The Situation Around Iran. An Expert Discussion

On March 5, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion on the situation surrounding Iran. How will the situation around Iran develop? How stable will the Iranian political system be after the deaths of several high-ranking officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei? Could the current conflict escalate into a full-scale war in the Middle East involving multiple players? How will the operation against Iran affect Donald Trump's position ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections? Speakers: Daniel Levy, President of the U.S./Middle East Project (USMEP) Alexander Maryasov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Thailand and Permanent Representative to ESCAP (2010-2014), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Iran (2001-2005) Jennifer Kavanagh, Senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities Nikolay Surkov, Senior Researcher, Center for the Middle East Studies, IMEMO RAS Moderator: Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club