Middle East/Mark Walter

This column addresses two subjects: one that is enormously consequential to the entire world; the other potentially consequential to the sports world.

The entire world is watching developments between Israel and Iran. For many Beverly Hills residents, these developments are intensely personal.

Beverly Hills Mayor Sharona Nazarian published a statement that, in part, provides as follows:

“A nuclear-armed Iranian regime would pose a grave danger not only to Israel and the region, but to the entire world. Israel’s actions, though difficult, reflect a preemptive effort to prevent a potential catastrophe.

“With that said, true change in Iran must come from its own people, the people who continue to show extraordinary courage under repression. My hope is that they will unite with strength and reclaim their future.”

As developments are rapidly unfolding, I hope that you will forgive me if events occurring after the deadline for this column dramatically alter the situation that I have described.

For the first time, both Israel and Iran have been shooting missiles at each other’s urban centers and, intentionally or not, civilian targets. Many Beverly Hills residents have relatives, loved ones and close friends in those urban areas in Israel and Iran.

This episode of a long somewhat inexplicable conflict commenced due to a conclusion by Israel that Iran is close to achieving the development of a nuclear weapon. There is also a belief that there is increasing desperation in Iran due to the weakening or collapse of its proxies in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria, the fact that its ally Russia is distracted due to its war with Ukraine and loss of support for the regime at home due to a weakening economy and repressive practices. As a result, it is believed, Iran is moving quickly but surreptitiously to develop a nuclear weapon that will enable it to say to the world – “we can do what we want; you must leave us alone.”

While some seem to think that “regime change” in Iran is a reasonable prospect and even an objective, I do not think that this will happen in the near term. And there can be no assurance that whatever might replace the current regime will be better for its own people, its neighbors or the world.

Israel, the U.S. and its western allies adamantly oppose the development of nuclear weapons by Iran. Even Russia expresses opposition to nuclear weaponization by Iran while supporting Iran’s supposed development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The idea that Iran’s development of nuclear technology is for peaceful energy purposes seems on its face ludicrous for a nation that has the world’s second largest natural gas reserves and the world’s fourth largest crude oil reserves. Iran does not need nuclear energy. Further, Iran has admittedly enriched uranium far beyond what is required for peaceful purposes.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is a United Nations agency whose role is to monitor and verify that Iran’s nuclear development is solely for peaceful purposes. In recent months, the IAEA has officially stated that Iran’s uranium enrichment is well above civilian uses and that Iran has restricted inspector access and monitoring equipment. The IAEA has demanded that Iran answer questions and reinstate access for inspectors and cameras. Iran has consistently refused.

On June 12, the IAEA declared Iran in breach of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. On the next day, Israel launched a massive air attack using approximately 200 planes in waves (“Operation Rising Lion”) targeting over 100 nuclear, missile, and military installations across Iran and killing several top military commanders and numerous nuclear scientists. Extensive missile attacks from Israel to Iran and from Iran to Israel followed and those have continued. I have read that Iran has been hitting civilian targets while the Israeli attacks are intended solely for military targets. Without doubt, this situation is very costly to both sides in terms of loss of civilian and military lives and in financial terms (those ballistic and anti-ballistic missiles aren’t cheap), not to mention damage to residential and commercial buildings and infrastructure.

Up to now, while Israel has inflicted enormous damage on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the net result has been to delay but by no means destroy Iran’s nuclear weapon development. On June 21, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that the Israeli attacks had set Iran’s program to develop nuclear weapons back by two to three years.

While most of Iran’s nuclear development sites can be and are being destroyed by conventional air and missile attacks, there remains the Fordow uranium enrichment facility that is considered the “mother ship” and is deeply buried inside a mountain. There may be another site similarly deep underground. Fordow is estimated to be buried as deep as 300 feet underground surrounded by reinforced concrete and the like. Conventional bombing methods cannot penetrate the mountain to destroy the facility.

A land invasion by Israel would result in enormous casualties and uncertain success. Rather, only “bunker busting” 30,000 lb. bombs called “massive ordnance penetrators” with multiple direct hits may collapse the facility. This bomb can be delivered only by B-2 stealth bombers which are possessed only by the U.S. And there would be delivery challenges including distance and the necessity for aerial refueling.

Israel has requested that the U.S. undertake an attack on Fodrow with a series of bunker bombs delivered by the U.S. bombers. President Trump announced on June 19 that: “based on the fact that there is a substantial chance of negotiations … I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.” [My emphasis.]

Two days later, on June 21, U.S. Stealth B - 2 bombers dropped fourteen GBU - 57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) “bunker-buster” bombs on Iran’s sites at Fordow (a uranium-enrichment facility), and Natanz (another nuclear plant) and Tomahawk cruise missiles struck Isfahan (another nuclear research center, not so deeply buried underground).

