The U .S. and Iran held several hours of talks in Oman today, but not directly with each other. Iran says the talks were, quote, a good start with more negotiations expected, Representing the U .S.in today's discussions, President Trump's Special Envoy Steve Whitcoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner along with CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper. Joining us, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, Richard Haass. He is also the author of the weekly Substack newsletter, Home and Away.So, Richard, in ...

Joining us now, NBC News chief White House correspondent, Peter Alexander. NBC News foreign correspondent Danielle Hamjin and former US ambassador to Ukraine, Bill Taylor. He's a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center.Peter, I want to go to you first. What's the latest on preparations for the Putin Zilinsky summit considering the Kremlin is now slowwalking it. >> Yeah, Ally, it's a good question and heading into the break, you referred to this as sort of a TBD to be determined.I think ...

Regime Vulnerability & Potential Collapse - The Islamic Republic is potentially at its weakest point after 46 years of rule [1] - Recent Israeli attacks have significantly weakened the regime operationally, strategically, and psychologically [1] - The regime lacks domestic support, with leaked internal polls suggesting 70% of the country doesn't support it [6] - The regime's traditional religious and lower economic class base no longer supports it due to economic pressures [6] - The regime is more vulnerable than ever and could very easily collapse [15] Political Alternatives & Transition - There's significant sympathy and support for the pre-revolutionary system [10] - Reza Pahlavi, the Shah's eldest son, is seen as a potential alternative, willing to be a transitional leader [11][12] - Pahlavi aims to secure a peaceful transition and lead the country to democratic elections [12] Geopolitical Implications & Investment Considerations - If the regime survives, it's likely to pursue nuclear weapons, potentially expediting the process [13][15] - Western policymakers and investors should consider what a different Iran might look like [16] - The current regime's aim is to buy time and get sanctions relief due to the crushed economy [16]