In this episode, Mona Yacoubian joins Bonny Lin to discuss the current state of the war in Iran, the economic ramifications of the war, and Beijing's evolving relationship with Tehran. The conversation explores China's "stealth support" for Iran and the extent of Beijing's influence over Tehran as well as whether China is using that leverage to help bring the conflict to an end.
Mona Yacoubian is director and senior adviser of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
This episode was recorded on the afternoon of Monday, October 5, 2026.
———————————————
A nonpartisan institution, CSIS is the top national security think tank in the world.
Visit to find more of our work as we bring bipartisan solutions to the world's greatest challenges.
