reaearch into the topic that if anyone contradicts you elsewhere, I assume they're wrong. Multiple times, military personel have contradicted what you have said, but I notice that its because they have such a narrow view. You don't just have research ethic, work ethic, and overall ethics, you have such a vast wealth of knowledge that you can connect dots that I'm convinced no one else on the planet can manage. You are good and you should feel good about what you do. You make just be some bloke making PPT presentations on the internet, but you've done more good in this world than 99.99% of content creators.

[@PerunAU]

I genuinely appreciate the kind words - but if you ever see what might be an authoritative rebuttal to anything I say, please consider sending it to my contact email - I'm always keen to review critiques and will issue corrections if required. That obviously can't always apply to matters of subjective interpretation, but if it's data or observation driven in particular testing an opposing thesis can be really useful.

[@Ukraine-oi2jo]

​@@PerunAUall your analysis is wrong

[@jeffbuckles]

@@PerunAU "I'm always keen to review critiques and will issue corrections if required." And this -----^ is what makes you a beacon of knowledge and light in the benighted dystopian wasteland that is modern mass media.

[@warbler1984]

​@@PerunAU I'd be very keen to see you talking about the nuances of any critiques to your work as they could be a great video on their own

[@warbler1984]

​@Ukraine-oi2jo that is the first statement in q much larger argument...its called a thesis statement and you haven't provided the rest

[@theodorangelos9392]

He gets into the topic that directly and quickly that i always hit the 10 s back button because I am so used to unnecessary introductions that I don't expect someone to actually get to the point.

[@elektrotehnik94]

It's great! 🏆❤️

[@Stevieoggy1992]

Hey mate. Your videos are always the highlight of my Sunday evening here in WA, thanks for the work!

[@aidenhall8593]

And my sunday morning here in NC!

[@LukeBunyip]

Same here in VIC 😉

[@jdelark6428]

My late-late night slideshow and coursework for the evening.

[@BobOgden1]

Same

[@PerunAU]

Cheers mate, very much appreciated - plus it's a more reasonable release time over there than it is for the East Coasters eh?

[@ropeburnsrussell]

A post graduate lecture every Sunday. I cant thank you enough.

[@alexd6557]

that makes me feel better only having gone to a semester and a half of college

[@grantcox4764]

I don't think you need to be nervous or worried about your content, it seems completely unbiased and fair in my opinion. Your weekly product is top shelf in both information and entertainment and I look forward to Sunday every week where i can enjoy learning various subjects from you. Excellent work my internet friend, I plan on investing in your channel thru patreon in the near future. You certainly deserve it.

[@fastestdino2]

Probably exactly why someone would try to shelf it. Be it from the left right or center. The thing about a lot of propagators is they don't want a fair perspective or the truth, they want their side. Also, a lot of youtube moderation is incredibly automated now.

[@alansmith4655]

Everyone has a bias.

[@grantcox4764]

@@alansmith4655 having one and showing it are two different things.

[@bzipoli]

i dont care so much about bias as long as is well researched (with facts) and presented, but he really does try to stay out of taking sides. and its also pretty funny

[@internetcensure5849]

Another charlatan making anti-Iranian videos, calling Iran's allies "proxies". 😂

[@mdsx01]

Story i heard about the F-14 purchase: the Shah came to the US to witness a flyoff between the F-14 and F-15. Both aircraft were to start the contest with a full fuel load, and the F-15 went first. While it was performing, the Tomcat was sitting with engines running, just burning off fuel. Thus, when it was the cats turn, she was a lot lighter, and pulled off some impressive maneuvers.

[@josephahner3031]

A good thing for Iran as it turned out that the AIM-54 Phoenix missile was a massive force multiplier during the Iran-Iraq war. Idk if the AIM-7 Sparrows carried by the F-15 would have been quite as devastating to the Iraqi Air Force.

[@mdsx01]

@@josephahner3031 it left such an impression on the Iraqi air force that when against the USN, the slightest sign of a Tomcat being up would ground all their planes.

[@james82184]

Our Australian slideshow man sure is pertinent. If only our policy makers can learn from him 🤔🤔🤔

[@ADobbin1]

He doesn't have the right connections.

[@christineshotton824]

Well, the difference between Perun and our governments is that the enemies of Western Civilization aren't paying Perun to lie to us.

[@strongback6550]

At the very least, ease of access to the information he puts out should at least erode the prospects of those whom would make the plea of ignorance when rubber hits the road.

[@malloc7108]

​@@ADobbin1Are you kidding? He's been cited by Australian authorities publicly. More likely he isn't allowed to disclose his connections.

[@phinix250]

@@ADobbin1 he does in Australia, that's why he cannot talk about the Australian Defense Force in any detail.

[@priyan605]

Woah this is out of the blue, didn't expect a video on Iran

[@The_ZeroLine]

Disappointing weapons weren’t smuggled to the 85% who hate the 🇮🇷 regime, are largely secular + Westernized & were actively fighting for regime change while it was wobbling hard.

[@PerunAU]

Patrons vote and I like to try to reflect that where possible. Personally I would have been much more comfortable doing this video much earlier this year when I first started on it - but it also feels wrong to not finish it now just because of current events.

[@priyan605]

@@PerunAU I'm just glad we're getting a weekly video ❤️

[@johnchisholm3004]

Yeah. Nice change-up

[@The_ZeroLine]

@@PerunAUWe need a deep dive on Ukraine’s existing arms industry and its newly developing arms industry. 🇺🇦 could be the next Seoul w/its major ship building capacity, tech savvy population and heavy arms industry foundation. Like SK, it also has the potential to be a major entertainment / soft power exporter with its major existing film industry and creativity.

[@surajbiradar9827]

Man, i would really appreciate if you share your insane work schedule. And tips to be so efficient and consistent. 1) How do you rummage through all of the information and filter it to valid ones in short time? 2) How do you manage to keep tabs on various topics simultaneously? 3) Doing all this while having another job. 3) And how the hell do you manage the burn out/social life/mental decompression due to all of this?

[@robertharper3754]

This would be a life changing class he could give that I would thoroughly appreciate!!!!

[@christiankoppang8296]

I wonder if he has been able to decrease hours at work with the success of this channel is my guess

[@RasAlHaq]

There's probably significant overlap between his day job this hobby. That would help *a little*, but I'm still in awe of his output.

[@hakichiki]

Well, he is #TheGodOfWar... It would make sense that he is Omnipotent, All-Seeing and All-Doing without breaking a schedule nor a sweat. Us lesser workaholic mortals much much less so.

[@x--.]

Clearly there is a lot of overlap between his job, his past educational pursuits and his presentations here. That gives him a huge leg-up. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if his education & job look very similar to doing these sorts of analyses. That's not to diminish his ability in any way but to say 4 years studying logistics and war followed by a job in the defense sector doing similar work is going to give you a lot of insights. That said, I am curious about the things he can talk about and how he structures his research.

[@thomastheawesome4822]

The two things my Sundays revolve around is Perun and Church, unfortunately I got confused and when I was put in charge of procurement for Sunday school I procured main battle tanks and 5th generation fighters for them.

[@Nope-w3c]

You should've waited. 6th gen will be released this year.

[@JR-gp2zk]

So every Sunday morning for a year, I would mention to my wife that I need to watch a PowerPoint presentation. Today she finalized realized it is not work related.

[@rasouar]

I don't know how many Iranian fans Perun has. I ,for one, have enjoyed your presentations for a long time. I was waiting for a presentation on Iran ever since Shahed drones showed up in Ukraine. My father served in the Imperial Navy of Iran before the revolution so the Iranian military has always been a topic of interest for me. I'm impressed with your research despite all the propaganda the Iranian regime produces. Thank you for you efforts and outstanding content

[@bluemarlin8138]

What do you think of recent polling showing that ~80% of Iranians want a new government? Do you believe this to be accurate? As you know far better than I do, Khomeini really pulled a bait-and-switch to get in power in the first place, backstabbing the agreed-upon successor to the Shah and pretending that he would be moderate in practice.

[@rcomid]

More than what you might think dadash

[@internetcensure5849]

Another charlatan making anti-Iranian videos, calling Iran's allies "proxies". 😂

[@princeofdarkness4711]

not even iranians are fans of Iran, for a number of reasons.

[@ArsalanNematpur]

​@@princeofdarkness4711 i will die for my nation Iran, i don't like government just for 1 reason " economy, economy, economy" despite that i don't have any problems.

