Foreign Policy Live

What Is Iran’s Endgame?

As the U.S.-Israel war against Iran enters a second month of conflict, how is Tehran’s surviving leadership thinking about an endgame? And how will the conflict reshape geopolitics in the region? Ali Vaez has extensive contacts with Iranian lawmakers and sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss the regime’s options. Vaez is a project director at the International Crisis Group. Plus, Ravi’s Read on how the White House seems to be winning the battle but losing the war.  Ravi Agrawal: Trump Is Losing the War in Iran [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/30/trump-war-iran-israel-lebanon-gulf-winner-loser/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtd2FyLWlyYW4taXNyYWVsLWxlYmFub24tZ3VsZi13aW5uZXItbG9zZXI=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Robert A. Pape and Ali Vaez: The Iran War Has Escaped Its Authors [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/30/iran-war-trump-israel-escalation-hormuz/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItdHJ1bXAtaXNyYWVsLWVzY2FsYXRpb24taG9ybXV6&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Zakiyeh Yazdanshenas: What Iran Wants From the War [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/24/iran-war-trump-hormuz-deterrence-coercion-oil-power/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItdHJ1bXAtaG9ybXV6LWRldGVycmVuY2UtY29lcmNpb24tb2lsLXBvd2Vy&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Thomas Juneau: Get Ready for a Weaker but Nastier Iran [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/19/iran-war-trump-gulf-israel-islamic-republic/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItdHJ1bXAtZ3VsZi1pc3JhZWwtaXNsYW1pYy1yZXB1YmxpYw==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Menahem Merhavy: Iran’s Civilizational Rhetoric Is Hollow [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/26/iran-civilization-persia-history-rhetoric/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi1jaXZpbGl6YXRpb24tcGVyc2lhLWhpc3RvcnktcmhldG9yaWM=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Arash Reisinezhad: Iran’s Biggest Wartime Advantage is Geography [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/23/iran-war-geography-hormuz-mountains-territory/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItZ2VvZ3JhcGh5LWhvcm11ei1tb3VudGFpbnMtdGVycml0b3J5&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

How High Could Oil Prices Go?

Crude and gas prices are soaring after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on regional energy infrastructure amid war in the Middle East. How bad could the energy shock get and for how long? FP columnist Jason Bordoff sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss. Bordoff previously served in the Obama administration as a senior director for energy and climate change in the National Security Council. He is also the founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. Jason Bordoff and Spencer Dale: Making the U.S. More Resilient to Oil Price Shocks [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/17/trump-oil-iran-gas-prices-consumers-crude-energy-taxes/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtb2lsLWlyYW4tZ2FzLXByaWNlcy1jb25zdW1lcnMtY3J1ZGUtZW5lcmd5LXRheGVz&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Esfandyar Batmanghelidj: The Iran War Is Jeopardizing the Entire Global Economy [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/04/iran-war-dubai-saudi-qatar-global-economy-oil-shipping-trade/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItZHViYWktc2F1ZGktcWF0YXItZ2xvYmFsLWVjb25vbXktb2lsLXNoaXBwaW5nLXRyYWRl&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Jason Bordoff and Erica Downs: How the Iran War Could Consolidate China’s Energy Dominance [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/06/iran-china-green-energy-oil-gas-hormuz-solar-electricity/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi1jaGluYS1ncmVlbi1lbmVyZ3ktb2lsLWdhcy1ob3JtdXotc29sYXItZWxlY3RyaWNpdHk=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Keith Johnson: Iran Is Putting a ‘Toll Booth’ in the Strait of Hormuz [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/26/iran-strait-hormuz-war-tolls-shipping/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi1zdHJhaXQtaG9ybXV6LXdhci10b2xscy1zaGlwcGluZw==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Nils Gilman: Electrostates vs. Petrostates [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/23/climate-change-world-order-green-transition-fossil-fuel/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Y2xpbWF0ZS1jaGFuZ2Utd29ybGQtb3JkZXItZ3JlZW4tdHJhbnNpdGlvbi1mb3NzaWwtZnVlbA==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Keith Johnson: Europe and the U.S. Still Haven’t Choked Off Russia’s Energy Riches [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/09/russia-energy-economy-ukraine-sanctions-putin-oil-gas/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=cnVzc2lhLWVuZXJneS1lY29ub215LXVrcmFpbmUtc2FuY3Rpb25zLXB1dGluLW9pbC1nYXM=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Maisoon H. Kafafy: Empty Words Don’t Open Straits [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/24/trump-us-rhetoric-iran-hormuz-shipping-oil-economy/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtdXMtcmhldG9yaWMtaXJhbi1ob3JtdXotc2hpcHBpbmctb2lsLWVjb25vbXk=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The World After Trump

