The U.S.-Iran war has now dragged on for over a month, sending shockwaves across the globe. In this episode, Prof. Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), and Prof. Shao Yuqun, Director of the Institute for Hong Kong and Macao Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), sits down with Prof. John Gong from the University of International Business and Economics. Prof. Gong draws on his experience living and working in both the United States and Israel to provide in-depth analysis of the current situation. The discussion focuses on the military and energy stalemate one month after the U.S.-Israeli "Epic Fury" operation against Iran, examining the trajectory of the conflict, its impact on the global economy, the prospects for U.S. policy, and China's strategic options.

01:37Conflict trajectory and the US-Israel strategic goals

10:01U.S. endgame and the risk of a "military quagmire"

16:05Military strikes and Iran's nuclearization

19:18Impact on the global economy and global petroleum reserves

30:02Fractures in the Transatlantic relationship

32:58The Middle East conflict and the situation in Ukraine

36:38A "Suez Moment" for American hegemony?

40:10China's role and mediation efforts