[@IFRYRCE]

I used to work for a guy who had an opportunity to meet Gerald Bull and see one of the Project Babylon barrel sections in person when he was briefly living in Canada. Just one of a long list of stories old Barry told me that seemed unbelievable at the time, only for me to find out years later it may not have been.

[@deetoher]

It's also the topic of the most recent Failure to Launch podcast [episode title: The Engineer Who Built Saddam a Supergun (w. BobbyBroccoli)] A podcast with a tagline: "This is a podcast about all the mistakes, failures, and explosions that made space exploration possible." probably has some overlap in target audience here.

[@vaughanbean1156]

Gerald Bull is the (once living) example of why to take Israel seriously. Don't f@ck with Jews, especially after you have tried to exterminate them, something Palestinians seem to have difficulties with.

[@saint-miscreant]

perun’s weekly videos never fail to help abate the monday-anticipation blues!

[@sephiroth7464]

It says a lot that I'm a veteran, yet I'm still excited to watch your PowerPoints every week.

[@aymonfoxc1442]

The Iranian military is fascinating. You did a great job in drawing out many interesting facets of its somewhat mysterious and obscurred military economic foundations, as well as exploring the doctrine and capabilities of Iranian forces.

[@teaser6089]

It's always a good day when Perun uploads a video

[@AGS363]

So, I guess you like Sundays...

[@danielpeirson3071]

Another fantastic vid Aussie. #StandWithKiwiland #StopEmuAggression

[@hakichiki]

#Emuland: Enacts nonlethal but politically galling economic sanctions on Kiwi Fruit

[@georgewaters6424]

My Sundays revolve around these videos. Thank you Mr Anony-Perun, your hours of dedication are very much appreciated.

[@SanityMustPrevail]

People tend to complement your presentation than addressing what you actually presented. I think alot of peoples mind got fried by the history you just gave. Well done.

[@richardarriaga6271]

Iran-Iraq war makes the Hunger Games look like Sunday Night Football.

[@karstiklijai9551]

If some day Perun decides to travel around Europe giving lectures about defense economics I would be the first one in the queue no matter the topic. Thanks Perun!

[@Brupie1]

As someone interested in demography and economics, I was really pleased to see the observation about Iran's expected demographic dividend. Thank you for that tidbit. The demographics of the Ukraine-Russian conflict has been a fascinating case study.

[@nanya6148]

One of the many things I appreciate about you is your consistent efforts (usually successfully) to use native pronunciations of names. Small when compared to your other qualities, but it shows your respect for your work and your subjects.

[@nanya6148]

I'm so glad I stumbled onto you so early on. Maybe even with All Bling No Basics? Really helped me understand (and support) Ukraine, as well as defense economics more broadly.

[@zanzastrow5600]

Timely and erudite commentary, replete with factual data largely missing from the mainstream reporting on Iran’s capabilities. Thank you again!

[@mediocredad6525]

Well done maintaining an objective approach on a topic where most people, myself included, would slide into derogatory language. Your discipline is exemplary.

[@phillipholland6795]

Why would you slide into derogatory language ?

[@realtalk6195]

@@phillipholland6795 Because he's brainwashed, but at least he self-conscious about it which is admirable.

[@phillipholland6795]

@@realtalk6195 I knew that, but I just wanted to see how he would actually try to rationalize it in words haha

[@st1ssl214]

I would wish for an video about basic geopolitics, something you can show someone without much knowledge in the field who can then understand the topic. Either way, everything you post is incredibly informative

[@dl5672]

read Mein Kamphf - the greatest book ever written and is thus heavily censored by ZOG.

[@aidenhall8593]

Idk if you can really simplify geopolitics much. Every time you try to apply theory to a specific situation, it’s always like “yes, but actually not really.” You really just gotta get some specific examples in your head to understand trends and what’s going on.

[@jakeaurod]

As in geopolitical realities based on history and culture? Or as in geopolitical theories, like _Realism_ and unitary actors and competition or _Constructivism_ and institutions and cooperation?

[@daiakunin]

Here's a recent video from Beau about geopolitics and conflict. It's a great explainer about a complex topic. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYCplXpubL99nacsi=FG_6jusqy8OFRVU5

[@w0ttheh3ll]

Divide et impera

[@owowhatsthisitisidio661]

If Kiwiland trains up the kiwi (bird) national army and emutopia trains up the emu (bird) national army as proxies, how would the conflict play out?

