Are We Headed for a Bigger War with Iran?

Podcast Deep Dish on Global Affairs Podcast
Is this a contained escalation, or the start of something much bigger? Former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro joins from Tel Aviv to unpack what’s driving this moment.
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About The Episode

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. 

About the Experts
Daniel B. Shapiro
Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council
Daniel B. Shapiro
Ambassador Daniel B. Shapiro is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. Previously, he was the director of the N7 Initiative. In his most recent government service, Shapiro was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East. He's a former US ambassador to Israel, having served in that role from 2011 to 2017.
Daniel B. Shapiro
Leslie Vinjamuri
President & Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Leslie Vinjamuri headshot
Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri joined the Council in 2025 as the president and chief executive officer, after previously serving as director of the US and the Americas program at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, known as Chatham House, in London. She is Professor of Practice in International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS University of London.
Leslie Vinjamuri headshot
Issues Global Politics US Foreign Policy
Regions Middle East and North Africa
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