The Current What's next for the Iran war? Experts discuss.
Mar 5, 2026
Suzanne Maloney, Brookings vice president and Iran analyst; Jeffrey Feltman, former senior U.N. diplomat; Mara Karlin, former Assistant Secretary of Defense; Philip Gordon, former U.S. foreign policy official. They discuss U.S. objectives and strategy clarity. They examine military phases, drone threats, evacuations, and regional political effects. They debate leadership targeting and post-conflict incentives.
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Administration Offers Shifting Objectives
- The administration has presented shifting, unclear missions in the Iran conflict, ranging from nuclear destruction to regime change.
- Philip Gordon argues this inconsistency makes the war seem a choice by the president and raises accountability for outcomes.
U.S. Military Strong Early But Faces Drone Challenge
- The U.S. military excels at high-end conventional operations and has executed a multi-domain campaign across cyber, space, maritime, and air.
- Mara Karlin notes tens of thousands of ordnance hit over a thousand targets, but drones complicate the next phase.
Killing Leaders Creates Martyrs Not System Change
- Targeted killing of leadership can create martyrs without decisively altering entrenched systems.
- Jeffrey Feltman says Khamenei's long embedding of supporters means his death likely won't be decisive.