Consider This from NPR

Amid fresh strikes, what does diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran entail?

May 26, 2026

U.S. forces struck Iranian boats and missile launch sites in southern Iran on Monday, in what U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins has called "self-defense strikes ... to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces." Iran says it shot down three U.S. drones. Despite the violence, neither Iran nor the United States appear to be pulling back on diplomatic efforts to reach an interim deal to end the almost three-month long war. But what does that look like?For sponsor-...

Warning flags about the Trump administration and alleged corruption

May 25, 2026

In recent days, the news has been filled with some eyebrow-raising choices by the Trump administration.Like the disclosure of thousands of stock trades, being granted immunity from IRS audits, and the DOJ's nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund.These actions have raised questions from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice, a non-partisan legal think tank, says these actions amount to "corruption in plain sight." Fo...

Has the U.S. lost the war in Iran?

May 24, 2026

Throughout the war, the U.S.’ main objectives have fluctuated from regime change, to stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, to reopening the strategic straight of Hormuz. Robert Kagan, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution, explains why the U.S. will likely come out of the war weaker than before.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Daniel Ofman,...