Hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the war in Iran have stalled after tensions in the Gulf flared once again early Wednesday morning. Iranian strikes on Kuwait caused widespread damage, and an attack that hit Kuwait’s airport killed one person and wounded more than 60. Meanwhile the U.S. military carried out its own strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. In a new piece for The Atlantic, foreign policy scholar Robert Kagan argues that Iran’s leverage in the Strait leaves the U.S. with few options. Kagan joins Walter Isaacson in Amanpour (CNN) to explain why. June 4, 2026