What are the goals in the US war in Iran? Is the situation in the Strait of Hormuz manageable, or is the Iranian threat to shipping a challenge that must be confronted? And can it be resolved at an acceptable cost? Melanie, Chris, and Zack, discuss the latest from the war, with a particular focus on the threat posed to international shipping in the vital waterway. Grievances for Jeremy Corbyn, and for the Trump administration’s decision to remove sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil. Attas to Japanese Prime Minister Takaichii Sanae for navigating her meeting with President Trump, to a federal judge for affirming that the press has First Amendment rights, and to Sean Penn for skipping the Academy Awards ceremony. Melania also acknowledges the incredible life and career of New York Times’ war reporter John Burns who passed this month.

Show Links:

• Caitlin Talmadge, “The Hormuz Minefield: In the Strait, Iran Holds the Advantage—and America Has No Good Options,” Foreign Affairs, March 13, 2026.
• Rosemary Kelanic, “Trump Is Making Jimmy Carter’s Mistake on Iran and Oil,” New York Times, March 9, 2026.
• Charlie Savage, “Striking Down Pentagon Press Limits, Judge Vindicates Independent Journalism,” New York Times, March 20, 2026.
• Michael Cohen and Christopher Preble, “The Perils of Lethality,” Stimson Center, June 24, 2026
• Phil Klay, “Trump Has Made a Fundamental Miscalculation about Iran,” New York Times, March 22, 2026.
• Eli Stokols, Ben Johansen, Jack Detsch, and Paul McLeary, “Inside the White House Plan to Sell the Iran War Online,” Politico, March 18, 2026.
• Alan Cowell, “John F. Burns, Prize-Winning Foreign Correspondent for The Times, Dies at 81,” New York Times, March 13, 2026.
• Jack Watling, “Iran’s Hormuz Blockade is Its Most Powerful Card Against Trump and Israel. It Won’t Back Down Easily,” The Guardian, March 16, 2026.

Header image: Satellite image of the Strait of Hormuz. By Jacques Descloitres | NASA