Overview
As Israel prepares for elections and the US heads toward the November 2026 midterm elections, the panellists will provide a focused assessment of the crisis in Iran. They will consider the relative vulnerabilities of Iran, Israel and US, the effectiveness and durability of current pressure, and the concrete indicators that will determine what comes next.
The panel, bringing together expertise on military operations and the broader geopolitical context, stands ready to tackle four closely defined questions:
- How effectively is Iran adapting to military and economic pressure, and where are the limits of its resilience?
- Are sanctions and the US blockade producing leverage, or primarily imposing costs without changing Tehran’s calculations?
- How are the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb becoming interconnected theatres of pressure?
- Which side is under greater time pressure, and what political, economic or operational developments could alter the balance?
Panellists:
- Professor Ali Ansari, RUSI Senior Associate Fellow; Professor of Iranian History and Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies, University of St Andrews.
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Dr Burcu Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security, RUSI.
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Jonathan Hackett, retired US Marine Corps interrogator, counterintelligence agent and special operations capabilities specialist.
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Mohammed al-Basha, independent Middle East analyst and founder of the Basha Report Risk Advisory.
The webinar will be hosted by Dr Jonathan Eyal, Associate Director, Strategic Research Partnerships, RUSI.
Joining Instructions
This event is online-only and is open to all RUSI members. If you have any questions regarding this event, please email [email protected]. On registering to attend, you will be sent a confirmation email containing your personal Zoom link to join the event.
