Podcast Summary: This Week with George Stephanopoulos

Episode: Sunday, March 8, 2026
Host: Martha Raddatz (from Jerusalem), ABC News
Panelists/Guests: Ian Pannell (ABC News Chief Foreign Correspondent), Michael Waltz (US Ambassador to the UN), Admiral Mike Mullen (former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff), Michael Oren (former Israeli Ambassador to the US), Susan Glasser (New Yorker), Anne Applebaum (Atlantic), Mary Bruce (ABC News)

Overview

This special episode of This Week aired live from Jerusalem amid the ongoing US and Israeli military operations against Iran, now in their second week. The episode focused on the origins, rapid escalation, and far-reaching consequences of the conflict, with extensive field reporting, newsmaker interviews, and a panel discussion on the military, political, and economic fallout. Key questions included the war’s objectives, prospects for regime change in Iran, risks of regional escalation, and economic impact at home.

1. Key Developments in the War

(00:28–06:50; 29:04–30:21)

• Rapid Escalation & Surprise Attack:
  • The conflict was ignited by an Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader and more than 40 senior Iranian officials. This was coordinated with US support and executed with significant operational deception. “If you had a satellite last Friday and you watch Israeli bases and headquarters, you wouldn't notice anything. ... And then it happened.” — Brig. Gen. Effie Defron (03:42)
• Iran’s Response:
  • Iran retaliated with widespread missile and drone attacks, targeting US bases and civilian areas throughout the region, including Israel, which suffered notable civilian casualties.
  • Thousands of Americans were stranded abroad, requiring emergency State Department evacuations (04:53). Six US soldiers killed in Kuwait, with more wounded.
• Operation Epic Fury:
  • Over 50,000 US troops engaged; Israeli and US airstrikes focus on dismantling Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.
  • Israel claims to have destroyed over 60% of Iran's missile launchers in less than five days (05:56).
• Objectives in Flux:
  • Official US goals cited as eliminating Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile threats; President Trump links success to regime change, initially calling for Iranians to “overthrow their government” (03:19), and later expressing a desire for a say in the next supreme leader.

2. On the Ground: Chaos & Human Toll

(04:00–10:16; 29:04–30:21)

• Civilian Impact:
  • Casualties mounting on all sides: over 1,200 dead in Iran (Red Crescent), and rising deaths from missile strikes in Israel and Lebanon.
  • Example: Synagogue strike in Beit Shemesh, Israel, killed 9 including 3 children (04:00).
• Regional Spread:
  • Warfare now includes Kurdish militias, complex US-Kurdish alliances, and new countries entering hostilities (notably UAE firing into Iran for first time, 10:32).
• Lebanon:
  • Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut and southern Lebanon; Hezbollah retaliates with missile fire into Israel; more than 300 dead, thousands wounded in Lebanon (29:25–30:19).

3. Military & Diplomatic Analysis: Defining (and Winning) the War

a. ABC’s Ian Pannell on Strategic Ambiguities

(10:16–11:56)

• Operatively, US/Israel achieved “hugely successful” decapitations of Iran’s leadership and military infrastructure but strategic outcomes are “much harder to evaluate.”
• “The president tells us we're winning. How do we know that you're winning? ... If we don’t know that, how do we know when it ends?” — Ian Pannell (11:56)

b. US Ambassador to the UN, Michael Waltz

(11:59–21:37)

• Military Achievements: Iran’s Navy “sitting at the bottom of the ocean ... 40 ships now sunk,” missile and nuclear capabilities greatly degraded (12:30).
• On “Already Winning”: Asserts “we are not only ahead of schedule, we are winning,” quoting CENTCOM reductions in Iranian launches (13:35).
• Regime Change: Stresses US conditions: “No nuclear weapons, no long range ballistic missiles, no ongoing support for its terrorist proxies ... regime that we can deal with and stops attacking” (16:13).
• Strait of Hormuz: Outlines measures to secure oil flow, including insurance, naval escorts, pipelines, and multilateral diplomacy—with Gulf states now “absolutely united” (17:42).
• Civilian Casualties Controversy (Iranian Girls’ School Bombing):
  • Waltz: “As Secretary Hegseth said, it's under investigation. ... The United States does everything it can to avoid civilian casualties. Sometimes, of course, tragic mistakes occur.” (19:55)
• Quote: “This is ending a 47 year war that Iran began in 1979. That day began under Jimmy Carter. President Trump is taking bold, decisive action to end it and thank God for it.” (15:52)

c. Admiral Mike Mullen, Former Joint Chiefs Chairman

(21:39–27:26)

