Front Burner

Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group, explains the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in concise, sharp detail. He outlines its reach as a parallel state. He traces the Quds Force and Soleimani’s regional network. He describes how the IRGC enforces control at home and builds resilience against strikes.

Aaron Wherry, CBC senior writer and political analyst known for detailed federal coverage, breaks down Lori Idlout’s move to the Liberals and its timing. He walks through the seat math and looming by-elections. He discusses implications for the NDP leadership race, the party’s reduced clout, and what a slim majority could mean for governance and opposition strategy.

An unnamed Tehran resident, a longtime critic who returned from Europe, gives firsthand accounts of life under bombardment. He describes emptied streets, traumatic civilian casualties, and explaining war to his young daughter. He criticizes diaspora praise for strikes and warns that outside intervention fuels hardliners. He insists Iranians reject foreign bombs and foreign saviors.

Jim Krane, Middle East energy scholar and former AP reporter, breaks down a looming global energy shock. He explains why the Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint. He outlines tanker risks, who would face shortages, and the limits of reserves. He also connects supply disruptions to everyday price pressures and broader economic risks.

Gregg Carlstrom, The Economist’s Middle East correspondent covering regional conflicts and politics. He breaks down strikes on Iran’s fuel and desalination infrastructure. He explains shifting Gulf reactions and Saudi-UAE calculations. He outlines Iran’s new supreme leader and Tehran’s influence over proxies. He assesses Russia and China’s limited but strategic roles.

Heidy Khlaaf, Chief AI Scientist at the AI Now Institute and former OpenAI researcher on military risks, discusses AI’s role in modern conflict. She breaks down how LLMs are used for targeting, surveillance, and decision pipelines. Conversations cover company-military ties, accountability gaps, automation bias, and how AI reshapes state power in warfare.

Robert Pape, a University of Chicago political scientist who studies coercion and military strategy, outlines his 'escalation trap' theory. He breaks down why airstrikes often fail to topple regimes. He warns about precision-weapon shortages, Iran’s decentralization and resilience, and how conflicts can expand regionally. He compares past campaigns and explains why leaders keep returning to smart-bomb approaches.

Denis Horak, former Canadian diplomat and ex-ambassador to Saudi Arabia who once led Canada’s mission in Iran, joins to unpack Canada’s tightrope on the Iran war. He discusses legal questions versus policy alignment. He examines phrasing about non-participation, preemptive doctrine accusations, historical Canada–Iran tensions, and what deeper involvement might realistically look like.

Nader Hashemi, director and Georgetown professor specializing in Iranian politics and modern Islamic thought. He traces the 1953 coup, oil nationalization, the 1979 revolution and embassy seizure. He explains Iran’s use of proxies and asymmetric strategy, the rise and fall of the 2015 nuclear deal, and recent drivers that have pushed relations toward open conflict.

Vali Nasr, professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS and author of Iran’s Grand Strategy, offers expert analysis. He breaks down Khamenei's assassination, Iran's resilient state structure, the aims and targets of U.S.-Israeli strikes, threats to the Straits of Hormuz, regional retaliation tactics, and the uncertain trajectories ahead.