In Our Defence

A month into the Iran war, the battlefield story is changing rapidly. What began as high-impact US–Israel strikes has now entered an uncertain phase: drone warfare, energy and economic pressure through Hormuz, and now a sudden “pause” announced by Donald Trump. Is this the beginning of the end? Or just a tactical pause before the next round?

On the latest episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan break down:

- What the Iran war looks like right now

- Whether the U.S. pause is real diplomacy or strategic signalling

- Iran’s response and the risk of escalation

- Pakistan’s surprise role as a potential mediator

- Why does the United States, with the most powerful military in the world, keep getting pulled into long, inconclusive wars?

From Vietnam to Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya, and now Iran the episode explores recurring pattern: Fast military success, followed by messy, unresolved endings.

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Aman Pal

The Gulf war has widened, energy infrastructure is under threat, and the Strait of Hormuz is once again at the centre of global anxiety. For India, this is not some faraway crisis. It is about oil, LPG, shipping, diaspora safety, relations with Iran, growing ties with Israel, and the limits of diplomacy when all your important partners are in the same conflict.

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan unpack India's response to the Iran-Israel war so far. Did Delhi go too quiet too early? Or was that caution part of a deliberate strategy to preserve leverage, protect shipping, and keep channels open with all sides?

They discuss:

- How India-Iran ties evolved after 1979

- Why Tehran still seems willing to engage Delhi

- Whether and why India's initial response was too muted

- Whether India really has tilted toward Israel

- How different India's stand in this conflict from its historic positions

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti

Nearly two weeks into Operation Epic Fury, the war in West Asia has spilled over from the streets of Tehran to the depths of the Indian Ocean. In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan break down the most chaotic week in modern strategic history.

The two also dive into the sinking of the IRIS Dena, an Iranian frigate that was literally a guest at the Indian Navy’s MILAN 2026 exercise before being torpedoed by a US submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka. What message was the US trying to send by sinking a warship far away from the theatre of conflict?

Also on the episode: How for Iran, winning is equal to just suriving and how global players such as France and China will be looking at this conflict.

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti

With the possible loss of a third HAL Tejas in Gujarat, the delayed response from authorities, and the controversy that has followed, renewed scrutiny is now on India’s indigenous fighter programme.

Questions are mounting: Has the IAF really lost another Tejas? Why the delay in official communication? And what does this mean for the Mark 1A rollout?

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan discuss the controversy, the difference between Mark 1 and Mark 1A and the future of India’s indigenous fighter program.

The two discuss:

* Why the IAF hasn’t fully accepted the Mark 1A yet

* The GE 404 and 414 engine bottleneck

* Indigenous content — how Indian is Tejas really?

* The HAL–IAF dynamic and the larger structural silos

* Why fighter squadron anxiety is shaping procurement decisions

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

With the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) clearing the monumental Rs 3.25 lakh crore deal for 114 Rafale jets just as French President Emmanuel Macron lands in India, the Indian Air Force is closer to getting the muscle it desperately needs. But what does this "Mother of All Deals" mean for India's indigenous fighter programs?

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan unpack the proposed Rafale deal and break down the strategic and financial realities of buying 114 Rafales.

The two explore the 'Make in India' angle of the deal and what it means for India's private sector.

Most importantly, Dev and Sandeep ask the tough question: Will paying for 114 French jets bankrupt the homegrown Tejas Mk2 or is it a calculated move to buy time and secure our skies?

Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Aman Pal