"Checkmate" is From a Persian Phrase Meaning "The King is Helpless"
Robert Kagan, longtime neocon columnist for The Atlantic and the man Dick Cheney called for encouragement during the Iraq War, wrote a piece called "Checkmate in Iran" — and it lays out something most political commentators are afraid to say out loud. The United States has suffered a strategic defeat in Iran, one that cannot be repaired or reversed.
May 19, 2026
21 min
164
Full
162 of 170
Episode 164 · May 19, 2026
"Checkmate" is From a Persian Phrase Meaning "The King is Helpless"
0:00 / 21:05
Excerpt playback isn’t available for this episode — use the full-episode link.
Search the Record
Moment search isn’t open for this episode yet
When it opens, you’ll be able to type any phrase and jump straight to the second it was said.
Hawk Episodes Around May 19, 2026
Episode 162 of 170 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
21:05This episode"Checkmate" is From a Persian Phrase Meaning "The King is Helpless"
Summary
Robert Kagan, longtime neocon columnist for The Atlantic and the man Dick Cheney called for encouragement during the Iraq War, wrote a piece called "Checkmate in Iran" — and it lays out something most political commentators are afraid to say out loud. The United States has suffered a strategic defeat in Iran, one that cannot be repaired or reversed.