It’s Time to Retire the Pottery Barn Rule

In the News
Foreign Policy
Suzanne Nossel

"US President Donald Trump and his administration are plainly unmoved by claims that they bear responsibility for the fates of nations where the United States has intervened," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Suzanne Nossel writes.

An Iranian flag is placed among the ruins of a police station
Vahid Salemi / AP
US Foreign Policy

Who Could Lead Iran After Khamenei

In the News
NBC 5 Chicago
Paul Poast

"The strike that killed Khamenei also wiped out a lot of the potential candidates or people that they thought would be the next in line," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Paul Poast says. "There's still an immense amount of uncertainty."

Paul Poast appears on NBC 5 via video US Foreign Policy

What Is America's Ultimate Objective in Iran?

In the News
WBEZ
Leslie Vinjamuri

"If the ambition is regime change, the means that are being used certainly are insufficient to achieve that," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri says. "Iran has been succession planning for a very long time."

 President Donald Trump talking with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles
Daniel Torok / The White House via AP
US Foreign Policy

Oil Prices Surge as Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz

In the News
NewsNation
Rachel Bronson

"The markets can take it for a short amount of time," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Rachel Bronson says. "Beyond that—very difficult. Prices will increase, [and] people will feel it at home."

Rachel Bronson appears in studio at NewsNation Global Economy

I’m on the Meta Oversight Board. We Need AI Protections Now

In the News
The Guardian
Suzanne Nossel

Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Suzanne Nossel makes the case for independent oversight of artificial intelligence platforms as its evolving capabilities reshape the world.

Meta Chief Product Officer Chris Cox speaks at LlamaCon 2025
Jeff Chiu / AP
Tech and Science

The Strategic Challenges of the US Military Campaign Against Iran

Analysis
by Rachel Bronson

US President Donald Trump has called for regime change, the destruction of Iranian military capability, and the degradation of proxy groups. But an operation with multiple goals carries greater risk.

A motorcycle drives past a picture of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along an empty street in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026, following the confirmed death of Khamenei in U.S. and Israeli strikes.
Vahid Salemi / AP
US Foreign Policy

Trump Calls for Regime Change in Iran After US and Israeli Strikes

In the News
CBS News Chicago
Paul Poast

"It looks like the very motivation that led the US to enter the war in Iraq is now in play with Iran," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Paul Poast says.

Paul Poast speaks on CBS News Chicago US Foreign Policy

In Iran, Trump Abandons a US Strategy of Coercive Diplomacy

Analysis
by Leslie Vinjamuri

The United States and Israel attacked Iran, signaling a departure from nuclear negotiations.

Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
AP Photo
US Foreign Policy

Is Japan Entering a New Political Era?

Podcast
Deep Dish on Global Affairs Podcast

What does Japan’s Prime Minister signal for security, alliances, and power in Asia and beyond? Takako Hikotani and Noah Sneider explore from the ground.

Japan Elections
Kim Kyung-Hoon/AP
Global Politics

The Deeper Consequences of Trump's Tariff Strategy

Analysis
by Jim O'Neill

Even before the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn most of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, historic allies had begun actively exploring economic relationships with other nations.

President Donald Trump departs after signing an executive order at an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington.
Evan Vucci / AP
Global Economy