The US-Iran War, Eight Weeks Later: Hardening Frontlines, Regional Shockwaves, and Global Collaterals
Speaker : Prof. D. Suba Chandran
Professor & Dean, School of Conflict and Security Studies, NIAS.
@ : subachandran@nias.res.in
Chairperson : Dr. V V Binoy
Associate Professor, NIAS.
@ : vvbinoy@nias.res.in
Date : 29 April 2026
Time : 9.30 AM
Venue : Conference Hall
Abstract: Eight weeks later, the US-Iran War has moved beyond a bilateral and localized military exchange. The lecture will look at the current state of the war through three primary analytical verticals.
First, the lecture will examine the “Hardening Frontlines” between the primary combatants—the US, Israel, and Iran. While Trump has aggressively expanded the US endgame with force as a primary strategy, the regime in Iran, despite significant leadership and material losses, has refused to yield. Both has led to a dangerous political and military stalemate.
Second, the lecture will analyse the “Regional Shockwaves” radiating from Lebanon to Pakistan. It addresses an existential threat posed to the Gulf monarchies by Iran’s weaponization of the Strait of Hormuz and poses a political dilemma between diplomatic and military responses.
Third, the lecture will assess the “Global Collaterals” analysing its impact on the post-Second World War liberal order. From the economic precarity of smaller states like Sri Lanka and Nepal to the paralysis of global institutions, the war highlights a fragmented world in transition.
The lecture will conclude by exploring the trajectories of the conflict: How will this war end, and what lessons does it offer for the future of global politics?
About the speaker Prof D Suba Chandran is Dean, School of Conflict and Security Studies and the Editor of NIAS Conflict Weekly, and The World This Week.