This morning, I attended a topical and fascinating Zoom lecture about Iran’s geopolitical strategy and the shifting balance of power in the Middle East. The lecturer was Ido Freund, an expert in the Arabic language, a Middle East intelligence analyst, and a trust & safety strategist. He has an extensive background as a researcher of the Middle East and Islam. I took a ton of notes during the talk. The following is a paraphrased summary of the main ideas that were discussed. I