SPECIAL EPISODE | Trump Chooses War With Iran, With Dalia Dassa Kaye

The President’s Inbox

Council on Foreign Relations

Politics, News:politics, News

4.4 • 734 Ratings

🗓️ 2 March 2026

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dalia Dassa Kaye, senior fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles Burkle Center for International Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss President Donald Trump's decision to launch a war against Iran, the prospects for regime change, and the consequences for the region. Mentioned on the Episode: Michael Birnbaum, John Hudson, Karen DeYoung, Natalie Allison, and Souad Mekhennet, “Push from Saudis, Israel, Helped Move Trump to Attack Iran,” Washington Post Dalia Dassa Kaye, Enduring Hostility: The Making of America's Iran Policy Zolan Kanno-Younge, David Sanger, and Tyler Pager, “Trump Says War Could Last Weeks and Offers Contradictory Visions of New Regime,” New York Times Michael Scherer, “I Have Agreed to Talk,” The Atlantic Donald Trump Truth Social Post, “HELP IS ON ITS WAY” For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/trump-chooses-war-with-iran Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Transcript

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0:00.0	In asymmetric warfare, survival is victory, and it is clear in this existential moment,
0:05.0	the main goal the Iranians are trying to achieve is to survive in some form or fashion.
0:10.0	As Saturday morning unfolds in Tehran, unease quickly escalates to panic.
0:16.0	Explosions reported throughout the city and across Iran.
0:22.3	The United States and Israel have launched airstrikes on the country.
0:25.6	After hours of unconfirmed reports, rumors become reality.
0:29.4	Iran's supreme leader, Ayatala Ali Khamenei has been killed.
0:33.2	When we are finished, take over your government.
0:35.6	It will be yours to take.
0:37.4	Why did President Trump order the attack on Iran? How long will the fighting last? When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.
0:39.9	Why did President Trump order the attack on Iran?
0:41.7	How long will the fighting last?
0:44.9	And if the Iranian regime falls, what will come next?
0:50.5	From the Council on Foreign Relations, welcome to the president's inbox.
0:51.8	I'm Jim Lindsay.
0:56.6	Today I am joined by Dahlia Dasakai, senior fellow at the UCLA Berkel Center for International Relations and author of Enduring Hostility, the Making of America's
1:02.8	Iran Policy. Dahlia, thank you for joining me. Pleasure to be with you, Jim.
1:08.7	I want to jump right into the conversation, Dahlia, and I will note that
1:13.3	last summer the United States and Israel hit Iranian nuclear sites in Operation Midnight Hammer.
1:21.0	On Saturday, the United States and Israel began a large-scale bombing campaign that is targeting a wide range of military and command
1:29.3	assets as well as nuclear and ballistic missile facilities in Iran.
1:34.4	How do we get from last summer's success to the ongoing attacks?
	...

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