Deep Dish on Global Affairs

From Oil to Food: How the Iran War Could Disrupt Global Stability

Gas prices may be the first way Americans feel the war in Iran, but Catherine Bertini, former executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme, and Michael Werz of the Council on Foreign Relations explain why the deeper impact could unfold across global food systems—where rising energy costs and supply chain disruptions could drive prices higher, worsen hunger, intensify humanitarian pressures, and destabilize vulnerable regions far beyond Iran.

Trump, Iran, and the Future of American Power

Trump said he would stop wars, not start them. But as the conflict with Iran widens, that promise is under strain. Matt Duss of the Center for International Policy explores what this moment reveals about presidential war powers, the limits of military force, and what this war could mean for the next chapter of US foreign policy.

War with Iran: What the World Debated in New Delhi

Just days after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, global leaders gathered in New Delhi for the Raisina Dialogue. As tensions escalated, conversations quickly shifted to urgent questions about war, energy shocks, and the future of the global order. Harsh Pant of the Observer Research Foundation and Karim Haggag of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute unpack how the world is reading the Iran conflict and where it could be headed next.

Are We Headed for a Bigger War with Iran?

US and Israeli strikes on Iran have triggered retaliation across the region, with drones, missiles, grounded flights, and rising oil prices. But what's the actual goal? Is this a short, decisive campaign or the start of something bigger? And if the fighting stops, does the region return to normal or just settle into a tense pause before the next round? From Tel Aviv, former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro breaks down what the US and Israel are trying to achieve, the risks involved, and why the outcome is far from clear.

The West Under Pressure: Inside Munich 2026

Ukraine, China, and Iran are shaking up the world—but at the Munich Security Conference, the West seemed to be worrying about itself. Amid simmering transatlantic tensions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio got a standing ovation, but was it real reassurance or just the same talking points, dressed up? The Observer's Giles Whittell and ECFR's Dr. Jana Puglierin break down the conference's most revealing moments and what Europe is really thinking.