War with Iran: Reactions from Biden’s National Security Adviser; Will the Kurds Be Pulled into the Fighting?

Fareed Zakaria GPS

CNN

News

4.2 • 3.1K Ratings

🗓️ 8 March 2026

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today on the show, the US and Israel are now in week two of warring with Iran and Fareed speaks with Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s former National Security Adviser, about how fighting is likely to proceed, the larger regional implications, and how the war might embolden Russia and China. Then, Fareed is joined by former US ambassador Peter Galbraith to discuss Trump’s flip-flopping on bring Kurdish forces into the war with Iran. Later, Fareed talks to Mina Al-Oraibi, editor in chief of the UAE newspaper The National, about how Gulf countries are reacting amid ongoing drone and missile strikes from Iran—and how might this shift geopolitics in the region. Finally, the U.S. produces the most advanced weapons in the world. Fareed asks defense editor at The Economist Shashank Joshi if America has enough of them to sustain an extended war in the Middle East. Guests: Jake Sullivan (@jakejsullivan), Peter Galbraith, Mina Al-Oraibi (@AlOraibi), Shashank Joshi (@shashj) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is GPS, the Global Public Square.
0:05.0	Welcome to all of you in the United States and around the world.
0:08.0	I'm Farid Zakaria, coming to you live from New York.
0:12.0	Today on the program, the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran is now eight days and eight hours old.
0:19.0	We'll take a look at it from many angles, starting with an overview of the war in America's role in it,
0:24.6	with President Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
0:28.6	And the Kurds, their name is on everybody's lips,
0:32.6	but just who are they?
0:34.6	And could they play a role in this war with Iran? I'll talk to an American diplomat who has been working with them for nearly 40 years.
0:42.3	Also, the U.S. has, by last count, struck over 3,000 targets in Iran.
0:49.3	That is a lot of bombs, missiles, and other ordnance.
0:53.3	America and its allies have also shot down thousands of incoming attacks.
0:58.0	Will the Pentagon run out of munitions?
1:00.0	Will Iran?
1:02.0	I'll ask the Economist's defense editor.
1:06.0	But first, here's my take.
1:10.0	Regime change by jazz improvisation.
1:14.2	That is how the respected scholar of Iran, Karim Sajdipur, described the Trump administration's
1:19.4	strategy in the war it has initiated with Iran.
1:24.1	Sadly, it's the most accurate description of the scattered, shifting, and uncertain approach
1:29.8	that emanates from Washington these days.
1:33.3	The president launched this war, exhorting the Iranian people to overthrow their government.
	...

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