It’s widely accepted that the post-WWII order has changed, but the question remains—what comes next? Political scientist Hal Brands maps out three possible scenarios in a cover essay for Foreign Policy’s latest print issue and joins FP Live to discuss.  Brands is a professor of global affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the author of The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World. Hal Brands: Three Scenarios for a Post-Trump World [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/23/post-trump-world-order-cold-war-spheres-of-influence/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=cG9zdC10cnVtcC13b3JsZC1vcmRlci1jb2xkLXdhci1zcGhlcmVzLW9mLWluZmx1ZW5jZQ==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Emma Ashford: A Better Trans-Atlantic Relationship Is Entirely Possible [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/23/trans-atlantic-alliance-united-states-europe-eu-nato/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJhbnMtYXRsYW50aWMtYWxsaWFuY2UtdW5pdGVkLXN0YXRlcy1ldXJvcGUtZXUtbmF0bw==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Sarang Shidore: Can Middle Powers Gel? [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/23/middle-powers-mark-carney-global-south/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=bWlkZGxlLXBvd2Vycy1tYXJrLWNhcm5leS1nbG9iYWwtc291dGg=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Suzanne Nossel: What Would an Abundance Foreign Policy Look Like? [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/23/abundance-foreign-policy-united-states-democracy-ezra-klein-derek-thompson/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=YWJ1bmRhbmNlLWZvcmVpZ24tcG9saWN5LXVuaXRlZC1zdGF0ZXMtZGVtb2NyYWN5LWV6cmEta2xlaW4tZGVyZWstdGhvbXBzb24=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Nils Gilman: Electrostates vs. Petrostates [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/23/climate-change-world-order-green-transition-fossil-fuel/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Y2xpbWF0ZS1jaGFuZ2Utd29ybGQtb3JkZXItZ3JlZW4tdHJhbnNpdGlvbi1mb3NzaWwtZnVlbA==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

How to Have Politics Without Politicians

It’s no secret that democracy is in trouble. Studies show that a growing number of countries are less free, and polls suggest ordinary citizens are losing faith in their governments. What can be done to fix this? Hélène Landemore has a radical solution: to get rid of politicians and electoral politics and instead create assemblies of ordinary citizens. She explores this concept in her new book, Politics Without Politicians: The Case for Citizen Rule, and joins FP Live to interrogate the idea.  Hélène Landemore: The Problem With Representative Democracy [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/13/helene-landemore-representative-politics-democracy-politicians-citizen-rule/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aGVsZW5lLWxhbmRlbW9yZS1yZXByZXNlbnRhdGl2ZS1wb2xpdGljcy1kZW1vY3JhY3ktcG9saXRpY2lhbnMtY2l0aXplbi1ydWxl&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Nicholas Bequelin: The Age of Defensive Democracy [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/13/defensive-democracy-authoritarianism-history-liberalism/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=ZGVmZW5zaXZlLWRlbW9jcmFjeS1hdXRob3JpdGFyaWFuaXNtLWhpc3RvcnktbGliZXJhbGlzbQ==&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Hélène Landemore: More Power to More People [https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/07/biden-democracy-summit-people-power/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=YmlkZW4tZGVtb2NyYWN5LXN1bW1pdC1wZW9wbGUtcG93ZXI=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

A Debate Over the War in Iran

As the war in Iran soon enters its third week, two experts join FP Live for a debate. Were the United States and Israel justified in attacking Iran? And will the war advance U.S. interests in the region, or set them back? Trita Parsi and Matthew Kroenig sit down with executive editor Dan Ephron to discuss. Parsi is the executive vice president at the Quincy Institute, and Kroenig is an FP columnist and a senior director at the Atlantic Council. Trita Parsi: Iran’s Despair Is U.S. Policy [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/04/iran-sanctions-trump-despair-protest-revolution-reform-khamenei/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi1zYW5jdGlvbnMtdHJ1bXAtZGVzcGFpci1wcm90ZXN0LXJldm9sdXRpb24tcmVmb3JtLWtoYW1lbmVp&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Matthew Kroenig: The Case for Destroying Iran’s Nuclear Program Now [https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/10/03/israel-iran-nuclear-weapons-biden-netanyahu-destroy-now/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXNyYWVsLWlyYW4tbnVjbGVhci13ZWFwb25zLWJpZGVuLW5ldGFueWFodS1kZXN0cm95LW5vdw==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Matthew Kroenig: Why a Wider War with Iran Is Unlikely [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/06/22/us-iran-wider-war-unlikely-strikes-israel-nuclear-program/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dXMtaXJhbi13aWRlci13YXItdW5saWtlbHktc3RyaWtlcy1pc3JhZWwtbnVjbGVhci1wcm9ncmFt&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Matthew Kroenig: Trump Made History. Now the Iranian People Can, Too. [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/01/trump-iran-airstrikes-democracy-security-middle-east-russia-china/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtaXJhbi1haXJzdHJpa2VzLWRlbW9jcmFjeS1zZWN1cml0eS1taWRkbGUtZWFzdC1ydXNzaWEtY2hpbmE=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Michael Hirsh: So This, Finally, Is the ‘Trump Doctrine’ [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/10/trump-doctrine-iran-war-united-states-global-order/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtZG9jdHJpbmUtaXJhbi13YXItdW5pdGVkLXN0YXRlcy1nbG9iYWwtb3JkZXI=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] John Haltiwanger: The Trump Administration’s Iran War Justifications Keep Changing [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/03/trump-conflicting-justifications-iran-war-rubio-israel/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtY29uZmxpY3RpbmctanVzdGlmaWNhdGlvbnMtaXJhbi13YXItcnViaW8taXNyYWVs&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Suzanne Nossel: It’s Time to Retire the Pottery Barn Rule [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/03/iran-war-us-foreign-intervention-colin-powell-pottery-barn-rule/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItdXMtZm9yZWlnbi1pbnRlcnZlbnRpb24tY29saW4tcG93ZWxsLXBvdHRlcnktYmFybi1ydWxl&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]