On March 5 at 4:00 PM Moscow Time, the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion on the situation surrounding Iran.
At the end of February, the third round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States regarding Tehran's nuclear programme took place in Geneva. On the eve of the meeting, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasised the existence of a “historic opportunity” to reach an unprecedented agreement capable of stabilising the region. However, immediately following the talks, the United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran, the stated goal of which is the dismantling of the Iranian nuclear and missile programmes, with the undisguised broader ambition of regime change.
Responding to this aggression, Iran attacked US and other Western military installations in the Middle East. In terms of scale and the number of countries involved, the conflict has already surpassed the 12-Day War of June 2025 and has become an existential threat for Iran, mobilising all of the country's resources.
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? Participants in the discussion will attempt to answer these and other questions.
Speakers:
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Daniel Levy, President of the U.S./Middle East Project (USMEP)
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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)
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Jennifer Kavanagh, Senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities
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Nikolay Surkov, Senior Researcher, Center for the Middle East Studies, IMEMO RAS
Moderator:
- Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club
Working languages: Russian, English
Information for the media: In order to get accredited for the event, please fill out the form on our website. If you have any questions about the event, please call +79269307763.
Links to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, X (formerly Twitter), VK, Telegram and Dzen.