• Cautions that despite tactical successes, the objectives remain “all over the place” (21:55), and warns that “regime change” is a much steeper challenge considering Iran’s military and economic structures (23:17).
• Draws parallels to Iraq and Afghanistan: “Wars expand, objectives change, circumstances come up that you didn't expect” (24:52), noting risks of regional spillover and economic disruption.
• “… just don’t end quickly, at least … in the last several decades.”
• Strategic Concern:
  • “It's not the military aspect of this that I'm concerned about. It's the military objectives in support of acceptable political outcome that is obviously very much in play and somewhat uncertain right now.” (27:26)

d. Former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren

(30:24–36:06)

• “Iran, the Iranian regime is a lot like Hamas. In order to win, they have only not to lose ... If they can emerge from the rubble at the end and do a V sign, then they've won.” (30:43)
• Notes regime change in Iran is “identity suicide” for the current leadership, and any sustainable outcome would require new leadership from outside the current regime structures (34:10).
• Parallels to "forever wars" — suggests outcome depends on ability to reduce threats and maintain sustained pressure, even if regime change doesn’t materialize.

4. Panel Discussion: Mixed Objectives, Echoes of Iraq, Domestic Challenges

(39:31–45:52)

• Confusion Over War Rationale:
  • Mary Bruce: “The explanations from this administration and the president have been absolutely head spinning this week. ... we've heard vastly different explanations and contradictions about why.” (39:56)
• Lack of Public Support:
  • Susan Glasser: “The American people start out the conflict not really supporting President Trump. ... That is a really tough position for a commander in chief to be in ... with oil prices growing by the day.” (40:58)
• Choosing Iran’s Future Leader:
  • Anne Applebaum: Warns of the impossibility and danger of outside attempts to dictate Iran’s leadership: “If Iran is to be at peace … Iranians need to have their own say over who leads them. ... If we don't have that, there is a terrible risk of civil war.” (41:44)
• Historical Echoes:
  • Glasser: “I'm struck by the fact they've already changed the timeframe … there's been a clip … of Rumsfeld … saying, well, maybe it will last for six days ... definitely won't be six months.” (43:49)
• Risk of “Forever War”:
  • Anne Applebaum: “When you start a conflict, you don't know what the longer term implications are. … what we've done in these days will continue to echo over many months in Iran, in the Middle east and in the rest of the world.” (44:39)
• President’s Domestic Standing:
  • Bruce: Republican base “raising serious questions about this operation … what voters want is for the president to be focused on the economy and domestic issues” (42:49)

5. Economic Fallout

(37:16–39:31)

• Oil prices surged 35% in a week, the largest such increase on record; gas up 47 cents domestically (37:34).
• President Trump: “If we have a little high oil prices for a little while, ... as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, I believe lower than even before.” (37:28)
• Panel notes consequences for domestic politics, global economic stability, and supply chain vulnerabilities.

6. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Ian Pannell (11:56): "The president tells us we're winning. How do we know that you're winning? ... If we don’t know that, how do we know when it ends?"
• Ambassador Michael Waltz (15:52): "This is ending a 47 year war that Iran began in 1979. ... President Trump is taking bold, decisive action to end it and thank God for it."
• Admiral Mullen (24:52): "Wars expand, objectives change, circumstances come up that you didn't expect. And I worry this has already become a wide regional war."
• Michael Oren (30:43): "Iran, the Iranian regime is a lot like Hamas. In order to win, they have only not to lose."
• Panelist Anne Applebaum (44:39): "You set off a chain of events that you can't control. ... What we've done in these days will continue to echo over many months."

7. Tribute to Fallen US Soldiers

(48:04–50:13)

• Six US Army Reserve soldiers killed in a drone strike in Kuwait remembered with personal stories and family tributes. The segment underscores the human cost of the conflict for American service members and their families.

8. Concluding Observations

• The show depicted a war entering a complex new phase, with military successes offset by mounting humanitarian, economic, and political risks.
• Unclear US and allied objectives, questions about regime change, and the potential for open-ended conflict drew comparisons to previous Middle East interventions.
• The domestic response is complicated by surging fuel prices and wavering public support, even in conservative ranks.
• With new fronts emerging in Lebanon and fears of escalation, all guests agreed the conflict will have lasting repercussions—both regionally and globally.

This summary covers the substantive reporting, analyses, and interviews featured on this episode, omitting ad breaks, sponsor messages, and non-content segments for clarity.