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Podcast | 6 March 2026

The Women Leaders podcast: Destruction and disorder

Iran Diplomacy Hybrid warfare Iran Middle East Podcasts Syria Terrorism Iran Multilateral Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Senior Associate Fellow YGLN Podcast

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The Islamic revolution that swept Iran in 1979 changed not only that state but also the region and the world. The current war in Iran can still be understood as a direct outcome of that event.

The humiliation of the US in 1979 made it implacably opposed to Iran. The alignment of most Gulf states with the US and their growing ties with Israel also created a complex balance. On the other hand, Iran’s spread of influence through its “Shia Crescent”  in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, with offshoots in Yemen and Gaza, made it a formidable and threatening presence.

It is upon this background that the US-Israeli strikes commenced on February 28, engulfing the whole region in destruction and disorder.

Dina Esfandiary, Middle East lead at Bloomberg Economics, an excellent guide to this complex reality, joins ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El for today’s episode. With clarity and depths of knowledge, this is the conversation we all need now.

This episode was recorded on 5 March 2026

Chapters

  • Iran’s response and regional implications
  • Historical context of Gulf-Iran rivalry
  • Iran’s military capabilities and regional concerns
  • What motivated the US to strike Iran?
  • The plight of the Iranian people

Mentions

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Credits

The European Leadership Network itself as an institution holds no formal policy positions. The opinions articulated above represent the views of the authors rather than the European Leadership Network or its members. The ELN aims to encourage debates that will help develop Europe’s capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time, to further its charitable purposes.

Image credit: Florence Ferrando

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