U.S. Expectations vs. Reality of Conflict Duration

The Iran conflict has triggered the largest energy supply disruption in history with shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz nearly at a standstill and regional energy infrastructure under fire. In this episode, Chatham House’s Sanam Vakil, long-time US Middle East advisor Dennis Ross, and Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, USN (ret), discuss how long this conflict could last, what’s at stake for the key players, and what it will take to restore global energy flows. This episode explores the latest Top of Mind report.

This episode was recorded on March 16, 17, and 25, 2026.

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