The Inside Story Podcast

Elijah Magnier, Brussels-based military and political analyst; Mehran Kamrava, Georgetown Qatar professor of Gulf politics; Foad Izadi, Tehran professor of foreign policy. They discuss Iran’s continued attacks and diplomatic moves with neighbours. The strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz and options like transit control or fees. Debate on Iran’s capacity for sustained missile and drone campaigns and regional leverage.

Alex Coman, professor and economic strategist, offers analysis of Israel’s fiscal and political choices. Gideon Levy, Haaretz columnist, provides sharp critique of military-first instincts. Dan Perry, seasoned political analyst and former AP editor, explains regional and diplomatic dynamics. They debate diplomacy vs war, political calculations, defense effectiveness, and regional spillovers in short, sharp conversation.

Schools and hospitals bombed. Strikes on apartment buildings. Energy facilities targeted. And attacks on neighbouring states. Have Israel, the US, and Iran broken international law in the war, or what legal justification might they claim?  In this episode:  Geoffrey Nice, Human rights lawyer and former International Criminal Court prosecutor. Brian Finucane, Senior Adviser with the U.S. Program at International Crisis Group Nicholas Tsagourias, Professor of International Law at the University of Sheffield. Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Tim Ripley, a London-based defence analyst, explains military trade-offs and security risks. Ali Vaez, Iran policy specialist, outlines regime resilience and decentralised defence. Hamidreza Gholamzadeh, Tehran analyst, discusses succession, secrecy and provincial command. They explore leadership invisibility, asymmetric tactics, risks of fragmentation and why targeting becomes harder over time.

Rockford Weitz, maritime security expert on shipping chokepoints; Khaled Batarfi, analyst of Saudi foreign policy; Farea al-Muslimi, Yemen and regional dynamics researcher. They explore Houthi control of Bab al-Mandeb and asymmetric naval threats. They discuss why Houthis may hesitate to escalate, recent US strikes and impacts on insurance, rerouting and global trade.

Mohsen Baharvand, former Iranian ambassador to the UK with diplomatic insight; Jim Walsh, MIT security specialist on deterrence and escalation; John Sfakianakis, Gulf Research Center chief economist on regional energy markets. They discuss strikes on energy and desalination sites, how regional states are caught between Iran and the US, risks of conflict escalation, and lasting impacts on global oil supply and prices.

Luca Trenta, Swansea University expert on covert action; Ilan Pappe, Israeli historian critical of Zionist policy; Rami Khouri, seasoned Middle East analyst. They discuss Israel's long practice of targeted killings. Conversations cover the historical roots, domestic and strategic motives, erosion of taboos against striking leaders, legal implications, and how such tactics shape regional dynamics.

Elijah Magnier, a military and political analyst on Middle East wars; Mehran Kamrava, an academic on Gulf diplomacy and mediation; Setareh Sadeqi, an Iranian political scholar. They probe Iran’s strategic choices after high-profile killings. Short takes cover Iran’s rejection of diplomacy, limits on strikes, realism of ground invasion, Gulf states’ dilemma, and prospects for third-party mediation.

Alon Pinkas, former Israeli ambassador with deep diplomatic experience; Dahlia Scheindlin, Tel Aviv pollster and electoral analyst; Mitchell Barak, political strategist and ex-aide to Netanyahu. They discuss Netanyahu's political resilience. They explore high public support for war versus low trust, the muted opposition response, wartime unity and the role of international opinion.

The Strait of Hormuz has effectively been closed to most shipping since the US and Israel attacked Iran — sending energy prices soaring worldwide. The marine channel in the Gulf had been the gateway for 20% of global energy supplies. What difficulties does this pose for Donald Trump?  In this episode:  Eli Bremer, Republican Strategist and Retired Major in the U.S. Air Force  Andreas Krieg, Associate Professor at the School of Security Studies at King's College London Patrick Bury, Defence and Security Expert at the University of Bath  Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube