While the United States is contending with its fair share of instability, conflict, and absurdity… so is the rest of the world. From a slew of broken “peace deals” to a White House welcome mat for a former Syrian jihadist, 2025 was simultaneously filled with change and much of the same.
Steve Cook, our resident foreign policy expert, joins Jen to unveil foreign policy’s year in review while providing a glimpse into what we can expect in 2026. Cook and Jen tackle the stalemates in Gaza, Israel, and Iran, a growing international independence movement, and the U.S.’ consequential humanitarian aid retreat.
Steven Cook is a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations specializing in Middle East and Africa studies. He is an expert on Arab and Turkish politics as well as U.S.-Middle East policy. Dr. Cook is the author of multiple books.
