Foreign Policy Live

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]

Will the Gulf States Join the War?

As the United States and Israel attack military facilities across Iran, Tehran has been retaliating. But it has attacked Gulf countries more than it has targeted Israel. Why? And how will the likes of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates respond? Will it shift their geopolitical alignment away from the United States? Regional experts Mina al-Oraibi, the editor in chief of the National, and Firas Maksad, a managing director at the Eurasia Group, join FP Live to share their perspectives. Khalid al-Jaber and Omar H. Rahman: Security Alliances With the U.S. Have Made Gulf States More Vulnerable [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/04/iran-united-states-war-gulf-states-alliances/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi11bml0ZWQtc3RhdGVzLXdhci1ndWxmLXN0YXRlcy1hbGxpYW5jZXM=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] David Petraeus and Clara Kaluderovic: The Drone Attrition Trap [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/05/iran-drone-missiles-middle-east-united-states-israel-war/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi1kcm9uZS1taXNzaWxlcy1taWRkbGUtZWFzdC11bml0ZWQtc3RhdGVzLWlzcmFlbC13YXI=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Macdonald Amoah, Morgan D. Bazilian, and Jahara Matisek: The First 36 Hours of War Consumed Over 3,000 U.S.-Israeli Munitions [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/05/iran-war-munitions-critical-minerals/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItbXVuaXRpb25zLWNyaXRpY2FsLW1pbmVyYWxz&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Firas Maksad: The Middle East Has Two New Rival Teams [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/27/saudi-uae-middle-east-coalitions-teams/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=c2F1ZGktdWFlLW1pZGRsZS1lYXN0LWNvYWxpdGlvbnMtdGVhbXM=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] 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=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

War in the Middle East

On Saturday, Israel and the United States struck Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has been responding with volleys of missiles aimed at Israel—and also at several other countries in the region. How will the conflict end? How long can Tehran sustain this fight? Iran expert Vali Nasr joined Ravi Agrawal for an emergency episode that ran live on the afternoon of Monday, March 3.  Daniel Byman: 6 Questions About Operation Epic Fury [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/28/iran-strikes-israel-us-questions/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi1zdHJpa2VzLWlzcmFlbC11cy1xdWVzdGlvbnM=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Barbara Slavin: Death Comes to the Dictator [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/28/ayatollah-ali-khamenei-death-obituary-iran-war/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=YXlhdG9sbGFoLWFsaS1raGFtZW5laS1kZWF0aC1vYml0dWFyeS1pcmFuLXdhcg==&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Ali Hashem: Iran Is Built to Withstand the Ayatollah’s Assassination [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/28/iran-khamenei-ayatollah-assassination-israel-us-war/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi1raGFtZW5laS1heWF0b2xsYWgtYXNzYXNzaW5hdGlvbi1pc3JhZWwtdXMtd2Fy&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Alireza Nader and Nik Kowsar: Khamenei Is Dead. Who’s In Charge of Iran? [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/02/iran-strikes-khamenei-leadership/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi1zdHJpa2VzLWtoYW1lbmVpLWxlYWRlcnNoaXA=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Amos C. Fox and Franz-Stefan Gady: Iran, Israel, and the U.S. Are Racing the Clock [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/02/iran-israel-us-trump-war-air-defense-missiles-drones/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi1pc3JhZWwtdXMtdHJ1bXAtd2FyLWFpci1kZWZlbnNlLW1pc3NpbGVzLWRyb25lcw==&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Anchal Vohra: Iran’s Proxies Are Out for Themselves for Now [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/02/iran-war-hezbollah-lebabon-houthis-yemen-iraq-proxies/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItaGV6Ym9sbGFoLWxlYmFib24taG91dGhpcy15ZW1lbi1pcmFxLXByb3hpZXM=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Emma Ashford: Trump Is Betraying His Base by Waging War on Iran [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/28/trump-voter-base-foreign-policy-war-iran/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtdm90ZXItYmFzZS1mb3JlaWduLXBvbGljeS13YXItaXJhbg==&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

What a U.S. Attack on Iran Will Look Like

As U.S. President Donald Trump considers a military strike on Iran, what are the options on his table? What will his military advisors recommend he should and shouldn’t do? David Petraeus has often been in the position of providing such advice to the White House, and he joins FP Live to explain what could happen in the coming days. Petraeus ran U.S. and allied forces in the Middle East as the head of Central Command (CENTCOM) and later ran the CIA.  Plus, One Thing from Ravi on the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine. FP Contributors: Four Years of War in Europe [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/20/ukraine-russia-war-anniversary-trump-europe-nato-geopolitics-global-order/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dWtyYWluZS1ydXNzaWEtd2FyLWFubml2ZXJzYXJ5LXRydW1wLWV1cm9wZS1uYXRvLWdlb3BvbGl0aWNzLWdsb2JhbC1vcmRlcg==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Marc Lynch: Four Scenarios for a Postwar Iran [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/20/four-scenarios-war-iran-trump/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Zm91ci1zY2VuYXJpb3Mtd2FyLWlyYW4tdHJ1bXA=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Arash Reisinezhad and Arsham Reisinezhad: What War With Iran Would Look Like [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/11/iran-war-trump-usa-decapitation-regime-change-invasion/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItdHJ1bXAtdXNhLWRlY2FwaXRhdGlvbi1yZWdpbWUtY2hhbmdlLWludmFzaW9u&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Ali Hashem: The United States Is Dangerously Misreading Iran [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/23/trump-iran-war-misreading-khamenei-strategy-nuclear/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtaXJhbi13YXItbWlzcmVhZGluZy1raGFtZW5laS1zdHJhdGVneS1udWNsZWFy&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Ali Hashem: Iran Dangerously Misunderstands Its Situation [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/18/iran-war-trump-united-states-negotiations-deal-nuclear/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi13YXItdHJ1bXAtdW5pdGVkLXN0YXRlcy1uZWdvdGlhdGlvbnMtZGVhbC1udWNsZWFy&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Brought to you by: quince.com/fplive Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]