Interview

China’s Stealth Support of Iran: A Conversation with Mona Yacoubian

Mona Yacoubian, director and senior adviser of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Bonny Lin to discuss the state of the war in Iran, its economic ramifications, and Beijing’s evolving relationship with Tehran. The conversation explores China’s “stealth support” for Iran, the extent of Beijing’s influence, and whether China is using that leverage to help end the conflict. The episode was recorded on the afternoon of Monday, October 5, 2026.

Sources: CSIS (YouTube)

How Iran Smuggles Parts for its Drones | The High Top

Kate Koren, deputy director of the Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business at CSIS, and Jon B. Alterman, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, discuss the global supply chains behind Iran’s weapons and the limits of the tools Washington uses to disrupt them.

Their conversation examines how cheap, decades-old commercial components end up inside Iranian drones and missiles, why China and Russia have done little to stop the flow, and how the war is shaping the way the UAE and India approach trade with Iran and the United States. Iran cannot make the integrated circuits that guide its weapons, but the basic chips, motors, and propellant chemicals it relies on are ubiquitous and move through a global trading system that handles nearly a billion shipping containers and 250 billion parcels a year.

Export controls cannot fully stop the flow of such parts, but they can raise costs, cause delays, and slow Iran’s ability to replenish what it fires, making the effort less a battle to be won than a constant fight.

Sources: CSIS (YouTube)

Russian Roulette Live Podcast | Hanna Notte on Putin’s Global Campaign to Defeat the West

Hanna Notte, author of the new book We Shall Outlast Them: Putin’s Global Campaign to Defeat the West, will join the CSIS Russian Roulette podcast for a live discussion on Tuesday, October 6th, 2026, on Russia’s evolving global strategy. The conversation covers how Russia’s war in Ukraine has expanded into a broader contest over the global order, drawing on reporting from more than a dozen countries.

Notte, director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, examines how the Kremlin has adapted its foreign policy, built new partnerships, navigated sanctions, and expanded influence across the Global South. She is joined by Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center at CSIS, and Maria Snegovaya, senior fellow with the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program.

Sources: CSIS (YouTube)

The Need for a New Refugee Response in the Middle East

Will Todman, senior fellow in the CSIS Middle East Program, argues that a new geopolitical opening makes a radical rethinking of the Syrian refugee response possible. His new report, “The Self-Reliance Dividend: The Imperative of Syrian Refugees’ Economic Inclusion,” draws on over 100 interviews and research trips to Syria, Jordan, and the Gulf.

Todman says that after 15 years and tens of billions of dollars in aid, most refugees remain dependent on aid, excluded from formal labor markets, and burdened by debt. He highlights that full economic participation could cut annual costs by 89%.

Sources: CSIS (YouTube)

Trump-Xi Summit, USTR’s G20 trade ministers meeting, and EU-China Trade Updates

On the latest episode of the Trade Guys podcast, hosts Scott Miller and Bill Reinsch discuss the results of the Trump-Xi summit, where the two leaders agreed to extend the trade truce until January 10th. They note that while the summit was heavy on pageantry and light on substance, it helped reduce tensions and included agreements to continue talks on artificial intelligence.

The episode also covers the U.S. Trade Representative’s gathering of G20 trade ministers in Milwaukee. Finally, they unpack why the EU is pressing China to limit exports of hybrid vehicles.

Sources: CSIS (YouTube)

Hybrid Attacks and Political Whiplash: Germany, Greenland, and Burnham’s EU Push

Max and Otto discuss Andy Burnham’s push to improve UK relations with the EU, the new deal signed by the U.S., Denmark and Greenland, and warnings of escalating Russian hybrid attacks in Europe. Max is then joined by Jeremy Cliffe, editorial director and senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, to discuss the political situation in Germany, including AfD victories in regional elections, strain on mainstream parties, and Merz’s leadership crisis.

Sources: CSIS (YouTube)

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