Trump’s Iran Deal - with Walter Russell Mead

Did Israel and the U.S. win the battle but lose the war?

Israel and the United States achieved what many would consider a remarkable military success against Iran. But the agreement that followed has left many Israelis wondering whether battlefield gains translated into strategic victory. Dan Senor is joined by Wall Street Journal columnist and Hudson Institute senior fellow Walter Russell Mead to discuss the paradox at the heart of the new U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, what it reveals about President Trump's approach to power, and how leaders across the Middle East are recalculating their assumptions about America, Israel, and the future of the region.
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In this episode:

03:42 - The paradox: military success vs. political disappointment

05:03 - Why so many Israelis think Israel lost

07:27 - What was President Trump actually betting on?

21:30 - Does the 60-day deal mean anything?

22:30 - Why sanctions rarely deliver regime change

27:24 - What this war reveals about the future of warfare

35:27 - How Riyadh, Ankara, and Beijing are reading the moment

45:33 - Israel's growing dependence on President Trump

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo