The Burn Bag Podcast

Data Centers as Targets: What Happens if the Cloud and AI Infrastructure gets Hit? with Morgan Plummer

For decades, wars targeted oil fields, pipelines, ports, and power grids. But in March 2026, that logic appeared to change when Iranian strikes reportedly targeted commercial cloud infrastructure in the Persian Gulf, damaging data center facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and disrupting digital services used by millions. What happens when data centers become wartime targets? How vulnerable is the infrastructure powering artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the global economy? And what could attacks on commercial compute hubs mean for markets, businesses, and ordinary Americans? On this episode of The Burn Bag, A’ndre Gonawela speaks with Morgan C. Plummer about the growing strategic importance of AI infrastructure in an era of geopolitical conflict. They discuss why commercial cloud infrastructure is increasingly viewed as a high-value target, how disruptions to data centers could ripple through the global economy, and what governments can do to protect the digital backbone of modern life.

Fuels, Ports, and Power: How South Asia's Smaller States are Navigating Crisis, with Nilanthi Samaranayake

As geopolitical tensions spill into the Indian Ocean, smaller states in South Asia are finding themselves on the frontlines of crises they did not choose. From the sinking of an Iranian vessel off Sri Lanka’s coast to mounting pressure from major powers and a region-wide scramble for energy, countries like Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Bangladesh, and Nepal are navigating an increasingly complex strategic environment. In this episode, Andre sits down with Nilanthi Samaranayake to unpack how these states are balancing great-power competition, maritime security challenges, and economic vulnerability. They explore how energy shocks spawned by the U.S.-Iran War are reshaping foreign policy decisions, the growing strategic importance of ports and sea lanes, and how smaller states are hedging to preserve autonomy amid intensifying rivalry between India, China, and the United States. The conversation also examines India’s evolving role as a regional crisis manager and what the future holds for smaller states navigating an Indian Ocean that is becoming more contested, more strategic — and more consequential than ever.

Global (Dis)Order: America and the Future of the International System with Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper

In this episode of the Burn Bag Podcast, A'ndre Gonawela is joined by Mira Rapp-Hooper, a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director at National Security Council, to break down the structural forces reshaping the global order. Rapp-Hooper explains how the international system is undergoing a fundamental transition driven not just by political leaders like Donald Trump, but by deeper shifts in global power, technology, and economics. These changes are unfolding as the United States and China compete for influence, while allies and emerging powers chart more independent paths. In this conversation, Rapp-Hooper explains: * What the “international order” actually is—and why it’s so hard to define * Why 2025 may mark the end of the post–Cold War global system * How China’s rise and the diffusion of power are reshaping geopolitics * Why U.S.–China competition is structural, but not a new Cold War * Why there’s no going back to the pre-2016 or pre-2024 foreign policy status quo * How alliances are evolving beyond military cooperation into tech and supply chains * What burden sharing actually means—and why it’s often misunderstood As global tensions rise and the rules of the international system are rewritten in real time, this episode provides a clear framework for understanding where the world is headed—and how the United States fits into it.

Iran After Khamenei: Vali Nasr on the New Supreme Leader and Tehran's War Strategy

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei — Iran's new Supreme Leader? Who was the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei? In this episode of the Burn Bag Podcast, A’ndre Gonawela is joined by Vali Nasr, the Majid Khadduri Professor of Middle East Studies and International Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS and one of the leading scholars of Iranian politics and Shia leadership structures. Nasr breaks down the power structure of the Islamic Republic following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the rise of his son Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new Supreme Leader. The leadership transition comes as the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran continues to escalate, with Tehran threatening to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and expand attacks across the region. In this conversation, Nasr explains: * Who Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was and how he shaped modern Iran * How the Supreme Leader actually governs inside the Islamic Republic * The role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran’s power structure * What Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership means for the regime and the war * Who is making wartime decisions inside Iran right now * Whether the conflict represents an existential fight for the Islamic Republic As the war intensifies and global energy markets react to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, this episode provides a clear guide to how Iran’s leadership thinks — and what it means for the future of the conflict.

Fmr. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on the Iran War's First Week

As the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran escalates following the February 28 strikes, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper joined A'ndre for a quick chat to assess how the conflict is unfolding and what may come next. Esper discusses how President Donald Trump and his national security team may be evaluating the campaign, the strategic objectives behind the strikes on Iran’s leadership and military infrastructure, and what success might realistically look like for Washington and its partners. The conversation also examines the sustainability of the U.S.–Israeli air campaign, the role of munitions production and drone warfare, and how the United States can manage escalation as Iran retaliates across the region. Esper weighs in on the strategic implications of leadership decapitation following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the widening geographic scope of the conflict, including the U.S. strike on an Iranian vessel near Sri Lanka. He concludes with his assessment of how the conflict could end — and what advice he would give the president at this critical moment.