Amanpour

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    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 about 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    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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"    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dive into powerful stories this week, from Cardinal Tobin’s stance on immigration to the groundbreaking arrest of ex-Prince Andrew. Plus, don’t miss our segment from the past on Ukraine’s drone innovation! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Next week, Ukraine will mark a violent anniversary: four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion. The war has already reshaped Europe’s security order, strained Western unity, and tested the limits of diplomacy. It’s a conflict that historian Serhii Plokhy explores in his new book "David and Goliath: Commentaries on the Russo-Ukrainian War." He joins the show to discuss.  Also on today's show: actors Billy Crudup and Denise Gough; author Emily Galvin    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the first time since King Charles I in 1647, a senior British royal has been arrested. Today, police took Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew, into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Andrew's fall from grace began in 2019, when journalist Emily Maitlis sat down with him inside Buckingham Palace for a notorious, hour-long interview about his relationship with Epstein. Mattis joins Christiane in London to discuss this latest development.  Also on today's show: Rafael Grossi, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency; Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey; journalist/biographer A'Lelia Bundles    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

US-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine wrapped up in Geneva today after just about two hours. Both sides say there is progress. Still, Moscow launched a wave of aerial attacks just hours before this round of talks began. Barham Salih has just been appointed the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, having previously served as president of Iraq. He joins from Ukraine.  Also on today's show: Joachim Trier, Director & Co-writer, “Sentimental Value”; CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta; author Jon Meacham    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a day of dual diplomacy in the Geneva area, as President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner attempt to negotiate with Iran to avert a wider war. Also on the agenda, attempting to end Russia’s war on Ukraine as it approaches its fifth year. Wendy Sherman is a former US Deputy Secretary Of State, who negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. She joins to discuss these two critical negotiations.  Also on today's show: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen & British Prime Minister Keir Starmer; David Holland, Professor, Atmosphere/Ocean Science, New York University    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been almost four years since Russia's brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Now, Ukrainian negotiators are headed to Geneva to meet with Russia and the United States for the next round of talks, hoping to hammer out a ceasefire agreement. In Munich, Christiane sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, alongside NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, and US Republican Senator Roger Wicker.  Also on today's show: Jesús Armas, Freed Venezuelan opposition activist; Margaret Hany, Professor of Neurobiology, Columbia University Medical Center  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A transatlantic turning point from the Munich Security Conference! Dive deep into the future of Iran, as we sit down with key leaders and voices from across the globe. Don't miss our in-depth analysis and conversations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

According to the latest annual report by Human Rights Watch, President Donald Trump is pushing America towards authoritarian rule. It says nearly three-quarters of the global population now live under autocratic rulers - putting democracy at its lowest point in forty years. It's a bleak reality that our first guest saw coming. Writer and activist Ece Temelkuran left Turkey ten years ago after learning she might be arrested for criticizing President Erdogan. Temelkuran joins the show to discuss her new book, "Nation of Strangers."   Also on today's show: Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson, Qatar Museums and Doha Film Institute; Tig Notaro, co-producer of “Come See Me in the Good Light," joined by the subject of the documentary, poet Megan Falley    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eighty years of peaceful world order are under unprecedented harm, thanks to the "wrecking-ball politics" led by US President Donald Trump. That's the assessment of European security experts who are getting set to host world leaders and diplomats at the pivotal Munich Security Conference starting tomorrow. Robert Kagan is a traditional conservative foreign policy scholar, he calls himself a "former Republican" and his latest piece for the Atlantic is about America and the world. He joins the show from Washington.  Also on today's show: actor Delroy Lindo; author Chris Jennings    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

47 years ago today, Iran was declared an Islamic republic, after a year-long revolution that toppled a Shah and sent shockwaves throughout the world. And this anniversary sees the regime in its fiercest fight for survival yet. Last month, hundreds of thousands of Iranians rose up in protest, demanding change, before authorities brutally cracked down. The government itself admits to more than 3,000 deaths, but the real number could be in the tens of thousands, according to human rights groups. The violence and intimidation continue even in prison. Detained Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi has been viciously assaulted, according to the Nobel Committee, whose leader Jørgen Frydnes joins from Oslo.  Also on today's show: Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen; Sara Khaki & Mohammadreza Eyni, co-directors of Oscar-nominated Iranian documentary "Cutting Through Rocks"; Scott Galloway, professor at the NYU Stern School of Business    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amidst tension in the Middle East, nuclear diplomacy progresses. Inside Iran, it's now more than a month since the brutal crackdown on political dissent began. Hadi Ghaemi Is Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, researching and documenting rights violations there. He joins the show to discuss.  Also on today's show: NPR Correspondent Brian Mann from the Olympics; Rappler CEO and Nobel Peace Prize laureated Maria Ressa    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The children of Hong Kong democracy activist Jimmy Lai are speaking out after their 78-year old father was sentenced to 20 years in jail for violating national security laws. Lai, who is a British citizen, denies all charges, saying he's a political prisoner, the target of persecution from Beijing. Correspondent Kristie Lu Stout reports from Hong Kong.  Also on today's show: Rush Doshi, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Tom Tugendhat, British Conservative MP; Dara Massicot, senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Former US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The United States is intensifying its focus on Cuba, after removing its ally Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela. Can Havana withstand the pressure?  Bianna Golodryga speaks to Cuba's deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio in a rare interview from Havana. And, the Brazilian film dazzling critics: "The Secret Agent." Oscar-nominated Wagner Moura and director Kleber Mendonca Filho join the program from New York. Then, a troubling report on the African men Russia is funneling to the frontlines in Ukraine. Plus, "Mr. Nobody Against Putin"...the Oscar-nominated documentary about a Russian teacher who caught on video the Kremlin propaganda aimed at children. And from the archives, Christiane's 1988 trip to meet the singers vying to perform at the Calgary Opening Ceremonies.   Air date: February 7, 2026   Guests: Carlos Fernández de Cossío David Borenstein Wagner Moura & Kleber Mendonça Filho Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Conflict is raging in more than 30 countries around the world, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace. Each conflict is creating a dire humanitarian situation for innocent civilians, but many aid organizations now call Sudan the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Volker Türk is the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights. He just visited Sudan and joined the show to tell us what he saw there.  Also on today's show: Director/writer Kleber Mendonça Filho and actor Wagner Moura, "The Secret Agent"; Jodi Kantor, Investigative Reporter, The New York Times    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices