The Long Game with Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer

Iran at a breaking point—and a bizarre airspace shutdown in Texas.

As diplomacy and the threat of military action converge around Tehran, Jake and Jon are joined by journalist Yeganeh Torbati for a ground-level look at the widening gulf between the Iranian people and the regime. Together they:


Examine internal unrest and what it means for the regime’s durability.


Assess whether Tehran is seeking a deal—or buying time.


Explore how a younger, more hardline generation inside the Revolutionary Guard could shape escalation.

Then, from Tehran to Texas, Jake and Jon unpack the FAA’s brief closure of airspace over El Paso—tracing it to a Pentagon laser test, a suspected cartel drone, and a revealing case of bureaucratic dysfunction.

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Watch the video of this episode on Youtube.

Show notes of the episode are available here.

Transcript here, coming soon. 

The Long Game book recommendations here.

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The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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The geopolitics of the Winter Olympics and a pivotal moment in U.S.-Iran diplomacy. As global attention turns to the Games and the possibility of U.S. military action in Iran, Jake and Jon:


 Explore how sport, soft power, and international conflict intersect. 


Run a Red Team/Blue Team exercise from  Iran’s perspective as nuclear negotiations with the U.S. get underway in Oman. Taking on  the roles of Iranian advisers to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, they weigh the risks of striking a deal against the dangers of refusal.

Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop on Thursdays.

Watch the video of this episode on Youtube.

Show notes of the episode are available here.

Transcript here, coming soon. 

The Long Game book recommendations here.

Join us on Substack

Email Jake and Jon with your thoughts and questions at [email protected]. Or leave a comment below.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer are joined by Evan Osnos to examine a domestic flashpoint in Minnesota and a sudden purge at the top of China’s military. They explore what unrest at home and ideological tightening in Beijing reveal about power, loyalty, and America’s global standing, and debate whether Xi Jinping’s removal of his top general (and former friend) Zhang Youxia lowers or raises the odds of China invading Taiwan.

Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop on Thursdays.

Watch the video of this episode on Youtube.

Show notes of the episode are available here.

Transcript here, coming soon. 

Join us on Substack

Email Jake and Jon with your thoughts and questions at [email protected]. Or leave a comment below. 

The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer unpack Trump’s Greenland gambit and the strain it has placed on NATO and America’s closest partners. They situate the crisis within a one-year assessment of Trump’s foreign policy and debate whether pressure and tariffs are advancing U.S. interests — or undermining the alliance system that has long underpinned American power.

Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop on Fridays.

Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available here.

Watch the video of this episode on Youtube.

Join us on Substack

Email Jake and Jon with your thoughts and questions at [email protected]. Or leave a comment below. 

Transcript here, coming soon. 

Note: This episode was taped early afternoon on Wednesday, January 21, prior to Trump’s announcement of reaching a framework deal with NATO Secretary General Rutte.

The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer examine the rapidly unfolding crisis in Iran, from nationwide protests and an information blackout to the regime’s brutal crackdown. They place the moment in historical context and debate the central question now facing Washington: whether U.S. military action would protect protesters — or risk escalation without changing realities on the ground.

Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop on Fridays.

Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available here.

Watch the video of this episode on Youtube.

Join us on Substack

Email Jake and Jon with your thoughts and questions at [email protected]. Or leave a comment below. 

Transcript here, coming soon. 

The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices