Jake Sullivan: 'Hard to see' what U.S. has gained in Iran

Jake Sullivan: 'Hard to see' what U.S. has gained in Iran

From Sources & Methods by NPR

June 1, 2026 · 40 min

About this episode

Jake Sullivan discusses the challenges and implications of U.S. involvement in the Iran conflict.

Jake Sullivan, former National Security Advisor under President Biden, says it's hard to see what the United States gains in the war with Iran. He spoke with host Mary Louise Kelly before a live audience at the 2026 WBUR Festival last week for a wide-ranging conversation that included China, Ukraine, Greenland, Cuba, Afghanistan and of course, Iran. "In the weeks leading up to the start of the bombing, they were putting proposals on the table that actually look more forward leaning than what we're seeing now in some ways. And the Strait of Hormuz was open," he said. "Now, today, the Strait of Hormuz is closed. The nuclear deal seems to be getting further away, not closer." Email the show at sourcesandmethods@npr.org NPR+ supporters hear every episode without sponsor messages and unlock access to our complete archive. Sign up at plus.npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: Mary Louise Kelly

Guest: Jake Sullivan

Topics covered

  • U.S. foreign policy
  • Iran conflict
  • National Security
  • International relations
  • Geopolitics

Keywords

  • Jake Sullivan
  • Iran
  • U.S. foreign policy
  • National Security Advisor
  • Mary Louise Kelly
  • Strait of Hormuz
  • nuclear deal

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR

Places: Iran, China, Ukraine, Greenland, Cuba, Afghanistan, Strait of Hormuz

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