Amanpour

Latest Episodes:

THE IRAN WAR ESCALATES Mar 21, 2026

Show notes

As the war rages on, the question is - what does victory look like for everyone involved? We begin with the Iranian view with former nuclear negotiator and diplomat Seyed Hossein Mousavian. Then, from the U.S., the Pentagon senior advisor turned whistleblower who is warning of a dangerous disregard for civilian casualties in Iran. Correspondent Jomana Karadsheh then takes us to the people on the ground, to hear from the Iranians caught between foreign bombs and a repressive regime. Then, Christiane speaks to former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett about Israel's endgame in a war boosting Benjamin Netanyahu's popularity. From the archives, recalling the time Saddam Hussein miscalculated Iran's reaction to invasion and how the war forged the strategic mindset of the Islamic Republic. And finally, Iranians around the world mark Nowruz as war casts a dark shadow over celebrations.

Air date: March 21, 2026

Guests:

Seyed Hossein Mousavian

Wes Bryant

Naftali Bennett

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Trump's Request for Help Falls on Deaf Ears Mar 20, 2026

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"Not our war" is the message from America's top allies this week, after President Trump asked them to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Many NATO allies view his war on Iran as illegal, and, coming from a President who just two months ago was threatening Greenland, the request fell on deaf ears. Meanwhile, America's enemies may see a the situation as an opportunity. As US Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns witnessed Beijing's push for power up close, and he understands the complexity of America's diplomatic relations all too well. He was also US Ambassador to NATO, and he joined Christiane in London.

Also on today's show: former Pentagon analyst Wes J. Bryant; Michael Lynton & Joshua Steiner, authors of "From Mistakes to Meaning"

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Former US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

Arab and Islamic states are calling on Iran to cease attacks, while affirming their right to defend themselves under international law. This comes as the war in the Middle East becomes a war on energy, precipitated by Israel's attack on Iran's South Pars gas field on Wednesday, which is a crucial supply for the country. Oman's Foreign Minister, who brokered the recent nuclear talks, called this an "unlawful war" and the Trump administration's "greatest miscalculation," while US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says they're "on plan." Chuck Hagel was a Republican senator who served as US Defense Secretary under President Obama, and is also a decorated army veteran who fought in the Vietnam War. He joins the show from Washington.

Also on today's show: Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director, International Crisis Group; Sam Adler-Bell, Contributor, New York Magazine

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Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

Iran has vowed revenge for the killing of top security official Ali Larijani, who was taken out in an Israeli airstrike. Tehran has been ramping up attacks on Israel, with two pensioners killed in strikes on central Israel and almost 200 people hospitalized in 24 hours. Naftali Bennett served as Israel's Prime Minister until 2022 and joins the show to discuss what Israel's long term goal is.

Also on today’s show: Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Former Iranian diplomat/ Former Iranian nuclear negotiator; Edward Fishman, Author, “Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare”

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Growing Uncertainty Over Iran's Future Mar 17, 2026

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Iran's top security official has been "eliminated." That's according to Israel’s defense minister, who says Ali Larijani was killed in a targeted IDF strike. Larijani was one of Iran’s top decision makers, some calling him the de facto leader since the assassination of his former boss, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Larijani’s killing, if confirmed, plunges the nation, and its future, into even more uncertainty. Correspondent Jomana Karadsheh reports on the people caught between foreign bombs and a repressive regime.

Also on today's show: Karim Sadjadpour, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; former Afghan lawmaker Fawzia Koofi; Heidy Khlaaf, Chief AI Scientist, AI Now Institute

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US Allies Reject Trump's Call for Help Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

A growing energy crisis is sending oil prices soaring around the world. President Trump has been calling on US allies to assist in unblocking the Strait of Hormuz, but no countries have agreed to help. To assess the NATO response and the prospects of a military solution to unblocking the Strait, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Richard Shirreff, joins the show.

Also on today's show: Mohamed El-Erian, Chief Economic Adviser, Allianz / Professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Former Ukrainian Defense Minister; Kenneth Vogel, Reporter, The New York Times

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What is Trump's End Game for Iran? Mar 14, 2026

Show notes

Starting a war is easier than ending it, as they say, so two weeks after the US and Israel struck Iran, what is the exit strategy? Christiane Amanpour asks Elliott Abrams, Trump's former special representative for Iran. And as the war spills across the Middle East, Lebanon's Justice Minister Adel Nassar joins the program on his difficult mission to rein in the powerful militia group Hezbollah. Then, a report on the Iranian cluster missile attacks that are shaking Israelis. Plus, a look at the inner workings of the Iranian regime with experts Maryam Alemzadeh and Mostafa Daneshgar. And from the archives, we bring you exclusive footage acquired by CNN in the 1980s, and the story of a 17-year-old boy recruited by Iran's paramilitary group the Basij to act as a human minesweeper.

Air date: March 14, 2026

Guests:

Elliott Abrams

Adel NassarMaryam Alemzadeh & Mostafa Daneshgar

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Former Trump Special Rep. to Iran Elliott Abrams Mar 13, 2026

Show notes

The war in the Middle East is about to enter its third week with the US and Israel continuing major airstrikes across Iran, Tehran retaliating with asymmetric warfare, and a major situation developing in the Strait of Hormuz. Elliott Abrams was President Trump's point person on Iran during his first term, and he joins the show from Washington DC.

Also on today's show: author Reza Aslan, “An American Martyr in Persia”; Atlantic staff writer Caitlin Dickerson

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Iran Vows Revenge, Retribution Mar 12, 2026

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In a statement attributed to him and read by Iranian state TV, Iran's new supreme leader vows revenge, and pledges retribution for the death of his family. He also said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed, and called for US bases in the Middle East to be shuttered. Iran is escalating its attacks on global energy supplies and its Gulf neighbors, while President Trump is insisting the US has already won the war. New York Times Magazine staff writer Ronen Bergman joins the show to try and make sense of all this.

Also on today's show: Jeffrey DeLaurentis, former acting US ambassador to Cuba; former Golman Sachs Chairman/CEO Lloyd Blankfein

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Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

The US-Israel war on Iran is expanding, and regional leaders and aid agencies are warning that a humanitarian disaster is looming. In Lebanon, Israel is pounding southern Beirut, going after what it is describing as Hezbollah targets. It's a resounding message from Iran that, in this asymmetrical war, attacks will not go unanswered. Adel Nassar is Lebanon's justice minister and he joins the show from Beirut.

Also on today's show: Mostafa Daneshgar, Iranian political analyst & Maryam Alemzadeh, associate professor in history & politics of Iran university of Oxford; Vivian Salama, staff writer, the Atlantic

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