Tonight on Amanpour and Company, Wednesday, June 17th, 2026
David Sanger
National Security Correspondent, The New York Times
Donald Trump's public position is that his agreement with Iran is great, and better than Obama's nuclear deal. But a leaked draft of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) raises questions about which side benefits the most — and whether the United States is any better off than before the war. As it stands, hostilities will end; the Strait of Hormuz will open; and Iran may expect relief from sanctions. Some relief will be felt immediately, through waivers on Iran's oil exports. Tehran reiterates that it will not produce a nuclear weapon — something it has said before — yet there are no details on how Iran's tons of enriched uranium will be disposed of. The agreement is meant to be formally signed on Friday, but President Trump has said the final language could change before then. The New York Times' David Sanger, whom Trump called over the weekend when the agreement was made, joins the show.
Yeganeh Torbati
Author, "Stolen Revolution" / Iran Correspondent, The New York Times
and
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin
Author, "Stolen Revolution" / Journalist, Iran International
Having encouraged the Iranian people to rise up at the start of the year, President Trump appears now to have lost interest in toppling the regime. Many analysts' assessment is that the Iranian regime now in place is more hard-line and more militarized than the previous one. For those hoping for a more democratic Iran, it's a grim yet familiar cycle as their hopes are crushed once again. In their new book "Stolen Revolution," journalists Yeganeh Torbati and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin trace the arc of history since 1979 as they follow the stories of six Iranians who have seen their hopes raised, and then dashed, in that time. The co-authors join the show.
Simon Kuper
Journalist and Football Commentator / Author, “Soccernomics”
The World Cup is well underway in North America, and it's been a most unusual tournament so far. For the first time ever, the competition is playing out across three countries — the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Meanwhile, the U.S. has been actively bombing a competitor: Iran. Many fans, and even participants, have had to struggle to get visas. On the pitch, the action has been full of thrills, including a hat trick from Argentina's Lionel Messi — making him the World Cup's joint-top all-time scorer — and a thrilling performance from Cape Verde, whose 40-year-old goalie kept the Spanish team at bay for the entire match. Financial Times columnist Simon Kuper — himself a football superfan and author of "World Cup Fever" — joins Christiane.
Elizabeth Economy
Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Leaders from the world's most powerful countries today wrapped up their three-day G7 summit in France. The focus was on resolving wars, like those in Iran and Ukraine — while hovering overhead was the issue of the uninvited, rising superpower: China. For more, Elizabeth Economy, a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, joins us.
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