Taking Stock of the Iran War – with Elliott Abrams

Mar 17, 2026

Elliott Abrams, a longtime U.S. foreign-policy official and CFR Middle East fellow, gives a concise account of the Iran conflict. He assesses early military progress and limits, debates goals like degrading Iran’s military and nuclear program, weighs risks to oil transit and the Strait of Hormuz, and considers how U.S. action may signal rivals such as China and Russia.

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INSIGHT

Progress And Limits In Striking Iran's Military

The U.S. and Israel are actively destroying Iran's military infrastructure that enables warfare and regional repression.
Elliot Abrams notes progress hitting military targets but says Iran still retains many missiles, launchers, and drones after weeks of strikes.

ADVICE

Give A Clear Presidential Explanation

The American public needed a clear presidential address explaining the reasons for the campaign to build support.
Elliot Abrams explicitly recommends the president should have given a formal speech early on explaining what he was doing.

INSIGHT

Iran's Longstanding Hostility And Nuclear Secrecy

Iran has defined itself since 1979 as hostile to the U.S. and actively sponsored terrorism and attacks on Americans.
Abrams lists historical attacks, proxy networks, and a secretive nuclear program revealed partly by Israeli intelligence theft.

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As the war with Iran continues, the conflict is raising fundamental questions about how the United States uses military power and how President Trump’s foreign-policy doctrine may be evolving.

For years, Trump was closely associated with an “America First” approach that emphasized avoiding prolonged wars and limiting U.S. military involvement abroad. But the current campaign against Iran suggests a shift.

In this episode, Aviva Klompas speaks with Elliott Abrams, a former deputy national security advisor and Special Representative for Iran. They examine how the war is unfolding so far, what might realistically be achieved militarily, and what the strategic endgame could look like.

The conversation also explores the domestic political tensions surrounding the conflict, particularly among Americans who supported Trump because of his opposition to “endless wars.” Abrams discusses whether the president is redefining what “America First” means in practice and whether the campaign against Iran signals a broader shift in U.S. foreign policy.

Finally, they step back to consider the global implications of the conflict and how Iran fits into the wider landscape of American adversaries alongside China and Russia.

Guest Bio:

Elliott Abrams is a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. He has held senior foreign-policy positions in several U.S. administrations, including serving as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor in the administration of George W. Bush, where he oversaw U.S. policy in the Middle East. During the administration of Donald Trump, Abrams served as Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela. Earlier in his career, he was an assistant secretary of state in the administration of Ronald Reagan.

Abrams was educated at Harvard College, the London School of Economics, and Harvard Law School. He has served on numerous public commissions and advisory boards, including the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, and he is the author of several books on American foreign policy and the Middle East.