Economist Podcasts War with Iran: Middle East in flames
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Mar 2, 2026 
Shashank Joshi, defence editor who breaks down military capabilities. Gregg Carlstrom, Gulf correspondent reporting on strikes and regional fallout. Nicolas Pelham, Middle East reporter on Iran’s politics and succession. They discuss the US-Israel strikes and Khamenei’s death. They map Iran’s multi-front retaliation and missile capabilities. They explore Gulf states’ dilemmas and possible paths to de-escalation.
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Power Fragmentation After Khamenei's Death
- Ayatollah Khamenei's death removes a long-standing centralising force in Iranian politics and has diffused power across multiple commanders and institutions.
- Senior commanders including the defence minister and IRGC head were killed, making coordination sporadic and empowering regional commanders to act independently.
Constitutional Succession And Preplanned Replacements
- Iran's constitution prescribes an interim leadership council led by the president, chief justice and a cleric to manage succession.
- Pre-planned appointments like a new IRGC commander and contender ayatollah Arafi suggest regime continuity efforts.
Iran's Broad Retaliation To Inflict Regional Costs
- Iran's retaliation strategy is to lash out broadly across the region to impose costs and threaten to drag neighbouring states into chaos.
- Attacks target US bases, Israel, hotels and oil infrastructure to pressure Gulf states to push for an end to the war.