Terry Gross

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I'm Terry Gross, and this is Fresh Air.

So if we do attack Iran because the Trump administration is not satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations, there are several ways that this could go.

One is limited bomb strikes against key places, and another is go for the regime change.

In terms of regime change, I mean, what I've been reading—and you might have been the one who wrote this—

is that the Ayatollah Khamenei has a succession plan in place and plans on becoming a martyr.

So, you know, it's not like you could assassinate him and, you know, it's not going to change anything.

And there's probably a pretty long succession line there.

I don't know how relevant it is, but the same general who is running the violent crackdown against the protesters, he's the same person who'd be running the war if there is one.

Do you think that the military leaders, including Dan Cain, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are concerned about Trump being commander-in-chief at a very volatile, dangerous time like this?

He isn't consulting Congress, so there's no limits that he's allowing to be put on his power to declare war and to shape the kind of war that it is.

Well, we need to take another break here, so let me reintroduce you.

If you're just joining us, my guest is David Sanger, and he's a White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times.

We'll be right back.

This is Fresh Air.

Let's talk about who is running the diplomacy, who's representing the U.S.

in diplomatic efforts.

It's not Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as far as I can tell.

It's Jared Kushner, who doesn't even have a position within the Trump administration, but he is the president's son-in-law.

And Steve Woodcoff, who...