Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic discussed the political consequences of the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict on Aug. 15, 2026, including remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth that the U.S. could maintain a blockade of Iran 'indefinitely.'
Washington Week panelists debate political consequences of U.S.-Iran conflict
Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic discussed the political consequences of the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict on Aug. 15, 2026, including remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth that the U.S. could maintain a blockade of Iran 'indefinitely.'
Elisabeth Bumiller, a writer at large at The New York Times, argued during the program that President Donald Trump has made 'a total miscalculation' with Iran. She said that what has unfolded since the conflict began reflects 'the reason that previous presidents did not do what Donald Trump did, because of the inevitable consequences' of 'igniting a regional war in the Middle East and closing the Strait of Hormuz.'
The episode was hosted by Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of The Atlantic. Other panelists included Adam Harris, host of Radio Atlantic; Dan Lamothe, a national-security reporter at The Washington Post; and Liz Landers, a White House correspondent at PBS NewsHour.
Washington Week With The Atlantic is a partnership between NewsHour Productions, WETA, and The Atlantic, airing Fridays on PBS stations nationwide.
- The source does not state when Hegseth made the remark about maintaining the blockade indefinitely.
- The source does not describe the positions or arguments offered by panelists Adam Harris, Dan Lamothe, or Liz Landers.
- The source does not specify when the conflict between the U.S. and Iran began or what triggered it.
- The source does not state the current status or scope of the U.S. blockade of Iran.
- The source does not include any response from the Trump administration or the White House to Bumiller's characterization of the president's actions as a 'total miscalculation.'
Read the original at The Atlantic