American Prestige

Maryam Jamshidi, an associate law professor focused on international and national security law. She parses shifting legal justifications for strikes on Iran. She contrasts preemption and preventive war. She assesses limits of self-defense, proportionality concerns over civilian harm, and the political motives shaping the conflict.

A sharp update on strikes near Tehran and the toxic fallout from damaged fuel depots. A look at Iran’s missile and drone response and why its tempo may be shifting. Discussion of Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection as the new supreme leader and how that reshapes calculations. Coverage of widening regional violence, including ongoing attacks in Lebanon and tensions in the Gulf.

Alfred McCoy, Harrington Professor of History and author of Cold War on Five Continents, maps the Cold War through decolonization and covert action. He discusses how individual intelligence operatives shaped conflicts across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He links imperial decline, chokepoints like Suez and Hormuz, and energy geopolitics to broader shifts in global power.

A discussion about whether a Kurdish front is being opened in the Iran war and who might benefit. Debate over divergent U.S. and Israeli objectives and the strategy of peripheral pressure. Examination of Kurdish forces, Iraqi Kurdish authorities, and the limits of Kurdish military capacity.

Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder of the Bourse and Bazaar Foundation and Johns Hopkins professor, offers a sharp take on the Iran war’s economic fallout. He discusses strikes on Gulf infrastructure and shipping, risks to logistics hubs like Dubai, threats to energy routes through the Strait of Hormuz, and how regional instability could reshape global supply chains.

A fast-moving briefing on the widening war with Iran and the surge in airstrikes across the region. Reports of a school strike and a sunken Iranian warship raise questions about causes and accountability. Closure of the Strait of Hormuz and choked oil routes spark fears of a global oil shock. Strikes in Lebanon and talk of forced surrender suggest the conflict could drag on for months.

U.S. plans to deploy Kurdish proxy forces against Iran and shifting official timelines for the conflict. Hezbollah launches rockets and Israel escalates strikes in Lebanon. Afghanistan and Pakistan trade airstrikes, displacing tens of thousands. A new U.S. operation targets drug cartels in Ecuador. Russia’s LNG tanker sinks amid accusations, and France proposes expanding its nuclear umbrella.

Robert Wright, publisher of Non-Zero and podcast host, joins to steer a wide-ranging conversation. They debate whether Trump seeks regime collapse or signaling, dissect Iran’s retaliation logic and targets, and weigh the realism of air campaigns producing political change. The discussion also explores regional spillover risks, Turkey and Kurdish dynamics, and why Europe aligned with U.S. policy.

Trita Parsi, Quincy Institute co-founder and Iran expert, and Akbar Shahid Ahmed, HuffPost diplomatic correspondent, unpack U.S.-Iran escalation. They discuss Trump’s miscalculation about Iran collapsing, Israeli and hawk influence on policy, erosion of rules of engagement, risks of ground troops, shifting objectives, and whether Gulf pressure offers any off-ramps.

A rapid rundown of reported U.S. F-15s downed over Kuwait and the mystery around what caused the losses. Discussion of strikes inside Iran and Tehran’s missile counterattacks. Coverage of Hezbollah and Israeli exchanges in Lebanon. Reports on attacks against Gulf oil infrastructure and disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz.