The world at war
War is raging in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan, while tensions are rising between China and Taiwan. What is driving this surge in global conflict, how should we respond and where, if anywhere, ar...
10 Sep 32min
Will Bessent’s ‘economic D-Day’ break Iran?
US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent is calling for an “economic D-Day” for the Iranian regime while threatening secondary sanctions on countries that do business with the country. Will this be more ef...
3 Sep 31min
Making the UN great again
The UN is choosing a new secretary-general at a time when it’s struggling to remain relevant. Sidelined in the wars in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East, and facing a severe funding crisis, the organ...
27 Aug 25min
The making of the modern Middle East
Gideon Rachman speaks to historian and author Simon Sebag Montefiore about his new book, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. They discuss the forces that shaped the region, from the Ot...
20 Aug 26min
Iran’s growing strategic ambitions
Gideon talks to Vali Nasr, author of Iran’s Grand Strategy and professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University, SAIS, about how the balance of power in the Middle East is changing. Aft...
13 Aug 29min
The weaponisation of trade
Tariffs, sanctions and chokepoints have become the weapon of choice to punish political rivals - but what happens when these fail? Gideon discusses the impact of geopolitical disputes on global trade ...
30 Jul 31min
Does Nato have a future without US leadership?
Gideon talks to Julianne Smith, former US ambassador to Nato about the future of the alliance. There seems to be greater transatlantic agreement on Ukraine, but tensions remain over Europe’s stance on...
23 Jul 28min
