Shay Khatiri returns to Secrets of Statecraft to examine the internal dynamics of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the current context of war, protest, and long-term political decay. Reflecting on his experience in the 2009 Green Movement and subsequent exile, Khatiri argues that the regime has evolved into a security state dominated by military interests, while losing both public trust and religious legitimacy. The discussion explores the prospects for regime change, the role of opposition figures, the risks of civil conflict, and the broader geopolitical implications—including Iran’s nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz. A detailed and sobering assessment of Iran’s present—and its uncertain future.

Andrew Roberts sits down with Oxford theologian and historian Nigel Biggar to explore the personal and intellectual firestorm surrounding his work on empire, colonialism, and reparations. Biggar recounts how his “Ethics and Empire” project triggered a coordinated campaign to shut it down, how a major publisher canceled his book at the last minute, and how it ultimately went on to become a bestseller. Along the way, he challenges what he calls the “tyranny of imaginary guilt” shaping modern debates about Britain’s past, questions the case for reparations, and reflects on the broader implications for academic freedom, free speech, and the politics of history in the West today.

Andrew Roberts is joined by Dan Wang, Hoover research fellow and the author of Breakneck to explore the shifting balance of global power between China, the United States, and Europe. Wang argues that China’s massive manufacturing capacity, rapid electrification, and relentless infrastructure building are giving it a growing edge—even as Western democracies struggle with regulation, litigation, and political gridlock. The conversation ranges from tariffs, engineering education, and the “vetocracy” holding back Western construction to the geopolitics of EVs, AI regulation, and China’s demographic future. They also discuss the possibility of rising populism in Europe, and whether the West can rediscover the ambitious engineering spirit that once built Hoover Dam and the Apollo program.