The Take

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Brief: Israel and US continue to strike in Iran, Israel closes all Gaza crossings Mar 08, 2026

Show notes

This week: 158 days into a ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 640 Palestinians in Gaza. Israel and US continue to strike in Iran, Israel closes all Gaza crossings. Lebanon’s central Beirut bombed by Israel.

Israel has killed more than 72,123 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7th, 2023.

In this episode:

Mohamed Vall, Al Jazeera Journalist
Zeina Khodr, (@ZeinakhodrAljaz) Al Jazeera Correspondent
Hind Al Khoudary, (@Hind_Gaza) Al Jazeera Correspondent
Zein Basravi, @virtualzein) Al Jazeera Senior Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced and mixed by Marthe van der Wolf. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Andrew Greiner and Munera AlDosari is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Another Take: What is Iran’s right to resist regime change? Mar 07, 2026

Show notes

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on June 23, 2025. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.

Israel claims Iran is closer than ever to building a nuclear weapon. But as it targets Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his nation’s attacks will also “liberate” Iranians. In a civilization shaped by millennia of empire and resistance, those words land differently. What does liberation mean to Iranians as the US and Israel call for regime change?

In this episode:

Hamid Dabashi (@dabashihamid), Professor, Columbia University

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Tamara Khandaker. The original production team was Chloe K. Li, Sonia Bhagat, Haleema Shah, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Tamara Khandaker, Mariana Navarrete, Noor Wazwaz, Kylene Kiang, and our guest host, Manuel Rápalo.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement and Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

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@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

How is the US using Anthropic's Claude AI in Iran? Mar 06, 2026

Show notes

Tools from Anthropic and OpenAI are being used by the Pentagon to make military decisions in Iran, guiding decisions could cost lives. Fast, powerful, or flawed, how have AI systems already changed how wars are fought?

In this episode:

Heidy Khlaaf (@hak90), Principal Research Scientist, AI Now Institute

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé, Sarí el-Khalilí, Chloe K. Li, and Noor Wazwaz, with Spencer Cline, Tuleen Barakat, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

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@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

What the world is getting wrong about what Iranians think Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

From inside Iran to the diaspora, Iranians are deeply divided about their country’s future. With Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gone and Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former shah, waiting in the wings, what do conversations about regime change reveal about the spectrum of what Iranians really think?

In this episode:

Yara Elmjouie (@yelmjouie), AJ+ Journalist

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz, Marcos Bartolomé, and Catherine Nouhan, with Spencer Cline, Tuleen Barakat, Maya Hamadeh, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Why Washington can’t stop Trump on Iran Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

Inside the Washington bubble, we look inside the chaos shaping the US-Israeli war on Iran, from celebrations at DC power dinners and the Secretary of State admitting US defense of Israel to the Epstein files fading from public view. With low popular support for the war, can American voters do anything to stop it?

In this episode:

Patty Culhane (@PattyCulhane), Al Jazeera English Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé, Sari el-Khalili, and Catherine Nouhan, with Spencer Cline, Tuleen Barakat, Maya Hamadeh, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke. Special thanks to James Hamilton.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Why Iran’s system may endure the US–Israel strikes Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

With Iran’s supreme leader killed and retaliation unfolding, the US and Israel appear to be testing the durability of the Islamic Republic. But Iran’s political system was designed to survive leadership loss and outside pressure. What does Washington misunderstand about Tehran’s structure, and how far is Iran prepared to go?

In this episode:

Ali Hashem, Al Jazeera Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé, Sarí el-Khalili, David Enders, and Tamara Khandaker, with Spencer Cline, Catherine Nouhan, Tuleen Barakat, Maya Hamadah, Noor Wazwaz, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

‘The Truth Social war’: the US playbook for war with Iran Mar 01, 2026

Show notes

The US-Israeli war with Iran is here, and so is the information war. We track how “major combat operations” were announced and sold on Truth Social, the echoes of the Iraq war, and what claims about “threats” and “self-defense” mean for the Iranian people. With Tehran confirming Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death and its retaliation unfolding, we examine the start of a war that could reshape the region.

In this episode:

Imran Khan, Al Jazeera Senior Correspondent and Anchor

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Alexandra Locke, Marcos Bartolomé, Noor Wazwaz, and Sonia Bhagat, with Spencer Cline, Catherine Nouhan, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by David Enders and Alexandra Locke.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Brief: Day 2 of US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Supporters mourn Khamenei Mar 01, 2026

Show notes

This week: 151 days into a ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 618 Palestinians in Gaza. Israel and the United States are attacking Iran and have killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme leader.

Israel has killed more than 72,082 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7th, 2023.

In this episode:

Tohid Asadi, Al Jazeera Correspondent
Victoria Gatenby, Al Jazeera Producer
Manuel Rapalo, Al Jazeera Correspondent
Nida Ibrahim, Al Jazeera Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by David Enders. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Andrew Greiner and Munera AlDosari is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Another Take: Imani Barbarin on disability rights, COVID and Gaza Feb 28, 2026

Show notes

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on xx, 20xx. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.

Why does the public understanding of disability lag so far behind reality? TikTok influencer and disability activist Imani Barbarin lays this out for her audiences on social media, where she has amassed nearly a million followers across platforms. In this episode, Barbarin shares her perspectives on disability at the intersection of issues, including COVID and the genocidal war on Gaza.

In this episode:

Imani Barbarin (@Imani_Barbarin), Disability Advocate

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Melanie Marich and Sarí el-Khalili. The original production team was Melanie Marich and Haleema Shah, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Tracie Hunte, Diana Ferrero, Fatima Shafiq, Farhan Rafid, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and Noor Wazwaz.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Aaron Bushnell, Gaza and the meaning of ‘no longer complicit’ Feb 27, 2026

Show notes

Aaron Bushnell, a member of the US air force, set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, in an act of political protest over Israel’s war in Gaza. Bushnell livestreamed his death, saying he no longer wanted to be complicit in genocide. Two years later, how did his message resonate?

This is a story from the archives. This originally aired on February 28, 2024. None of the dates, titles or other references from that time have been changed.

In this episode: