What can the 1956 Suez crisis tell us about Iran and the limits of U.S. power?

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published April 20, 2026 at 11:57 AM EDT

Oil prices are climbing again as the Strait of Hormuz remains virtually empty for the third day running.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with foreign affairs columnist Ishaan Tharoor, who says President Trump’s current headache echoes one of history’s most revealing strategic failures.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

More from WGCU

Education

Lee County school board to vote on hiring of a staff attorney Tuesday

Dayna Harpster

Lee County school board to vote on hiring of a staff attorney Tuesday
Transportation

Lee County DOT advises motorists of traffic pattern changes on Fiddlesticks Boulevard

The Lee County Department of Transportation advises motorists that Fiddlesticks Boulevard traffic will be shifted to the new roundabout the week of May 11 in order to access Three Oaks Parkway Extension and Daniels Parkway.
Arts & Culture

At 'Dreamscapes' opening, artist Heidi Lewis Coleman discovers she has something in common with Bob Rauschenberg

Tom Hall

Heidi Lewis Coleman is a big fan of legendary artist Robert Rauschenberg, who made Captiva Island the epicenter of his artistic pursuits from 1970 until his death in 2008. Coleman never met Rauschenberg. She moved to Naples in 2021, 13 years after Rauschenberg’s death. But at the opening of her “Dreamscape” solo show at the Alliance for the Arts, she learned that she and Rauschenberg had something in common.

Accessibility Note

What can the 1956 Suez crisis tell us about Iran and the limits of U.S. power?

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning