The Price of Peace in Iran: Richard Nephew

The Price of Peace in Iran: Richard Nephew

May 31, 2026 · 42 min · Season 1 · Episode 147

About this episode

Michael discusses the fragile U.S.–Iran ceasefire and the implications of negotiations with Richard Nephew.

Michael is joined by Richard Nephew, Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University and former Director for Iran at the National Security Council, to examine the fragile state of the U.S.–Iran ceasefire and the looming terms of a potential memorandum of understanding (MOU). Richard shares his concerns about the current trajectory of negotiations, warning that Washington is at risk of overpaying with massive sanctions relief without securing a durable, verifiable nuclear agreement. Richard also helps unravel the strategic and economic fallout of the crisis, examining the potential long-term impact of costly oil and how the conflict has shifted Iran's strategic calculus toward a more aggressive, risk-tolerant posture.

People in this episode

Host: Michael

Guest: Richard Nephew

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Columbia University, National Security Council

Places: U.S.–Iran

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