Trump’s War May Have Further Empowered Iran
April 9, 2026
The New Republic
You can watch this episode of Right Now With Perry Bacon above or by following this show on YouTube or Substack. You can read a transcript here. Iran and the United States reached a ceasefire this week. It came after Trump threatened a “whole civilization will die tonight” as negotiations stalled. Trump’s bluster aside, journalist Ishaan Tharoor says that the president cut a deal from a weak position.
Iran’s blockage of the Strait of Hormuz effectively forced the U.S. into negotiations. Tharoor argues that the blockage of the strait and how it increased gas prices and caused political problems for Trump could be a model for Iran in the future. Iran may not even want to pursue a nuclear program, Tharoor says, if it can instead use access to the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of power. Tharoor also discussed the upcoming election in Hungary, which he said will be a major test of the global far right. Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Hungary for incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a Trump ally, on the eve of the election.
The New Republic
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