[@LukeBunyip]

It would come down to the Kiwiland feral possums vs the Emutopian koalas

[@comentedonakeyboard]

A group of, totaly not state controled, russian bears would offer their Services.

[@evilbron666]

@@LukeBunyip the feral possums would switch sides, they know where they came from :)

[@evilbron666]

@@comentedonakeyboard but the entire group of bears would be ended taking one small city.

[@fionaryan631]

Well, the emus already won against the Australian army. Kiwis would definitely receipt the Keas for some tricks like stopping traffic.

[@wyskass861]

It's hard to call Iran's concern of attempted overthrow by US as paranoid, considering that literally happened previously.

[@tonysu8860]

There are probably US policy makers that advocate for overthrow of theological rulers like in Iran, it's hard to find any pragmatic theological regime that at its core isn't a threat to create conflicts in other countries because theology has an evangelism component that demands the spread and coopting of others. But, at least today and for a couple decades US policy making has been a lot more pragmatic and less ideology after attempts in nation building in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and is more receptive to the idea of a world of containment and accommodation rather than overthrow. In other words, there's a place in the world for dictators as long as they don't export their rule and power particularly to nations that resist and oppose in the name of secular liberal individualism.

[@wyskass861]

@@tonysu8860 Yes agreed. Of course their expansion desires for power as well as religious aspect are concerning, so it's reasonable to want to contain. Just saying it's disingenuous to be surprised at Iran's animosity towards US.

[@Calvin_Coolage]

​@@wyskass861I'm not surprised by it all, they've been pretty open about the fact that they hate the US and our way of life. If their beef with us was due to circumstance like Israel being our ally (on paper), they wouldn't constantly fund terrorist groups that won't go away if we signed a peace treaty.

[@syncopatedfeb4770]

@@tonysu8860 that sounds like evangelicals running us and allies with 160 wars under their belt, lol

[@tedzehnder961]

The over throw was because it was Soviet Union inspired at the time.Not a home grown one like their Islamic revolution.Iran was the Proxy target for Russia and all the USA had to work with was the Shah, who really wasn`t any worse or repressive as the current regime is and at the time the USA was fighting an existential threat of the exporting of communism. (The Shah was actually moderating his rule at the time of the revolution) We mostly got out of that game in 1992 when Clinton got into office.The "smart idea" or change decided on was that going into business with a one party state by creating economic ties would moderate the "religion" of communism. The Saddam overthrow and the Iraq war was not because we wanted to change a one party state, it was because he was getting frisky with his neighbors. I think it turns out that this is not a valid recipe since "communism" (one party state) and capitalism can get along just fine. China, a one party state.is an example of this fallacy. Isn`t it strange that one party states can get along even though one is a theocracy and the other isn`t?

[@conserva-chan2735]

19:08 finally, a Gerald Bull reference!

[@R2_D]

Irreplaceable are Perun's insights: "Converting the Tehran weather report from fine and sunny to 99% chance of tomohawk" 😂❤

[@Vanalovan]

I know you’re (understandably) guarded about giving personal details, but do you think you’ll ever do a video about how you got into your line of work (career path options, academic background, first job, relevant jobs before entering the field, etc.) for people who want to do similar work?

[@leeroyjames]

Perun, you have found myself in my weekly routine. Thank you for the education.

[@scottn7751]

Love your channel, I look forward to it each week. Thank you for what you do.

[@stirfrywok2927]

Great video as always. That Gerald Bull fella is fascinating; his work on the G5 with Armscor/Denel is very impressive, let alone his antics with space guns and despotic governments

[@nathanbeit-aharon7335]

Always so well timed! Perfect topic choices!

[@TheFBIorange]

Big fan of all aspects of your videos - just want to take this one to say that I deeply appreciate the historical backdrop you always provide, thanks so much for taking the time for including! And you don't balk at going far enough back to really set the context properly. These events are just about as complicated as the world gets, and it's important that the scope of their context is wide enough to accommodate.

[@minecrafteramedney]

I always start my week with a Perun presentation, it sets the mood for objective information gathering and processing and helps inform my overall world picture- thank you Perun!

[@Metalhead_69]

I feel proud of not missing any of Perun's presentations, thank you for being here Perun!

[@wesleyallen1173]

Si vis pacem, para bellum.” “Слава Україні” Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!

[@nvlarcht]

Fun fact, i learned vacuum infusion from the guy who made the fast attack boats for the Iranian navy. He was really good. Low tech but fast

[@Lambda_xix]

You are such a great content creator, man. I dont have the words to explain how much i appreciate each of your installments. You help to expand my perspective on the world every week with answers to questions i would have never thought to ask!

[@josephahner3031]

I'm surprised that Iran hasn't attempted to clone and update the F-4. Germany, Greece, and Turkey have all done some remarkable things to the F-4 platform that kept them surprisingly relevant far beyond anyone's expectations.

[@bilalsadiq1450]

Considering they seem to only be capable of domestically cloning the F-5, I doubt they have the capability of cloning the Phantom. It's a much heavier airframe requiring much more powerful engines. As a point of comparison, China is still heavily reliant on Russian engines for many of it's domestic jets. Iran is currently operating towards 'keep in service what we've already got, and try to develop what we can'.

[@vaccuumrolls7243]

@@bilalsadiq1450considering the WS-10s reported capability over the AL-31 and the offering of the J-10CE with it equipped for export, I would say china’s WS-10 mass production capability has finally come into enough strength to surpass Russia’s.

[@JamesOMalley-hb4tf]

Iran still has around 60 F4 phantoms upgraded, modern avionics, long range A2A missiles, big radar's, mach 2 capable. It's not a half bad airframe...Iran makes the engines and everything for the F4 and F14s. Iran is building it's military with mainly the best American technology of the 60s and 70s. That's a pretty damn good starting point, and then add in Russian and other foreign technology influence you get what Iran has. 😂 I believe that Iran is a top ten military power, and definitely top 20 economy.

[@daniellarge9784]

Outstanding presentation. The consistent quality of this channel is phenomenal. Get well soon.

[@achedelk5336]

I was just rewatching the last video you posted about CVs, Thanks for your perfect upload timing. :)

[@timothymachen687]

Once again, excellent analysis and presentation! Kudos to your efforts and product! Your humor is also very much appreciated.

[@LucasDimoveo]

Small nitpick - if we are going to start with ancient history in regards to ancient Persia, I think it is good to start with Elam. They weren't connected to the ethno-linguistic groups that would come to populate the region as we know it, but it was the first time (that I know of) that a people of the Iranian plateau projected power out from their homeland. If you want to talk about Iran in the modern world, I think starting at the end of the Gunpowder Empires area is a good idea. That is when central asian empires start to decline across the board, and the stage is more-or-less set for the political situation we see today. For most Westerners Persian history starts with the invasion of Greece. That can create some weird biases that lead to essentialist thinking - "we" have been fighting "them" since placeholdertime B.C. Again, small nitpick. I love your content!

[@MeeesterBond17]

See, this is why I read the comments on Perun's videos - there's always something cool to learn. 😁

[@og8263]

Interesting read however I'm sure you know this isn't really peruns area and the whole subject of the video so I understand why he chose to make that part brief and partial

[@vaughanbean1156]

@@MeeesterBond17 or some asshole to troll you!

[@realtalk6195]

There's a lot that could have been said about Iran's history even from the early modern period into the 20th century. It was just too surface level because he didn't seem to want to undermine conventional narratives from a Western perspective.

[@ttrestle]

I was hoping you were going to do a video topic like this ever since October 7th! Just started the vid and looking forward to hearing your analysis. Keep up the outstanding work. Your efforts are much appreciated.

[@apresmidi153]

Great video as always! I hear tons about Iran as a regional power in the news but not as much about what their power actually consists of. Thanks for the in-depth!

[@JCtheMusicMan_]

Perun university, the longest videos I look forward to that always end faster than I expected but leave me seeing the subject matter in a new light ❤

[@jacobno7400]

Amazing video as always! Thank you and the team for the hard work!

[@MARGATEorcMAULER]

I am afraid for the future of mankind. Man , I sure picked the wrong decade to quit sniffing glue!

[@markedwards4879]

Another excellent training resource. Thanks Perun, your content is fantastic. I have learned so much from you in the last year.

