Is Iran Still Strong?

The Commentary Magazine Podcast

Commentary Magazine

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.6 • 5.1K Ratings

🗓️ 13 May 2026

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today we discuss an intelligence assessment cited by the New York Times claiming Iran's military capabilities were not substantially damaged by the war, Thomas Massie's primary woes, and the risks of a major American party centering its identity on antisemitism. Plus, John remembers Abe Foxman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the best.
0:07.0	Expect the worst.
0:10.0	Some drink champagne.
0:12.0	Some die of first.
0:14.0	The way of knowing which way it's going.
0:17.0	Hope for the best.
0:19.0	Expect the worst. Welcome to the commentary magazine Daily Podcast. Today is Wednesday, May 13th, 2026. I am John Podhorst, the editor of Commentary Magazine with me, as always, executive editor, Abe Greenwald. Hi, Abe. Hi, John. Senior editor Seth Mandel.
0:37.7	Hi, Seth.
0:38.9	Hi, John.
0:39.5	And Washington Free Beacon Editor Eliana Johnson.
0:42.4	Hi, Eliana.
0:43.4	Hi, John.
0:44.6	New York Times, breaking news moved across my email yesterday around six,
0:52.4	highlighting a story that was not breaking news because we've seen
0:56.7	versions of it over the last week in other places.
0:59.8	So therefore, not really breaking news.
1:02.4	The intelligence, an intelligence assessment says that the damage done to Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear program
1:15.0	was much less serious than President Trump and Secretary Hegeseth
1:21.8	have led us to believe that 30 of 33 ballistic missile sites are not fully destroyed, so they could threaten
1:36.1	the Strait of Hormuz, and the access to the nuclear materials has not been completely cut off forever.
1:49.5	So the story is framed as Trump and Hegsef have been lying to us.
1:55.0	The damage is much less severe than we expect.
	...

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