The Global Fallout of Donald Trump’s War on Iran
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Mar 9, 2026 Dexter Filkins, a war correspondent and author with deep reporting on Iraq and Afghanistan, and Robin Wright, a veteran Middle East reporter who has met Iran’s leadership, discuss Iran’s leadership succession and the risks of targeting Khamenei. They examine chaotic U.S. messaging, regional military escalation, Israel’s role in timing, and the global economic and geopolitical fallout.
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Confused U.S. Goals Risk Backfiring
- The Trump administration's stated goals for the Iran attack were inconsistent, shifting from regime change to limited strikes without clear strategy.
- Robin Wright argues killing Khamenei could backfire, deepen nationalist resolve, and wasn't justified by credible imminent-threat evidence.
Destroying Iran's State Risks Chaos
- Military action against Iran risks destroying the state's institutions and the 'steel frame' that holds society together.
- Dexter Filkins warns dismantling that order could produce chaos rather than controllable regime change, unlike Iraq's fragmentation.
Khamenei's Reliance On Revolutionary Guards
- Robin Wright recalls a Waldorf Astoria breakfast with a young Ali Khamenei and noticed his dependence on the Revolutionary Guards.
- She highlights his limited clerical base and how the Guards became his institutional power over 37 years.




