Striking Iran: Analysis from the Global Public Square

Fareed Zakaria reports that Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini has been killed amid U.S.-Israel attacks under “Operation Epic Fury,” with Trump urging Iranians to overthrow their government and promising continued bombing despite recently ongoing nuclear talks that Oman said had made breakthroughs. Zakaria argues the war lacks clear legal and strategic grounding, that airpower rarely achieves regime change, and that unilateral action undermines rules-based order, while Iran’s weakness and regional backlash—especially after strikes on Gulf states hosting U.S. assets—may not translate into Trump’s stated aims. Guests discuss the decapitation strikes, the likely next targets including Iran’s naval forces and IRGC mid-tier leadership, and the risk of leadership-targeting becoming more common. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices