About this episode

Suzanne Maloney discusses the current state of conflict in the Gulf and the implications of the US-Iran deal collapse.

Nearly a month after a ceasefire, the US-Iran deal seems to have all but collapsed as both nations have slipped back into active conflict. On Sunday, Tehran announced that the Strait of Hormuz is once again closed—a move President Trump immediately countered, stating the waterway will remain open "with or without Iran." Since then, both the US and Iran have reportedly begun new attacks, and the President said the US will reinstate its blockade to become the "guardian" of the strait, even floating a controversial plan to charge commercial ships to ensure their safe passage. We are in a critical window where both sides are aggressively trying to redefine their leverage in the Persian Gulf region, yet neither has fully abandoned the negotiating table. The U.S. can't maintain its high-stakes engagement indefinitely. So are we right back to square one? Is this perpetual state of uncertainty the new normal for the Strait of Hormuz? What realistic leverage does Washington still possess on the nuclear front? And with senior Houthi leaders announcing their involvement, how does the collapse of this deal reverberate throughout the Persian Gulf region? Today on the show, Jason Bordoff…

People in this episode

Host: Jason Bordoff

Guest: Suzanne Maloney

Topics covered

• US-Iran relations
• Persian Gulf conflict
• energy policy
• geopolitical strategy
• military engagement

Keywords

• Iran
• US
• Strait of Hormuz
• conflict
• energy
• geopolitics
• nuclear negotiations
• Houthi leaders

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Brookings Institution

Places: Iran, United States, Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf

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