Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program continue behind the scenes as Washington escalates its threat of military action against Iran. But while the Trump administration insists the conflict is about security, Iranian state media is pushing a very different narrative. In other words, the crisis is a deliberate distraction from the Epstein scandal that continues to implicate the US president.
Contributor:
Dina Esfandiary – Head of Middle East, Bloomberg Economics
Fereshteh Sadeghi – Iranian journalist
Jamal Abdi – President of the National Iranian American Council
Sina Toossi – Senior Fellow, International Policy Center
On our radar:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel last week in a carefully planned show of solidarity. PM Modi’s visit was celebrated in Israeli media, but criticism by Indian journalists was blocked back home. I will leave it to the two leaders to sign an arms agreement that will strengthen our already important military partnership.
The Rise of the Digital Micro Bolsonaro
Almost two years after Jair Bolsonaro was ousted from power in Brazil, the movement he built is looking for a new figurehead. An emerging generation of young, evangelical, ultra-online politicians is stepping in.
They leverage a sophisticated religious media machine that is decades old and has evolved from radio and television to a powerful force on social media. Political rights in Brazil are being reshaped for the digital age.
Features:
Anna Virginia Barcier – Journalist, Folha de São Paulo
Caro Evangelista – ISER Executive Director
Magali Cunha – Bereia Project Editor-in-Chief
Published February 28, 2026
