The Whiplash of the U.S.-Iran Peace Talks
The Political Scene | The New Yorker
The New Yorker
4.3 • 3.9K Ratings
🗓️ 27 May 2026
⏱️ 31 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The New Yorker contributing writer Robin Wright joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss the state of peace talks between the U.S. and Iran. They talk about the evolving terms—and major sticking points—of a potential agreement between the two countries, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. They also explore whether the war has ultimately weakened or emboldened Iran, and how Donald Trump’s approach to the conflict and negotiations fits into his broader diplomatic legacy.
This week’s reading:
- “The Epic Disaster of Operation Epic Fury,” by Robin Wright
- “Why Any Plausible Iran Deal Is a Humiliation for Trump,” by Isaac Chotiner
- “How Trump Created a Slush Fund for His Allies,” by Ruth Marcus
- “Is the Working Class Finally Turning on Trump?,” by Eyal Press
- “How Problematic Is Patriotism?,” by Arthur Krystal
See Tyler Foggatt in Conversation with Robby Hoffman at the Cascade Ideas Festival on June 6th
The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.
Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesTranscript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hi, it's David Remnick, and I've got some news for you. |
| 0:03.8 | We're headed to the Tribeca Festival for a special live taping of the New Yorker Radio Hour. |
| 0:09.4 | We'll be doing a one-night-only show at the festival's 25th anniversary. |
| 0:14.0 | So come out and join us on Wednesday, June 10th at 815. |
| 0:18.7 | Tickets are available now at Tribecafilm.com slash audio. That's Tribecafilm.com |
| 0:25.5 | slash audio. |
| 0:31.1 | Hi, Robin. Thanks so much for being here. Hi, Tyler. So we're talking right now on Wednesday morning, and over Memorial Day weekend, reports emerged of a coming deal between the U.S. and Iran to end the war. |
| 0:48.8 | Trump and his cabinet are set to meet later today to talk about said deal, but during this period where Iran and the U.S. still |
| 0:54.9 | seem to be in active negotiations, I'm wondering who has the upper hand here. Is it Washington or is it |
| 1:00.8 | Tehran? Well, there are different ways of answering that question. And the one is that the U.S. |
| 1:07.1 | clearly has military superiority and has had done huge damage to Iran, eliminating |
| 1:14.3 | many of his top military and political leaders, damaging its infrastructure. But what's happened |
| 1:21.3 | during this war is Iran has developed a new type of leverage, and that's over the strategic straight of Hormuz, through |
| 1:29.3 | which about a fifth of the world's energy supplies transit. And that has been closed now for months |
| 1:36.4 | and is beginning to cripple, you know, parts of the world not involved in this conflict. |
| 1:42.2 | So militarily, the United States clearly has superiority, but, you know, Iran has a lot of leverage now, too. |
| 1:51.7 | That's Robin Wright, a contributing writer for The New Yorker. |
| 1:55.2 | Nearly three months into the Iran War, and almost eight weeks into the ceasefire, |
| 1:59.8 | reports emerged over Memorial Day weekend, |
| 2:02.1 | but the U.S. and Iran were close to signing a deal that could finally bring the conflict to a close. |
| 2:07.6 | But those reports were quickly followed by signs that the two sides remain deeply divided over |
| 2:11.8 | issues like the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the future of Iran's alleged nuclear program, |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 19 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The New Yorker, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The New Yorker and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.