War with Iran: Middle East in flames
Economist Podcasts
The Economist
4.3 • 5K Ratings
🗓️ 2 March 2026
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This weekend, America and Israel launched long-anticipated attacks on Iran, killing Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader. Our correspondents analyse what his death means for the country and the strategy behind Iran’s retaliation. We report how Gulf States are dealing with unprecedented instability within their borders. And we assess Iran’s military capability and what might happen next.
Guests and host:
- Nicolas Pelham, Middle East correspondent
- Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
- Gareth Browne, Middle East reporter
- Shashank Joshi, defence editor
- Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Topics covered:
- Iran attacks, military capability
- Ali Khamenei, succession
- Donald Trump, foreign policy
- Gulf States, Dubai
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Economist. |
| 0:04.2 | Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist. |
| 0:15.7 | I'm your host, Rosie Bloor. |
| 0:17.9 | Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world. |
| 0:24.4 | And today on the show, and in the world, there is only one story. |
| 0:33.0 | Over the weekend, America launched its long-anticipated assault on Iran. |
| 0:39.0 | Stay sheltered. Don't leave your home. It's very dangerous outside. bombs will be dropping everywhere. |
| 0:45.6 | When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. |
| 0:50.5 | This will be probably your only chance for generations. |
| 0:56.0 | In collaboration with Israel, it struck targets across the country. |
| 1:00.1 | Chief among them, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Hamenei. |
| 1:04.5 | An Iranian TV anchor cried as he announced the news. |
| 1:12.9 | Thousands of people gathered in Tehran to protest about the destruction raining down on the country. |
| 1:19.9 | But some Iranians danced in the streets and shouted from balconies at the death of their oppressor. |
| 1:27.9 | Despite the threats from President Donald Trump, this was a gamble many thought he'd never |
| 1:33.1 | take. Now he has. Our correspondence, Nick Pelham and Greg Carlstrom, have been following the |
| 1:40.2 | events over the weekend. It's been a shock, even though we all, I think, knew that this war was |
| 1:46.7 | coming at some point. I think the speed with which this went from being an American-Israeli bombing |
| 1:51.6 | campaign in Iran to now a full regional war with attacks on all of the Gulf states, with Lebanon |
| 1:58.7 | being drawn in overnight. It's shocking how quickly this |
| 2:01.9 | has escalated, I think. There was always a fear that this was going to become a regional war |
| 2:07.7 | quickly. It was a fear. It was a premonition. And now it's a reality. And I think the whole region |
... |
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