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Podcast

The Women Leaders podcast: Iran at a crossroads

Iran is at a boiling point. In January, mass protests broke out across the country, and many thousands of people were wounded and killed. Meanwhile, the US has moved an aircraft carrier and a number of destroyers close to Iran in a military threat which remains unclear in its aims. To untangle these and many other threads, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El welcomes back Iran specialist Roxane Farmanfarmaian, her co-Senior Associate Fellow at the ELN, for a deep and fascinating examination of Iran at a crossroads.

Commentary

Significant achievements — Yet Iran’s nuclear challenge remains unresolved

While Israel and the US achieved meaningful operational successes against Iran’s nuclear programme in June 2025, the problem is far from resolved. Despite substantial damage to Iran’s infrastructure, Tehran can still—at least theoretically—move toward a nuclear weapon. As US and Iranian negotiators are due to meet this Friday in Oman for direct talks, Danny Citrinowicz from INSS writes that while military action can buy time, it cannot substitute for a broader strategy. Any sustainable approach to the Iranian nuclear challenge will require a combination of deterrence, diplomacy, intelligence, and clear political objectives regarding the desired end.

4 February 2026 | Danny Citrinowicz
Commentary

Israel’s Iran options after the 12-day war

Any sign that Iran is rebuilding its nuclear and missile programme would likely push Israeli decision makers to order the next major attack against targets in Iran. But this would require the consent of the Trump administration, writes Meir Javedanfar. The Israeli government considers its ability to get Trump to join the war in June a considerable accomplishment and will unlikely want to sacrifice this achievement by angering Trump, especially as the next US-Israel military-assistance MOU is up for renegotiation.

27 August 2025 | Meir Javedanfar
Commentary

A narrow path forward: Iran and the snapback deadline

By the end of August, Britain, France, and Germany have to decide whether to invoke the “snapback” mechanism, which would automatically restore pre-2015 UN sanctions on Iran. Hamidreza Azizi writes that a narrow path remains open for those willing to take it. He proposes a roadmap for phased cooperation with the IAEA, anchored in a parallel diplomatic track with Europe and the US. The window for such an approach may close within weeks; quick action on both sides is essential.

26 August 2025 | Dr Hamidreza Azizi
Commentary

The non-proliferation outlook after the 12-day war: Moving beyond damage control

The possible fallout from the recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities requires sustainable approaches to nuclear non-proliferation that go beyond ad hoc solutions, writes Almuntaser Albalawi. Any new diplomatic solution should be embedded within a broader, long-term strategy that includes steps toward a regional arms control framework in the Middle East, addressing the underlying drivers of proliferation. The international community should continue supporting initiatives that sustain dialogue and strengthen regional partnerships.

23 July 2025 | Almuntaser Albalawi
Commentary

The militarisation of non-proliferation: Will the NPT survive?

The impact of the Israel-US military strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities in June will not only be felt in the Middle East. ELN senior network member Tarja Cronberg writes that these strikes also endanger the future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The 2026 NPT Review Conference should concentrate on preventing nuclear proliferation in the Middle East and should focus on its commitment to a Middle East WMD-Free Zone before it’s too late.

11 July 2025 | Tarja Cronberg