Don Durfee

So the United States went into this conflict without clearly defined goals.

Clearly addressing Iran's nuclear program and its ballistic missile programs were high on the list.

But after six weeks of conflict and escalating threats, it's not entirely clear that the U.S.

has achieved those goals.

Iran has so far emerged militarily significantly weakened.

However, it has demonstrated that it has real leverage over the United States, particularly over its control over the vital Strait of Hormuz.

And it has effectively forced President Donald Trump to back down off of his threats.

You have Iran saying that under the ceasefire deal that it can continue enriching uranium.

The United States is saying that Iran had agreed to stop.

The two sides remain pretty far apart on a range of things, from nuclear to missiles to the Strait of Hormuz.

What is true, however, is that I think both Iran and the United States are eager for the fighting to stop.

So on Sunday, Iran announced that they were setting up a new leadership council in the wake of the killing of Khamenei.

It's led by President Massoud Pazeshkin.

And Trump has said that he wants to have talks with this leadership council.

It's not clear whether those are going to be successful or not.

Iran is not Venezuela.

In Venezuela, you still had a fairly large group of relatively apolitical government workers, you know, who are in theory willing to work with the United States.

In Iran, you've had a clerical regime which exercised really tight control over all aspects of the government.

And you also have the powerful revolutionary guards who are deeply embedded in Iranian society.

And, you know, just not clear that even if this leadership council were to make some sort of agreement with Trump, that the rest of the government would follow.