Pod Save the UK “No Winston Churchill”: is the special relationship over?
Mar 5, 2026
Sanam Naraghi Anderlini MBE, British–Iranian peace strategist and founder of ICAN, explains the human cost and legal questions around the Middle East escalation. She discusses targeted strikes on civilians, how such tactics fuel extremism, and diplomatic alternatives to further conflict. The conversation also links the crisis to UK policy, economic fallout and asylum rule changes.
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Morning After With B-52s And Civilian Casualties
- Sanam describes waking up to footage of B-52 bombers and the immediate civilian toll: hospitals hit and many children killed.
- She cites 10 hospitals bombed, neonatal units hit, 181 kids under ten documented dead and over a thousand civilian deaths.
Targeting Infrastructure To Create State Fragmentation
- Sanam explains the attackers are targeting state infrastructure to create chaos and fragmentation.
- She lists banks closed, passport offices shut, police stations hit, and people unable to access cash, producing statelessness.
Gaza Tactics Repeated In Iran
- Sanam links tactics in Iran to methods used in Gaza, like Double Tap strikes and targeting civilians first to maximise terror.
- She points to heritage sites destroyed and repeated patterns of disinformation after civilian deaths.