[@donier8730]

Always a productive day when Perun uploads

[@coolirliswear9548]

Top stuff once again. Perun doesn't miss!

[@w0ttheh3ll]

this is slowly shifting from defence economics to geopolitics 101 and I like it

[@christineshotton824]

Ironically, much of Iran's tank and fighter equipment might be worth more on the collector's market than as war fighting kit.😁

[@grahamstrouse1165]

The F-14 fleet, man…

[@MrMalmir]

​@@grahamstrouse1165 Then how US equipment are decades behind Iran's tech? Iran easily target US bases in Iraq and Syria and US regime can't do anything, remember Aramco?what about sending best US stealth drone to Iran's air space in 2019?

[@0816M3RC]

​@@MrMalmir What a load of nonsense. Iranian technology is decades behind American technology and even tries to poorly copy American technology.

[@bualisina2670]

1.Master Iran doesn't need fighter-jets ! They are obsolete and they are just good like fake-israhell to kill defenseless people and children in Ghaza !Iran just uses fighter-jets against thugs and drug-dealers , else never . instead fighters , iran has most accurate missiles and Drones ! And iran has so many of them , exactly said many many many of them , maybe more than your country has normal bullets 2. Even Tanks are obsolete , specially against Iran ! Nevertheless , i can assure you , iran has the best tanks on earth , such as Karrar and Zolfiqar ! Tanks are just Shooting-Targets for master Iran .

[@syncopatedfeb4770]

you should ask the crying ukraine about iranian tech

[@richardburgess8657]

Thank YOU for continuing to inform us. Your presentations are a highlight of my Sundays.

[@dmdrosselmeyer]

I love these deep dives into different countries' histories, official cultures and military industrial complexes! Always fantastic original content, thank you🙏

[@Warpcaller]

Great job as always, keep the content coming!

[@SpookyEng1]

Another awesome briefing with my Sunday morning coffee. Interesting about the Shah’s rise to power, I never dove into his early years.

[@Atlantis8100]

Long-time watcher and subscriber, first time commenter. I have noticed something this time that definitely adds a level of intrigue - and that's your pronunciations of words like Iran and Iraq... I am starting to think you might be quite good with Arabic, and while I think many have wondered (indeed, suggested...) as to what you do for a living, it absolutely gives you an extra level of credibility on a fascinating level. You are one incredibly well-educated individual, and I am constantly in awe of your content.

[@griffingasink1099]

Thanks for weekly update. I love spending my sunday night watching a ppt

[@SkipperAnimations]

Great video. Also would like to see a similar video on Saudi Arabia - they seem to be a giant in the region, almost nobody seems to be talking about

[@jamesgornall5731]

The problem is that Saudi is the most repressive Islamist dictatorship in the world, yet also provides/provided a gigantic amount of oil over the years... 16 of the 911 hijackers were Saudi and its the birthplace of Wahhabism... the sect which funds schools all over the world in a sort of "Belt-And-Road" initiative decrying everything Western in the middle of Western countries. It is, however, nominally a US ally, somehow, so its all good, unlike Iran which is of course 'Evil', for some reason.

[@vaughanbean1156]

That would be a cracker - house of Saud, 1920's oil politics, Aramco, Sunni vs Shiite, US politics, the Bushes and Bin Laden - its dynamite.

[@fooman1188]

Now this is most welcome and helps to frame up current events very well.

[@daiakunin]

Another excellent video Perun! I feel a lot more informed after every one of your videos.

[@santiagovasquezvanturnhout550]

he perun. have you ever thought of uploading your video's as podcasts on spotify and the like? i feel like it would fit your style decently well and would allow us with less time to predownload the video and listen to it while traveling to and from work.

[@The_ZeroLine]

Seems like the easiest missed opportunity in the world. All it requires is for him to literally click upload (besides registering, which takes about 45 seconds).

[@theinterestbox8608]

right love to listen at work hard to find good podcasts that are just facts...

[@Mosisli]

When the assassination of Mr. Bull was talked about without any specifics regarding the would be perpetrator I did a quick search on the matter with a certain set of expectations and... let's just say I was not disappointed.

[@setlerking]

Mossad extrajudicially killing citizens of allied nations? That would surely never happen.

[@The_ZeroLine]

The dude and his life is worthy of an episode by himself.

