It is day seven of Israel and America's war on Iran, after the heaviest night of bombardment so far. Correspondent Fred Pleitgen and his photojournalist and producer, Claudia Otto, are in Tehran - the first US team in the country since the start of the war. They are operating there only with the permission of the Iranian government. While anti-government protesters are off the streets, trying to avoid retribution, the government is allowing us to see crowds of its supporters.  Also on today's show: Mehdi Mahmoudian, Iranian Human Rights Activist; Dan Shapiro, Former US Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary; David Frum, Staff writer, The Atlantic

Mar 6, 2026

Today's show begins with a special report from CNN Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen and his team. It's the first time a reporter from a US network has been allowed into the country since the start of the war.  Also on today's show: Admiral Mike Mullen (Ret.), Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Abbas Milani, Director of Iranian Studies, Stanford University & Scott Anderson, Author, "King of Kings"; Noah Feldman, Professor, Harvard Law School

Mar 5, 2026

Israel is conducting yet another wave of strikes across Iran and Lebanon, while the US says its heaviest attacks are still to come. Five days in, the Trump administration is trying to project a clear and unified message after failing to answer basic questions about its mission. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy is on the Foreign Relations Committee, and he was among a group of senators briefed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday evening. He joined Christiane from Capitol Hill just ahead of the Senate vote on whether to authorize this war.  Also on today's show: Former Saudi intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal; Former MI6 Chief John Sawers

Mar 4, 2026

Israel bombed Iran's Assembly of Experts compound in the holy city of Qom today while its members were voting to elect the country's next supreme leader. In Beirut, the Israeli air force is striking Hezbollah targets as their forces seize ground in Southern Lebanon. And in Saudi Arabia, the US warns there is a threat of imminent attacks, after its embassy was struck by suspected Iranian drones. To discuss all this we turn to former CIA Director David Petraeus.  Also on today's show: Amos Harel, Defense Analyst, Haaretz; Chrystia Freeland, Economic Advisor to President Zelensky / Former Canadian Deputy PM and Foreign Minister

Mar 3, 2026

War is spreading across the Middle East, as more countries are feeling the impact of the conflict launched by the US and Israel against Iran. Jon Finer was Deputy National Security Advisor under President Biden and he joins the show to discuss whether there is a path to de-escalation.  Also on today's show: Ellie Geranmayeh, Deputy Director, MENA Program, European Council on Foreign Relations; Col. Cedric Leighton, US Air Force (Retired); NPR political reporter Stephen Fowler

Mar 2, 2026

Environmental and health groups have filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency after the Trump administration moved to rescind the "endangerment finding," a 2009 determination that established that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare. That simple conclusion became the foundation for nearly ever rule limiting pollution for the last seventeen years. Former Democratic Governor of Washington Jay Inslee, a national leader on climate action, joins the show from Portland, Oregon.   Also on today's show: Famed filmmaker Werner Herzog and conservation biologist Steve Boyes discuss "Ghost Elephants"; former NYT opinion columnist David Brooks

Feb 27, 2026

Nuclear talks between the US and Iran in Geneva have been "intense" and "serious," according to an Iranian official. The world is still waiting to see if a diplomatic off-ramp can be found, or if the enormous buildup of US military assets in the region will be deployed.  Meanwhile, details are still coming to light about the regime's bloody January crackdown on protesters. Jomana Karadsheh brings you a chilling report, including testimony from victims' families who say they were forced to lie a...Show morebout how their loved ones died.  Also on today' show: AI researcher Nate Soares; director Morgan Neville ("Man on the Run"); professor of dermatology Dr. Jean Tang and EB Research Partnership CEO Michael Hund

Feb 26, 2026

Donald Trump beat his own record Tuesday night, delivering the longest State of the Union speech in American history. The president boasted about his accomplishments while slamming Democrats for "destroying the country." Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger gave the rebuttal, focused squarely on what her party considers Trump's weakness right now: kitchen table issues.  Joining the program to discuss is Gregg Nunziata, Executive Director of the Society for the Rule of Law, and Susan Glasser, a longtime journalist and staff writer for the New Yorker.

Feb 25, 2026

A moment of silence in Kyiv today as Ukrainians mark a grim milestone: four years of war, with hundreds of thousands killed and many more wounded. Now, President Zelensky is doing everything in his power to convince his allies to stick with Ukraine. Journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk joins the show from Kyiv where she's been asking people how they feel about the war, four years on.  Also on today's show: Michael Kofman, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Craig Renaud, director of the new documentary "Armed Only with a Camera" about his journalist brother's killing in Ukraine; cognitive scientist Maya Shankar, author of "The Other Side of Change"

Feb 24, 2026

Gang members in Mexico are retaliating against the killing of most-wanted cartel boss "El Mencho," torching buses and businesses, clashing with security forces, and setting hundreds of blockades across 20 Mexican states. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum told the country this morning that peace and security is "being maintained" and stressed the key role Mexico's military played in the operation. Mexican scholar Viri Rios joins the show from Mexico City.  Also on today's show: CNN International Correspondent Max Foster; Yale Law School professor Natasha Sarin; Johns Hopkins professor Vali Nasr; legendary musician Wynton Marsalis

Feb 23, 2026