The New Yorker Radio Hour The Global Fallout of Donald Trump’s War on Iran
67 snips
Mar 6, 2026 
Dexter Filkins, veteran war correspondent who covered Iraq and Afghanistan. Robin Wright, longtime Middle East reporter with deep knowledge of Iran. They unpack U.S. mixed messaging and whether regime change was the aim. They trace military plans versus political reality. They survey global economic and strategic fallout from strikes and regional reactions.
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Destroying Institutions Risks Uncontrolled Chaos
- Dexter Filkins argues U.S. strikes risk destroying Iran's state structures, which could remove the 'steel frame' that holds Iran together.
- Unlike Iraq, Iran's society is cohesive; breaking institutions may produce chaos and loss of order rather than a controllable transition.
Pretext For Attack Compared To WMD Claims
- Robin Wright calls the claim Iran was preparing to attack U.S. interests 'hogwash' and compares the pretext to Iraq's WMD rationale.
- She stresses Iran appeared militarily and politically vulnerable after recent protests, making imminent aggression unlikely.
Meeting Khamenei At The Waldorf Astoria
- Robin Wright recounts meeting Ali Khamenei at the Waldorf Astoria and finding him unworldly, raspy-voiced, and dependent on the Revolutionary Guards.
- She recalls Guards cutting up his breakfast meat and his reliance on the Guards as his political base.
