How Far Will Trump Go in Iran?

Is the U.S. winning the war with Iran? Even though President Trump claims success, it doesn’t quite feel like it — oil and gas prices are high, the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed, and the Iranian regime is still in place. Mark Dubowitz, the chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a prominent Iran hawk, explains why “total victory” is within reach in spite of the cost. I pressed him on the gap between Trump’s desire for a quick deal and his desire to end the Islamic Republic. 00:00 - Intro 00:03:49 - Is Iran biding its time until Trump leaves office? 00:07:07 - Three phases to regime change 00:09:42 - Iran's military capabilities and the Strait of Hormuz 00:14:54 - How will the next American president treat Iran? 00:18:48 - The battle for the Strait of Hormuz 00:23:27 - Will Iran attack its neighbors? 00:28:43 - Will Trump cut a deal? 00:38:19 - Does Israel think Trump is its best chance? 00:43:04 - Risk of U.S. alienation from Israel 00:48:01 - The cost of inaction and the Iranian people

You can listen to How Far Will Trump Go in Iran? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

How Far Will Trump Go in Iran? is an episode from The Argument by New York Times Opinion.

This episode is 00:51:24 long.

This episode was published on Mar 26, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The Argument when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.