The Iran Strikes Explained - Live

About this episode

Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer discuss the implications of the joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran and the surrounding geopolitical context.

Joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, Iran’s retaliation across the region, War Powers Act debate on Capitol Hill. In this recording of a live conversation on Substack, Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer break it all down: What we know so far, what we don’t know, and the biggest questions that will shape what happens next. Topics of discussion include: - What’s the end game? If the U.S. is entering a war, the public needs a clear account of why, what success looks like, and how this strategy plausibly achieves it. - Is there an imminent threat to the U.S.? Based on the administration’s own claims, there isn’t one from the nuclear program. - Why didn’t the administration seek Congressional authorization? Even President George W. Bush got authorization for the Iraq War. - What to watch for in the coming days as details firm up: To what extent have Iran’s capabilities been degraded? Will Iran close the Strait of Hormuz or otherwise disrupt oil shipping infrastructure? Is Ayatollah Khamenei alive? - The long game questions: What are the second-and third order effects? Will this instability lead to increased risks of terrorism, displacement, and downstream political consequences as we saw with…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jake Sullivan, Jon Finer, Jake, Jon

Topics covered

• U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran
• Iran's retaliation
• War Powers Act
• Congressional authorization
• Iran's capabilities
• Strait of Hormuz
• Ayatollah Khamenei
• terrorism risks
• political consequences
• China's perspective

Keywords

• Iran
• U.S. military strategy
• Middle East
• oil shipping
• nuclear program
• Arab Spring
• Syrian Civil War
• Iraq War

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Long Game

Places: U.S.-Israel, Iran, U.S., the Strait of Hormuz, China, Taiwan

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