War With Iran: The Ayatollah's Death, Trump's Gamble, and the Gulf Under Fire with fmr. NSC Senior Director Javed Ali

In this episode of The Burn Bag, A’ndre Gonawela sits down with former NSC Senior Director Javed Ali to unpack the rapidly escalating crisis between the United States, Israel, and Iran following the February 28 strikes that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the ongoing exchanges of fire.

They examine how Tehran is likely interpreting the strikes, why this moment differs from past U.S.–Iran flare-ups, and what Iran’s retaliation ladder could look like across missiles, proxies, maritime disruption, and asymmetric tools. The conversation also explores the risks of regional spillover, why Iran is hitting the Gulf states, the leadership shock inside Iran, and whether any credible off-ramp still exists.

With tensions rising across the Gulf and no clear endgame in sight, this episode breaks down what policymakers, businesses, and observers should be watching next.

Read Javed's piece in the conversation here.