2026-03-06
49 分钟The Economist.
America and Israel wanted to move fast, and they could.
Iran's air defenses had been crippled in last year's 12-day war.
An intelligence suggested that if they struck soon, there was a chance to kill the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
That goal has been achieved, and militarily, America and Israel continue to dominate this war.
But what's next?
I'm Charlotte Howard, and this is Checks and Balance from The Economist.
Each week we take one big theme shaping American politics and explore it in depth.
Today, does America have a strategy in Iran?
It has been about a week since America and Israel launched a wave of attacks on Iran.
So far, the war has been a stunning operational success.
The Ayatollah is dead, Iran's military is reeling, and the missiles keep coming.
But strategically, the picture is more mixed.
The regime remains, and conflict has spread beyond Iran's borders.
Markets are down, and America's allies mostly aren't on board.
What would constitute a victory for America in Iran?
Joining me are James Bennet, our Lexington columnist, and John Fasman.
You are in various parts of the East Coast.
I'm joining you from Canada, where I'm chairing an event for our sister company Economist Impact this week.
We're recording this on Thursday morning.