As we enter the second month of war in the Middle East, bombs continue to fly, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatens a global crisis. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss the military pressures facing Washington and Tehran, the expanding scope of the conflict, and what it can tell us about the future of war. Visit http://www.geopoliticalfutures.com/gpf-newsletter for a free download from our Special Collection on the Middle East. 0:00 State of the Middle East War 1:48 US Strategic Objectives and the Nuclear Threat 6:48 Evaluating Military Options and Ground Forces 10:12 Internal Pressures and the Iranian Regime 18:27 Global Food and Energy Impact 19:42 The Complexity of Opening the Straits 22:15 The Future of War: UAVs as Bombs 24:06 Winning the War by Destroying Weapons 28:51 Tactical vs. Strategic Combat 30:05 Space Warfare and Intelligence 32:07 External Pressure on the US and Iran 35:01 The Role of China and Pakistan 38:39 Regional Powers and Final Negotiations 40:40 Israel's Stance and Conclusion