Iran: A Bigger Defeat Than Vietnam? [Preview]

About this episode

Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan discuss Robert Kagan's article on the implications of a potential defeat in Iran compared to past conflicts.

Robert Kagan, a leading architect of the 2003 Iraq invasion and the wider 'neocon' tendency in Washington, published an article this week titled 'Checkmate in Iran.' On today's show, Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan discuss the latest headlines and react to this article, of which an excerpt reads: "The defeats in Vietnam and Afghanistan were costly but did not do lasting damage to America’s overall position in the world, because they were far from the main theaters of global competition. The initial failure in Iraq was mitigated by a shift in strategy that ultimately left Iraq relatively stable and unthreatening to its neighbors and kept the United States dominant in the region. Defeat in the present confrontation with Iran will be of an entirely different character. It can neither be repaired nor ignored. There will be no return to the status quo ante, no ultimate American triumph that will undo or overcome the harm done. The Strait of Hormuz will not be “open,” as it once was. With control of the strait, Iran emerges as the key player in the region and one of the key players in the world." Source…

People in this episode

Host: Brian Becker

Guest: Layan Fuleihan

Topics covered

• Iran
• Vietnam
• Iraq
• neoconservatism
• geopolitics
• US foreign policy

Keywords

• Iran
• Vietnam
• Iraq
• Robert Kagan
• neoconservatism
• US foreign policy
• Strait of Hormuz

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Atlantic

Places: Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Strait of Hormuz

More episodes of The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

• Trump Is Stuck In A Foreign Policy Dead End · June 10, 2026 · 27 min
• Biggest Home Insurance Companies Denied Nearly Half of Last Year’s Claims · June 3, 2026 · 26 min
• Iran War Causing ‘Fundamental Shift’ In How Resources Are Distributed w/ Prof. Richard Wolff · May 27, 2026 · 33 min
• U.S. Inequality Can’t Be Propped Up By Force Alone w/ Prof. Richard Wolff · May 20, 2026 · 33 min
• US Claims Cuba Planning Drone Attack, While Actually Planning To Attack Cuba [Preview] · May 18, 2026 · 7 min
• Spirit Is Gone, But We Could Build A People’s Airline In The United States · May 13, 2026 · 26 min