# Friday Focus: The hidden cost of a deal with Iran — and the Pope sounds the alarm on AI

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-munk-debates-podcast-743873/friday-focus-the-hidden-cost-of-a-deal-with-iran-and-the-pope-sounds-the-alarm-on-ai
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-munk-debates-podcast-743873/friday-focus-the-hidden-cost-of-a-deal-with-iran-and-the-pope-sounds-the-alarm-on-ai.md
Podcast: [The Munk Debates Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-munk-debates-podcast-743873)
Published: 2026-05-29T17:37:40+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/themunkdebatespodcast/episodes/friday-focus-the-hidden-cost-of-a-deal-with-iran-and-the-pop
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6a16f62630535b3e186fea0e/e/6a19cee4ad55909da6c8b5bc/media.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1330

## Resource

We may be on the cusp of a deal between Iran and the U.S., as both sides appear to be losing interest in keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed. But is this merely a ceasefire extension, with Iran’s nuclear program deferred to future negotiations? If Iran ultimately gives up its enriched uranium, it will be seen as a win for Trump — but at a steep cost: Iran will have demonstrated that control over the Strait of Hormuz can effectively deter the world’s superpower. Rudyard argues that maintaining great-power status requires sacrifice to restore deterrence, something the current U.S. administration seems unwilling to do. Can America remain a great power without paying that price? In the second half of the show, Rudyard and Janice discuss the Pope’s encyclical letter released this week — with one of Anthropic’s co-founders in attendance — in which he warned about AI’s threat to humanity. The Pope emphasized the dignity of work and cautioned that using AI to eliminate human labor is deeply misguided and anti-human. Are governments around the world prepared for the disruption that’s coming? Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length editions of Friday Focus and Munk Dialogues. Go to www.munkdebates.com to sign up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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