from WNYC studios. I'm Brian Lehrer. This is my daily politics podcast. It's Thursday,

March 26th. We have two very interestingly placed people, I think, with us to discuss what

feels like a turning point in the

Iran war. Turning point because the U.S. and Iran have both offered ceasefire plans,

though they are quite the opposite of each other in important ways.

Turning point because reporting indicates President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

may now want different things,

an off-ramp in Trump's case, prolonged fighting in Netanyahu's. Turning point because the humanitarian

crisis in Lebanon is seriously deepening. Turning point because the new Supreme Leader of Iran

either will or won't keep the loyalty of the Revolutionary Guard.

That's who has all the guns, right? The regime could rise or fall on that. And turning point,

perhaps, because the U.S. is sending thousands more troops to the region, with this threat from

White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt, if Iran rejects the U.S. ceasefire terms.

President Trump, that is not bluff, and he is prepared to unleash hell. Iran should not

miscalculate again. Well, sometimes he bluffs, but there's that. And all of that is a lot, right?

Let's discuss. With us now is Keiontajbach's international

relations professor at NYU, also a fellow of the committee on global thought, as they call it,

at Columbia University. Part of his background is that he was arrested during Iran's Green Movement

protest in 2009.

And you may have heard his name in the news a number of years ago

when he was released as part of the Iran nuclear deal under President Obama.

He is also author of the books, The Promise of the City,

...