The Long Game with Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer Rage in Tehran, Lasers in Texas
Feb 13, 2026
Yeganeh Torbati, Iran reporter for The Washington Post, Reuters, and ProPublica. She sketches Iran at a crossroads, the regime’s coercive reach, and what diplomacy versus military action could mean. She also breaks down a weird El Paso airspace shutdown tied to Pentagon laser tests, suspected cartel drones, and interagency confusion.
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Personal Start And Layoff At The Post
- Yeganeh recounts being hired at The Washington Post just as Israel attacked Iran, immediately thrusting her into intense reporting.
- She worked from vacation to cover the pace and later was laid off amid recent Post cuts.
Depth Of Popular Rage In Iran
- Yeganeh Torbati describes this as the darkest moment modern Iranians have experienced, with widespread rage after mass killings during protests.
- The internet blackout magnified the shock as citizens later learned of the nationwide scale of killings.
Regime Has Repressive Capacity
- Torbati argues the regime retains capacity to muster loyal forces and repress protests, showing institutional resilience.
- She finds little evidence that security forces are unable or unwilling to carry out mass repression again.
