The Burn Bag

We’re here to redefine how scholars and policymakers approach national security and foreign policy. Join us, as we make sense of a world in crisis.

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

#Iran has a new Supreme Leader — in the middle of a war.

We sat down with @vali_nasr to unpack who Ayatollah Ali #Khamenei was, how power actually works inside the Islamic Republic, and what Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection means for the Iran war.

🎧 Listen or Watch 👇🏽

Spotify: https://t.co/TzfyF9YKdA
Apple: https://t.co/PqGuR8wGJs
YouTube: https://t.co/mQ60h581zZ

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

What makes someone a dissident?

On the latest episode of The Burn Bag, @galbeckerman (@TheAtlantic) joins us to discuss conscience, courage, authoritarianism, performative rebellion, and what it means to live without betraying one’s inner voice.

Spotify: https://t.co/35QpQPirNr
Apple: https://t.co/jubvDjt7Qz
YouTube: https://t.co/zBu7zUfpUH

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

NEW EPISODE:

We speak with Dr. @GarySlutkin1, physician, epidemiologist, former WHO official, and founder of @CureViolence, about treating violence as a contagious epidemic — and how it can be interrupted.

Listen 👇

Spotify: https://t.co/ARlSfjcX93
Apple: https://t.co/zXks4Q2qKX
YouTube: https://t.co/GvJKvLGfcH

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

🎙️ New Burn Bag episode with Zhengyu Huang, former President of the Committee of 100 and author of "Rethinking China."

We discuss:
• U.S.-China competition
• Taiwan & deterrence
• Economic decoupling
• China Initiative fallout
• Risks of escalation & miscalculation

Spotify: https://t.co/KFy3ptCrCl
Apple: https://t.co/gLW8SMmMc6
YouTube: https://t.co/00zgiLfQ1c

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

Wars once centered on oil fields, pipelines, and ports.

Now they may target data centers.

After Iranian strikes reportedly hit commercial cloud infrastructure in the Persian Gulf earlier this year, a new question emerged: what happens when the infrastructure powering AI and the global economy becomes part of the battlespace?

On the latest episode of The Burn Bag, @andregonawela speaks with Morgan Plummer (@mcplummer1789) of @americans4ri about why AI infrastructure is becoming a strategic target — and what attacks on commercial compute hubs could mean for markets, businesses, and consumers.

🎧 Spotify: https://t.co/xwadfXYHIC
🍎 Apple: https://t.co/4XzjspVlmF
▶️ YouTube: https://t.co/GeTUfwlO04

[Nilanthi Samaranayake @nilanthis]

Pleased to talk with the prolific @andregonawela on the @BurnBagPod podcast. We discussed recent developments among Smaller South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean and how they manage ties with large powers like India, the US, and China. Watch/listen below:

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

How did #SriLanka react when a U.S. submarine torpedoed an Iranian vessel off its coastline?

How is #Bangladesh navigating a #fuelcrisis driven by a conflict it has nothing to do with?

These aren’t isolated incidents. They reflect a broader reality: smaller states in South Asia are increasingly on the frontlines of geopolitical shock — from #maritime spillover to #energy insecurity to pressure from major powers.

On the latest episode of The Burn Bag, we speak with Nilanthi Samaranayake (@nilanthis) on how countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and others are managing crisis, preserving autonomy, and navigating an increasingly contested Indian Ocean.

🎧 Spotify: https://t.co/e7QmsjADWL
🍎 Apple: https://t.co/glqKetUWXm
▶️ YouTube: https://t.co/0ihLcBwmuG

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

The global order is changing — and there may be no going back.

New episode with @BrookingsInst's Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper on:

• The future of the international system
• Structural U.S.–China competition
• Why alliances are evolving
• Why the post–Cold War era may be ending

Spotify: https://t.co/gYdgrtK8Qh
Apple: https://t.co/0EpRXYinAg
YouTube: https://t.co/v4Ltmyd0YK

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

Why are Iranian drones getting through air defenses?

Former U.S. Defense Secretary @MarkTEsper explains why drones pose a different challenge than ballistic missiles — and what it means for the escalating Iran war.

🎧 Full episode:
Spotify: https://t.co/xhbHSFhVHJ
Apple: https://t.co/UdKC1tRPqr
YouTube: https://t.co/jHSVGvDalc

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

Listen/watch 👇

Spotify: https://t.co/a1bAxOjMJb
Apple: https://t.co/vJ7PCUuX3O
YouTube: https://t.co/6uJI3rDfTa

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

Former Secretary of Defense @MarkTEsper on how China is reading the Iran war.

As the U.S. expends munitions and resources in the Middle East, Beijing is watching closely — particularly through the lens of a potential future conflict in the Indo-Pacific.

Watch the clip 👇

[Dr. Mark T. Esper @MarkTEsper]

In this interview I lay out at least three possible outcomes in this war, the difficulty of achieving each, and how long each might take. Plus, I discuss the ongoing concerns over U.S. munitions stockpiles and production capacity. War is ultimately a contest of wills and resources, however. https://t.co/nvGG8SXmRY

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

The #IranWar is entering a dangerous phase.

As U.S.–Israeli strikes continue and Iran retaliates across the region, we did a rapid-turn interview with former Defense Secretary @MarkTEsper to break down what’s happening — and what comes next.

We cover:
• #Trump’s decision to strike
• Sustainability of the air campaign
• U.S. munitions capacity
• #Shahed drones & Gulf escalation
• Leadership decapitation
• The #China and #India angles
• The war’s possible endgame

Listen/watch 👇

Spotify: https://t.co/xhbHSFhVHJ
Apple: https://t.co/UdKC1tRPqr
YouTube: https://t.co/jHSVGvDalc

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

After the Austin shooting, questions about terrorism resurfaced.

Are Iranian sleeper cells a threat inside the U.S.?

Former FBI counterterrorism official Javed Ali explains why lone wolf attacks are more likely.

Spotify: https://t.co/c1ikETDbzE
Apple: https://t.co/H8vfdfmcA8

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

Spotify: https://t.co/cHJzAkpocB
Apple: https://t.co/H8vfdfmcA8
YouTube: https://t.co/pPHVUEOmD5

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

Why is Iran hitting targets across the Gulf?

Former NSC official Javed Ali explains Tehran’s strategy — and why Gulf states may be getting pulled into the conflict.

🎙️ Watch the clip ↓

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

Listen on the following platforms 👇

Spotify: https://t.co/cHJzAkpocB
Apple: https://t.co/H8vfdfmcA8
YouTube: https://t.co/pPHVUEOmD5

[The Burn Bag @BurnBagPod]

The intensifying conflict between the U.S., #Israel, and #Iran — and the killing of Ayatollah #Khamenei — may flip the regional script.

Are we heading toward wider war?

We sat down with former NSC official Javed Ali to break down what comes next. 🎙️👇

#MiddleEastConflict