As war escalates between Israel and Iran, a pressing question is emerging:
Is this just Israel's fight—or does it directly impact the future of the United States and the West?

In this urgent and eye-opening conversation, Ambassador Yoram Ettinger joins us to unpack what's really happening behind the headlines. From President Trump's reported negotiations to the deeper ideological battle driving Iran's regime, this discussion challenges the assumption that diplomacy alone can bring peace.

Drawing on decades of experience in U.S.–Israel relations, Ambassador Ettinger argues that this conflict is not merely political, but civilizational. The stakes go far beyond the Middle East, touching on America's security, global stability, and the moral responsibility to confront evil rather than accommodate it .

This episode invites listeners to think more deeply about faith, leadership, and the difficult choices required in a dangerous world.

As war intensifies across the Middle East, it is easy to focus on headlines, military strategy, and geopolitics. But what if the deeper story lies elsewhere—beneath the surface, in theology and ideology?

In this episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Pastor Doug Reed and Rabbi Pesach Wolicki are joined by Dan Burmawi, a former Muslim turned Christian and founder of the Ideological Defense Institute. Together, they explore the religious ideas shaping the current conflict, from Iran's Shiite worldview to the broader ideological struggle between Islam and the West.

Dan argues that this war is not fundamentally about land or politics, but about competing visions of truth, power, and the future of civilization. He explains why Sunni and Shiite perspectives diverge, how Islamic eschatology influences global strategy, and why many in the West misunderstand the nature of the conflict entirely.

The conversation also turns to the growing ideological battle within Western societies, raising urgent questions about identity, freedom, and the durability of Judeo-Christian values in an increasingly uncertain world.

This is a wide-ranging and provocative discussion that challenges assumptions—and asks whether the real battleground is not only in the Middle East, but in the realm of ideas.

Pastor Doug is away this week, so Rabbi Pesach Wolicki flies solo with returning guest Elliot Chodoff, an IDF reserve major and longtime expert on military strategy and the Middle East.

Together they take a deep dive into the rapidly evolving confrontation with Iran and the difficult questions now facing Israel, the United States, and the region. What would "regime change" in Iran actually mean? Could the West pursue stability by leaving parts of the regime intact, or would that only guarantee that the same system rebuilds itself in a few years?

Pesach and Elliot explore the competing interests of Israel, the United States, and the Gulf states, the dangers of a chaotic collapse in Tehran, and why Iran's ideological system may be fundamentally different from regimes that have fallen elsewhere. They also unpack a crucial but little understood factor in the current moment: the existence of two militaries in Iran, the regime loyal Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the national Iranian army, and how the army's choices could determine the outcome of any uprising.

The conversation ranges from the lessons of Nazi Germany and Iraq to the possibility of internal revolt inside Iran. One conclusion becomes clear. However uncertain the future may be, the current regime in Tehran remains the most dangerous outcome of all.