WACC Partner Program with WorldNow
The Iran War: What We Know, What Comes Next
With the U.S. and Iran now in open conflict and the world’s energy supply under threat, the stakes could not be higher – or more uncertain.
Join us on WorldNow with Jim Falk as we sit down with Steven Cook, senior Middle East expert at the Council on Foreign Relations; Amb. Deborah Jones, U.S. Ambassador (ret.) to Kuwait and Libya; and Beth Sanner, CNN National Security Contributor and former Deputy Director of National Intelligence.
We’ll explore what’s happened so far in the conflict with Iran, what may happen next, and the war’s long-term impact on the region and beyond.
As this program will be simulcast with KSFR’s The Forum, it will begin one hour later than our usual start time. The Zoom link will open at 8:00 PM EDT, and the program will get underway at 8:04 PM EDT.
PROGRAM DETAILS:
Date: Monday, April 20th, 2026
Time: 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. Eastern / 7:00 p.m. CDT
Cost: FREE
Via Zoom* *Zoom links will be sent to all registrants via email
Biography:
Steven A. Cook, Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
Steven Cook is Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies and director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is an expert on Arab and Turkish politics as well as U.S.-Middle East policy. Cook is the author of The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East.
Amb. Deborah Jones, U.S. Ambassador (ret.) to Kuwait and Libya
Ambassador Deborah Jones retired from the U.S. Department of State in 2016 with the rank of Career Minister following a 34-year diplomatic career that included assignments in Argentina, Iraq, Tunisia, Syria, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey, as well as service as U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait and Libya.
Beth Sanner, Deputy Director of National Intelligence (2019-2021), National Security Contributor for CNN
Beth Sanner, a leading commentator and analyst of global affairs, is a national security contributor for CNN, director of geopolitics and strategy at International Capital Strategies. As Deputy Director of National Intelligence from April 2019 to March 2021, Beth was the nation’s top intelligence analyst and also served as President Trump’s intelligence briefer during his first term.
In an intelligence career spanning three decades, she was director of the President’s Daily Brief, vice chair of the National Intelligence Council, and a senior executive in CIA’s Directorate of Analysis, before being appointed DDNI. She also served on the White House National Security Council staff and at the State Department.
In 2021, Beth received the Presidential Rank Award, the highest honor granted to civil servants, for her leadership role in support of U.S. national security and the Distinguished Intelligence Service Medal, the Intelligence Community’s highest award.
Jim Falk (Host)
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Presented by WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut with the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and the World Affairs Councils of America. Presented in partnership with Councils nationwide:
