Can Iran be trusted?

Summary

Ark News Daily — June 23, 2026

Episode: Can Iran Be Trusted?

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Overview

In this episode, host Deborah Pardes breaks down the aftermath of the first round of direct US-Iran talks in Switzerland, examining Iran’s diplomatic wins, questions about trustworthiness in the negotiating process, and the implications for regional security, nuclear oversight, and Israel’s interests. The show also touches on significant changes in British leadership with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s resignation, and ends with a joyful spotlight on the Great Nash Jewish food festival in New York amid rising global tensions.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Outcomes of US-Iran Talks in Switzerland

(00:13–03:06)

• Negotiations Wrap-up:

  • After 18 hours of US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland, Vice President J.D. Vance characterized the outcome as positive, emphasizing groundwork for future progress:
    • "We laid a very good foundation for a successful final deal. The final deal is the house. We set the foundation. We haven't built the house, but we've laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people." — J.D. Vance (00:38)
  • However, Deborah Pardes notes Iran apparently gained leverage:
    • Iran strengthened the link between Hezbollah’s actions in Lebanon and the negotiation process.
    • Secured a conditional agreement to keep the Strait of Hormuz open—if fighting in Lebanon ceases.

• New Mechanisms and Agreements:

  • Creation of a “deconfliction cell”: oversight body to enforce Israeli-Hezbollah ceasefire (members: US, Iran, Lebanon, Qatar, Pakistan; Israel not involved).
  • Direct US-Iran hotline to maintain commercial shipping flow; described by NYT as a channel to resolve concerns pre-escalation.
  • Nuclear program: Iran allegedly agreed to allow inspectors back, described by Vance as a first step towards permanent denuclearization—immediately denied by Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

• On-the-Ground Ambiguity:

  • Iran’s public stance has contradicted US statements since the April ceasefire.
    • Iranian media reported Iran’s delegation walked out over a Trump threat, but mediators from Pakistan and Qatar kept talks going.

• Trust and Reliability:

  • Walter Russell Mead (WSJ columnist) on “Call Me Back,” questioned whether any Iranian promise can be relied on:
    • "For the Iranians, they don't believe one single word of the Memorandum of Understanding. For them, it's an element in the struggle. Sometimes you struggle by shooting things, sometimes you struggle by signing things. But no piece of paper ever written can bind the Islamic Republic of Iran." — Walter Russell Mead (02:44)

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2. British Political Turmoil and Jewish Community Concerns

(03:06–05:21)

• Keir Starmer’s Resignation:

  • Starmer steps down as British PM—voice breaking, he concedes loss of public confidence:
    • "The question my party is asking now is, is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party and I accept that answer with good grace." — Keir Starmer (03:20)

• The Rise of Andy Burnham:

  • Likely successor; known for working-class roots, strong anti-antisemitism stance.
    • Prompt response to last year’s Yom Kippur synagogue attack in Manchester:
      • Called it “a vile attack on our Jewish community on its holiest day.”
  • Ally Lisa Nandi describes Burnham as “almost unique in British politics” for his consistent support of the Jewish community and willingness to criticize his own party.

• Community Response to Israel Issues:

  • Burnham favored an early ceasefire post-October 7th, which drew both criticism and support:
    • Refused to call Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocide”—angering pro-Palestinian activists.
  • Jewish community more anxious about political factures than Burnham’s record.

• Timeline:

  • If unopposed, Burnham could be PM by next month; new leader expected by September at latest.

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3. Jewish Life: Great Nash Food Festival in New York

(05:21–07:17)

• Celebration and Community:

  • The “Great Nash” picnic, organized by the Jewish Food Society, drew over 5,000 attendees—double the previous year.
    • "It's so beautiful to see thousands of people coming together celebrating delicious food. Our culinary community in New York City, Jewish pride." — Mitchell Davis (05:40)
    • Davis also joked: "It's so happy a Jewish event that you might have to remind people they're at a Jewish event, which is really saying something." (05:50)

• Personal Reflections:

  • Mika Kusin (21, NJ) shares:
    • "The community that you feel just walking around knowing that, you know, there's so many Jews and non Jews that just want to enjoy Jewish food, Jewish culture, Jewish togetherness. It makes me so proud. I mean, I'm wearing my Star of David proudly...I'm so excited to be here." (06:11)

• Why the Festival Now?

