The Iran War at Six Months: Has the U.S. Already Lost?

An Iranian flag is planted in the rubble of a police station, damaged in airstrikes on March 3, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
Airdate: Friday, August 28, 2026 at 10 AM
Six months into the war with Iran, the quick victory President Trump predicted remains elusive. As Iran’s hardline regime remains defiant, Atlantic writer and military affairs expert Tom Nichols says the United States has already lost strategically: Iran has gained control of the Strait of Hormuz, strained U.S. alliances and depleted American military resources. Nichols also argues that the ongoing conflict has made Trump more reckless, driving him to make ever more irrational foreign policy choices. We talk to Nichols about the costs of the war and where it goes from here.
Guest:
- Tom Nichols, staff writer, The Atlantic; professor emeritus of national security affairs, U.S. Naval War College