TGL 33 | Is The U.S. Winning In Iran? - Michael O'Hanlon
Podcast: WAC HoustonPublished On: Thu Aug 20 2026
Description: Fear of a wider war is easy — the harder question, says defense strategist Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution, is how this one actually ends. In this episode of The Greater Loop, host Maryanne Maldonado sits down with O'Hanlon, six months into the US-Iran conflict, to unpack why "short war" predictions almost always fail, what's really happening in the Strait of Hormuz, and whether Iran is betting it can outlast Washington politically. Plus: the strain in the US-Israel relationship, what role China and Russia are playing behind the scenes, and O'Hanlon's blunt definition of what "winning" should actually mean.Hosted by Maryanne Maldonado | The Greater Loop — A podcast of the World Affairs Council of Greater HoustonSubscribe for global affairs content that connects the world to your world.What's CoveredWhy leaders who promise short wars are almost always wrong — and how overconfidence shaped the US-Iran conflictIran's Strait of Hormuz strategy: wearing down the US economy ahead of the midtermsIs diplomacy still realistic? What has to happen before talks can actually workThe strained state of US-Israel alignment and Netanyahu's influence on Trump's decision-makingHow China and Russia are indirectly propping up Iran's ability to withstand the warWhy the Gulf states are stuck between fear of Iran and fear of all-out confrontationSuccession inside Iran's leadership — and why the next generation may be even harder lineO'Hanlon's case for what "winning" should really mean: reopening the Strait, ending the violence, and curtailing Iran's nuclear ambitions
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