  • Naama Shefi, founder, started the event to project Jewish pride and normalcy post-October 7th.
    • "After October 7, I saw the need to refresh the Jewish brand and to bring this joy and positive energy to a much greater scale." — Amanda Dell quoting Shefi (06:41)

• Looking Ahead:

  • Plans to make the Nash a national celebration akin to Cinco de Mayo:
    • "Our idea is actually to take this notion of the great Nash and turn it into a national festival, a celebration of Jewish food and culture that's not just for Jews, but for American culture and society at large...so we can sort of overcome all this messy noise that's happening around us." — Mitchell Davis (06:57)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "No matter what, Iran agrees to, no matter what it says, can you ever trust it?" — Deborah Pardes summarizing the skepticism towards Iran (02:30)
• "But no piece of paper ever written can bind the Islamic Republic of Iran." — Walter Russell Mead (02:57)
• "He [Burnham] will always stand with the Jewish community..." — Lisa Nandi via Jewish News (04:17)
• "I'm wearing my Star of David proudly...I'm so excited to be here." — Mika Kusin (06:16)

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Timestamps to Important Segments

• 00:13: Episode opens, recap of US-Iran talks
• 00:38–00:52: VP J.D. Vance on negotiation results
• 02:44: Walter Russell Mead on trusting Iran
• 03:06: Keir Starmer’s resignation, British political transition
• 05:21: Jewish Food Festival celebration
• 06:41: Intentions behind the Great Nash Festival
• 06:57: Vision for nationwide Jewish cultural celebration

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Episode Tone

• Analytical, skeptical, but ultimately concluded on a hopeful and celebratory note with the festival coverage.

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Summary prepared for those seeking key insights from the June 23, 2026 episode of Ark News Daily, omitting ads, intro/outro, and focusing on news content and discussions.

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

You are listening to an art media podcast.

[Deborah Pardes]

It's Tuesday, june 23rd. This episode was recorded at 6:00pm new york time on Monday. I'm deborah pardes and this is arc news daily. The first round of direct U. S. Iran talks in Switzerland is over after 18 hours of negotiation. In a press conference Yesterday, Vice President J.D. vance called it a very good day.

[J.D. Vance]

We laid a very good foundation for a successful final deal. The final deal is the house. We set the foundation. We haven't built the house, but we've laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.

[Deborah Pardes]

But based on the initial reports, it seems Iran emerged with a bigger win than the American people. It was able to further solidify the link between the fighting in Lebanon and the larger negotiations. Iran agreed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open so long as the fighting in Lebanon stopped. The mechanism for keeping the peace there is being described as a deconfliction cell. Israel's Channel 12 reported that it would be a new oversight body to enforce the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The group would include the U.S. iran, Lebanon, Qatar and Pakistan. Israel is not part of the ARR on the Strait of Hormuz. The US And Iran also agreed to establish a direct line of communication to keep commercial shipping moving. The New York Times called it a kind of hotline meant to help resolve concerns before they escalate into something bigger. According to Vance, there was also a significant development on Iran's nuclear program. He said Iran agreed to allow inspectors back into the country, possibly as soon as this week. Of course, Iran's Foreign Ministry denied that, but Vance described it as the first step in permanently denuclearizing Iran. And that's the ultimate issue underlying the entire negotiating process. Since a ceasefire took place in April, Iran has repeatedly contradicted how the US Described what was agreed on. Even yesterday, Iranian state media reported that Iran's delegation left the venue in protest after President Trump posted a threat. But we later learned that mediators from Pakistan and Qatar kept both sides at the table. Wall Street Journal columnist Walter Russell Mead addressed the issue on the latest episode of Call Me Back. No matter what, Iran agrees to, no matter what it says, can you ever trust it?

[Walter Russell Mead]

For the Iranians, they don't believe one single word of the Memorandum of Understanding. For them, it's an element in the struggle. Sometimes you struggle by shooting things, sometimes you struggle by signing things. But no piece of paper ever written can bind the Islamic Republic of Iran.

[Deborah Pardes]

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned Yesterday, standing outside 10 Downing Street. With his voice breaking, Starmer admitted that he never really won the public. That's despite his landslide election less than two years ago.