Whether the U.S. should have bombed Iran is a subject for much debate with plenty of room for good arguments on both sides.

For me, I firmly believe that the rogue and terrorist Iran regime simply cannot have a nuclear weapon! And we must credit the claim of Israel, which has had enormous success in taking out Iran’s air defenses, many of its missile launch sites and key military and nuclear scientific personnel, that there were development sites that it could not reach. Thus, without our help, Israel alone could not eliminate Iran’s threat. The existential need to try to prevent that supersedes all other questions and considerations.

So I supported the U.S. attack and continue to believe that it was the right thing to do. It is appropriate to note that the elimination of Iran’s air defenses by Israel reducing the risk of loss of U.S. planes undoubtedly went a long way toward persuading President Trump to authorize the bombing.

So, where are we at the time of this writing?

President Trump prematurely announced that Iran’s nuclear weapon development capabilities have been destroyed. We don’t know that. Most apparently objective reports are that Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons has been delayed by some number of months but by no means destroyed. Specifically, a report by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) on June 24 stated that the attacks set back Iran’s nuclear weapon development efforts by months but did not destroy it. President Trump disputes this report but one must wonder how he would know better than the federal agency whose job it is to make these assessments.

President Trump, who wants to portray himself as a peace-maker, announced a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel that he claimed would last “forever”. But “forever” lasted only a few hours before Iran and Israel were sending missiles back and forth. They traded claims that the other had violated the ceasefire even before it had begun. Trump then expressed anger at both while lobbing “F-bombs”. (Note: one of my pet peeves is at members of the press who report on what Trump “believes.” What Trump believes is unknowable. All we can properly report on is what Trump says.)

As of late on June 24, 2025, a fragile ceasefire is in place despite some violations.

My view is that the objective of eliminating Iran’s nuclear threat has not been completed. As Israel for now controls the skies above Iran, this is the time to complete the job. This will involve, through the use of force and/or diplomacy, both destruction of whatever nuclear weapon facilities and materials exist AND putting in place a system for inspection and verification that will maximize the prospect that those are not created in the future. Caveat: Israel’s willingness to agree to a ceasefire of indefinite duration may be due, in part, to a perception on the part of Israel that it cannot alone and without U.S. support and, perhaps, participation bring about Iran’s capitulation to a nuclear weapon free existence.

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Last week it was announced that “Mark Walter”, the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, had acquired the Los Angeles Lakers from the family of the late Dr. Jerry Buss at a price that valued the Lakers at $10B.

Who is Mark Walter? What does this mean for the Lakers? What does it mean to the sports world?

Mark Walter is the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, a global financial services and asset management firm he co-founded in 2000. The firm oversees investments of over $325 Billion in assets. He is also CEO of TWG Global Holdings LLC (TWG) which is the entity to which Walter directs the Guggenheim Partners investments in sports which includes the Dodgers, the Los Angeles Sparks, the Professional Women’s Hockey League, the English Premier League’s Chelsea Football [soccer] Club and, now the Lakers. Both Guggenheim Partners and TWG are private companies but it has been estimated that Mr. Walter owns approximately 20% of both and has a personal net worth of around $12 billion. The precise amounts are not important – the availability of $Billions is very important if invested and managed wisely. And that is what Mr. Walter does. Since the Dodgers were acquired by Mr. Walter and associates in 2012, the team has been fantastically successful on the field and financially. A sports writer who has observed Mr. Walter for most of this time told me: “He is willing to spend a lot of money on talented players and he’s smart enough to hire people and let them do their jobs without meddling. The ideal owner.”

So, compared to the prior owners, the Lakers are likely to enjoy far more success than they have in recent years. More broadly, the involvement of Mr. Walter’s group, the trend toward ownership by entities with vast resources and willingness to invest large amounts in talented players and analytics will only accelerate. And already expensive tickets and the cost of video services will increase.

Mark Walter and Todd Boehly are longtime colleagues — starting at Guggenheim, controlling the Dodgers, Sparks, the English Premier Football (soccer) League Chelsea F.C. and now the Lakers. Even closer to home, interests in the One Beverly Hills development.

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I have some sad news to report.

On Monday June 23, 2025, Neil Gordon, husband of Lori Greene Gordon, passed away while on a trip to his favorite city, London, England.

Neil had a lengthy career as a producer, writer and director. His work included production of shows such as “Solid Gold” where he pioneered the modern music video and “America’s Funniest Home Videos”, more than 300 rock music videos and numerous commercials and infomercials.

In addition to Lori, Neil leaves behind his talented and accomplished daughters Victoria and Natalie. He will be greatly missed.