What is driving the war in Iran – and what comes next?

Why did the United States and Israel choose to strike Iran now – and what are the strategic consequences of that decision? What lessons have been learnt from Iran’s asymmetric response? Can Iran’s protesters realistically leverage the current crisis for meaningful political change, or has the aerial campaign by US and Israel undermined their momentum? How can Australia and other US allies balance alliance commitments with national interests in this conflict? In this episode, Beth Sanner and Dr Rodger Shanahan join Justin Burke to discuss the drivers of the Iran war, and examine the broader implications for regional and global security. Beth Sanner is a Distinguished Advisor at the ANU National Security College (NSC). She is the former US Deputy Director of National Intelligence, a 35-year intelligence veteran, and now the Director of Geopolitics and Strategy for International Capital Strategies. Dr Rodger Shanahan is a former Army officer with a PhD in Arab and Islamic studies. He has previously held appointments at NSC and the Lowy Institute, with operational and diplomatic experience in the Middle East. Justin Burke is Senior Policy Advisor at NSC. TRANSCRIPT Show notes: · NSC academic programs – find out more We'd love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to

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What is driving the war in Iran – and what comes next? is an episode from The National Security Podcast by ANU National Security College.

This episode is 45:19 long.

This episode was published on Mar 18, 2026.

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