[Keir Starmer]

The question my party is asking now is, is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party and I accept that answer with good grace.

[Deborah Pardes]

Andy Burnham is expected to replace Starmer. He's a former senior minister and popular mayor of Greater Manchester and known for his connection with working class voters. Burnham also has a consistent record against antisemitism. He hasn't hesitated to publicly criticize his own party over the issue in the past. He was also among the first officials to respond publicly to last year's Yom Kippur attack on a Manchester synagogue. He called it a vile attack on our Jewish community on its holiest day. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandi is a close ally of Burnham's. She told the British outlet Jewish News he will always stand with the Jewish community and described him as almost unique in British politics at the moment. On Israel itself, the picture is more complicated. Burnham did call for a ceasefire just weeks after October 7th while hostages were still in Gaza, which drew criticism from Jewish community leaders. But he also declined to describe Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide. That angered pro Palestinian activists. But the Jewish community's concern is less about Burnham personally and more about the political pressures he'll face. Starmer's lack of popularity strengthened both the populist right and the hard left, which has exploited anger over Gaza to win votes. Starmer said he wants formal nominations to open on July 9th. If Burnham is the only candidate, he could become prime minister as early as next month. Otherwise, a new leader is expected by September. Last week we covered the upcoming Great Nash Food Festival in New York. Well, it happened on Sunday.

[Amanda Dell]

Great Nash, how we doing?

[Deborah Pardes]

The Great Nash is a mass picnic organized by the Jewish Food Society. It celebrates Jewish food and culture and this year more than 5,000 attended. That's double the attendance of last year's event. Here are Amanda Dell and Mitchell Davis from the Jewish Food Society.

[Mitchell Davis]

It's so beautiful to see thousands of people coming together celebrating delicious food. Our culinary community in New York City, Jewish pride.

It's so happy a Jewish event that you might have to remind people they're at a Jewish event, which is really saying something.

[Deborah Pardes]

After two and a half years of anxiety, vigilance and a lot of hard news, this event was joyful, conflict, free and proudly Jewish. Mika Kusin, a 21 year old attendee from New Jersey, captured what the Day felt like for a lot of people

[Mika Kusin]

there, the community that you feel just walking around knowing that, you know, there's so many Jews and non Jews that just want to enjoy Jewish food, Jewish culture, Jewish togetherness. It makes me so proud. I mean, I'm wearing my Star of David proudly. You know, sometimes in New York, you get a little bit nervous nowadays, which sucks. But, like, I'm wearing it proudly. I'm so excited to be here.

[Deborah Pardes]

The Jewish Food Society's founder, Naama Shefi, started this event with a specific intention. She grew up on a kibbutz in Israel where communal picnicking was just a part of life.

[Amanda Dell]

After October 7, I saw the need to refresh the Jewish brand and to bring this joy and positive energy to a much greater scale.

[Deborah Pardes]

And Mitchell Davis says there are big plans for the festival going forward.

[Mitchell Davis]

Our idea is actually to take this notion of the great Nash and turn it into a national festival, a celebration of Jewish food and culture that's not just for Jews, but for American culture and society at large. The way that we celebrate Cinco de Mayo and hope that by doing that, we can sort of overcome all this messy noise that's happening around us.

[Deborah Pardes]

It's an ambitious idea, but given the trajectory, perhaps it's not just a fantasy. I'm Deborah Pardes, and this is ARC News Daily. See you tomorrow.

[Dan Senor]

Hi, I'm Dan Senor, host of the Call Me Back podcast. These past few years have asked a lot of the Jewish world. We've been wrestling with pain, disagreement, and dilemmas. The war in Gaza, the war with Iran. The pressure on Jewish communities in diaspora societies. And the upcoming Israeli elections, which may bring many of these tensions to a head. These are not simple stories. And in a moment filled with bad information and overly simplistic answers, it can be hard to know who to trust. At CallMeBack, we know that trust has to be earned. And we know your time is valuable, so when you spend it with us, we take that seriously. We don't claim to have all the answers, but we do try to ask better questions with honesty and humility. And maybe that is where hope begins. Not in pretending this moment is simple, but in believing, at a minimum, we must face it together. You can find Call me back on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you there.