With an internet blackout in Tehran and a "virtual" Supreme Leader, the world is flying blind. Join MBN’s leadership team—Leila Bazzi, Matt Kaminski, and Iran specialist Andres Ilves—as they decode the latest intelligence.

They discuss the stark contradictions in the Trump administration's strategy, the rise of the "martyrdom" narrative in Iranian recruitment, and why the current conflict is becoming the first truly global crisis of the century. Plus, Leila Bazzi shares a powerful perspective on the rising voices of sovereignty within the Lebanese Shia community.

This week’s panel:

• Andres Ilves (MBN Iran Editor)
• Leila Bazzi (MBN Editor-in-Chief)
• Matt Kaminski (MBN Editorial Chair)

Andres Ilves, Leila Bazzi, and Matt Kaminski take up Week 4 of the Iran war. The U.S. and Iran are talking — is this it for the fighting? Who will cave on what?

 Then they give their latest read on the life expectancy of the Iranian regime, based on what we hear from inside Iran and the state of the war.

 Plus Lebanon isn’t on the same side of the conflict with Israel the way that the Gulf states are but there’s a break emerging in Beirut with Iran.

Articles mentioned in this episode: 

Scoop: Who Rules Iran — MBN Agenda

Hedging Bets — MBN Iran Briefing 

The War Is Going Better than You Think — New York Times 

Andres Ilves sits down with Michael Pregent — senior fellow at Hudson Institute and former intelligence officer — to break down Iran’s proxy forces and militia networks in Iraq.

A must-listen conversation on regional power, security, and what’s really happening on the ground.

The old Middle East is gone. In a new episode of Iran Briefing, Andres Ilves speaks with Amin Tarzi about the region’s structural transformation, Gulf security, Iran’s shifting pressure tactics, and why China may emerge stronger in the post-war balance.

War with Iran. Breaking news every day from the Middle East. What does it all mean? 

Andres Ilves, Leila Bazzi, and Matt Kaminski figure it all out in a lively and timely discussion in this week’s episode of the #MBNIranBriefing podcast. 
The decapitation strategy to take out the Islamic Republic’s leadership: is it working? The first-ever strike on Iran’s natural gas infrastructure: where could that lead the next phase of the war? Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Iran’s other proxies: how far will this war spread? 
The three journalists take up these questions, and more.

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The war around Iran is no longer confined to the battlefield—it is rapidly spilling into global markets, energy supplies, and regional stability. In today’s Iran Briefing podcast, three MBN senior voices unpack the latest developments: Iran’s new leadership doubling down on escalation, attacks spreading across the Gulf, and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. With tanker traffic collapsing and oil prices surging above $100 amid the conflict, the conversation looks at how this crisis could reshape Gulf economies, global trade, and the geopolitical balance far beyond the region.