[@Winged_Gunsknecht]

My pet theory is that the five shots are all from different agents from governments who just happened to show up at the same time.

[@yumazster]

Bull was warned about pursuing that particular contract before the assassination, if I remember correctly. Not an excuse, just additional info.

[@dallascarney2986]

Boy oh boy that man sure liked his guns

[@sgtbaker2072]

I'm not a sycophant, but frankly - I just automatically 👍 a new Perun vid, now. I don't wait till it's over. Cause I know I'm gonna like it. There hasn't been one (literally) that I didn't find interesting and educational. Soooo 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@MadmanInUkraine]

Another class piece of educational and entertaining content made by @PerunAU just magnificent mate! Thanks a lot yet again! If this if the stuff you make when feeling 'washed out' I simply can't wait to get next weeks piece or art. All jokes aside: Get well soon mate!!!

[@IdanEretz]

Your videos are the highlight of my week, Thank you very much!

[@Cancun771]

"Wars are moral contests and they're won in the temples before they're ever fought." - Some actor playing JFK in some movie -

[@hakichiki]

"War is politics as performance art..." - Some amateur playing me in real life.

[@vaughanbean1156]

@@hakichiki Politics is Hollywood for ugly people. War is their movie.

[@Yeetman216-oh2fe]

What I wouldn't give for a Canadian nation study video. Maybe when our new defence policy is released? 14th in the world in military spending (just ahead of Israel) but very, very little to show for it in terms of commitments or equipment. Less than a hundred tanks (don't ask how many run), 50 M777s or less, and I'll bet a beer that the principal fighter asset was procured before every single one of its pilots were born.

[@vaughanbean1156]

As an Australian I get your drift, we the same. But in a weird way, aren't we so lucky we can get away with it (right now) in a world like this.

[@SwordOfApollo]

In the case of Canada, yeah, I think they think they can get away with getting so little from their spending, due to the "America's hat dividend." Probably worth looking into. But at the same time, I honestly think you guys have much more pressing concerns with your government, like basic freedom of speech, (and freedom in general.)

[@fuckwitmcdipshit2963]

But you have innovative recruitment policy, anyone in the world can join and as a reward they get citizenship. To top that your phone scammers talk to you chinese and expect you to speak it fluently.

[@Morpfus]

Once again, great content. Im very thankful for your insides. Great addition to my Master's programme in International Relations! Greetings from Germany

[@Versatilty]

Excellent video as always I greatly appreciate your hard work

[@chrismartin2001AD]

hahahahaha, iranian weather; sunny with a chance of tomahawks. As a former International Relations graduate I love the details and in depth knowledge you deliver every week, but its the sardonic wit that makes your videos a joy and something I've come to look forward. Thank you very much

[@erikahl7180]

Powerpoint jesus delivers quality as always.

[@vaughanbean1156]

I think you mean Powerpoint God

[@armax00]

I was waiting for the new video, thank you!

[@theokeizers8964]

Another fantastic presentation. I really enjoyed listening again!

[@benjaminbrenner745]

Thank you for your hard work!

[@jlvfr]

Anyone who underestimates iranian tech & industrial capabilities should take a hard look at their F-14 and F-4 fleet. They still have severall dozens on service, despite having lost all support and assistance _44 years ago_ . And, while you can replace (more or less) eletronics and smaller items like pylons and such, you can't really do that with the larger itens, like engines and wings. Specially the F-14's swivel wing box. Which means they had to learn and back engineer, _on their own_ , parts and tools to replace those they ran out of. Israel did this with the much simpler Mirage 5, and they had to spy-away engine specs. Whatever one might think of their government, much respect is owed to their techs.

[@richardarriaga6271]

Yeah, they got around sanctions on earthquake sensors by making their own. If they weren't led by incels (as someone else in the comments pointed out), they'd be another Japan without all the old people.

[@rulu1828]

Sadder to think that this is their state with their best and the brightest leaving Iran since the 80's. If they didn't suffer from decades of brain drain they could be a world leader in a lot things.

[@jlvfr]

@@rulu1828 good point.

[@Kaiserboo1871]

@@rulu1828 They decided the best form of government was one ruled by decrepit and despotic Ayatollahs. What else can you expect.

[@bluemarlin8138]

@@Kaiserboo1871Khomeini actually pulled a bait-and-switch after hijacking the original revolution, which was supposed to bring democracy. By the time Iranians figured out that Khomeini’s talk wasn’t just rhetoric and that he had no intention of turning the government over to moderate elements that actually organized the revolution, it was too late.

[@DorianTheReaper]

Oh great powerpoint man above, we humbly accept your blessing and thank you for sharing your immeasurable wisdom with us

[@gautiergary8604]

always a wealth of information and a soothing voice to present it all

[@grandengineernathan]

38:08, someone forgot georgia on the map

[@Rob_F8F]

31:00 the next classic children's book: Sunny with a 99% Chance of Tomahawk

[@kennypridemore5466]

It's Sunday and Perun is here !!!!! .... just in time , got my coffee ☕ made and now I can relax and enjoy Perun !!!! .... Yahoo ❤

[@mattbowdenuh]

just finished getting my cup of coffee. perfect timing, Perun!

[@gregmccallum7282]

Can we get a video on the internal breakup of the CSTO and how the war In Armenia will affect bootleg NATO and it’s implications for the Central Asian security situation?

[@hakichiki]

Is that your term paper title.? LOL. Just kidding. Interesting topic.

[@realtalk6195]

Russia and China undermined the CSTO well before 2022. So it was always a northingburger. In some ways, NATO is going the same direction albeit at a much less drastic pace.

[@katfrog98]

Thank you. Iran is a rich, proud and complicated culture. Your assessment of their dizzying variety of armed forces underscores the need for more talking; if there is a solution to our problematic relationship (USA vis a vis Iran) it will be diplomatic, with judicious use of 'other means.'

[@jackthorton10]

Diplomacy may have to be put on hold…. For a while, provided WW3 doesn’t happen in that time…

[@syncopatedfeb4770]

@@jackthorton10 it's funny how us and allies flattened iran's neighbors to get to iran, but then chickened out, lol

[@katfrog98]

Much of that flattening occurred because Iran's neighbors are flat, while Iran is terrain nobody with sense wants to fight in; those mountain ranges are tough, not unlike Afghanistan. @@syncopatedfeb4770

[@internetcensure5849]

@@syncopatedfeb4770 The US terror regime toppled the nationalist leader, S. Hussein, by invasion, which provoked the insurrection of both Sunni and Shia communities. Later the US terror regime coopted the Shia faction and put in place a Shia puppet regime with Iran's collusion, as the latter is also run by a Shia regime. Iraq had never been ruled by Shia since it was part of the Ottoman empire or when it became a British protectorate. S. Hussein though not a sectarian, was a Sunni. And for that reason alone, the US terror regime favored the Shia faction. The emergence of the Sunni insurgent group, "ISIS", in Iraq has to be understood in the context of US post-invasion policy! Now, the ungrateful Shia regime in Iraq wants the US troops out, as they have outlived their usefulness. Shia militias in Iraq are targeting US bases, as Israel's aggression in Gaza has rekindled Iraqi hostility. But the Shia regime had to appease the US by accepting Blinken's visit, which further infuriated the Shia militias. The Iraqi Shia regime is walking on a tightrope.😂

[@bluemarlin8138]

@@syncopatedfeb4770The US never planned to invade Iran. Although we really should have. Unlike in Iraq, the Iranians are ripe for a real democratic revolution like the one they were going to get in ‘79 before Khomeini hijacked it.

[@callogic5341]

Excellent analysis mate. Really enjoyed your view on this.👍🏻

[@joshuakilani9184]

Absolute quality 👌🏾. Great work

[@bosoerjadi2838]

Very good analysis and despite your disclaimers still pretty comprehensive although (unavoidably and necessarily) rather superficial still. I especially liked the reverse engineering section. Regarding one of the causes for Iran not having realised its theoretical economic potential, I missed your mentioning of Iran's rampant opioid crisis. Compared to the one in the US the iranian opioid crisis is as the covid19 pandemic to the regular flu.

[@onomastikon7975]

Super! Much more prefer strategy of this type than things that go boom (like last week) . Thank you! Am greatly looking forward to more content on the conflict in Ukraine

[@whodatsaddle]

Nothing like having a fresh slideshow to listen to at work while packing orders all day. Thanks man!

[@reppkis]

Thank you Perun. Brilliant as always mate.