The Rachman Review

Gideon discusses the Iran war with defence analyst Jack Watling, author of Statecraft - The New Rules of Power in a Divided World. Why did the US fail to foresee the need to protect the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route? What options are there to bring the war to a close?
Clip: NYT

Free links to read more on this topic:
Iran vows retaliation against energy sites across Gulf after largest gasfield hit
Trump ally warns US economy not strong enough to cope with Iran war
Iran still seen capable of escalating attacks on Gulf’s energy
Israel says it has killed Iran’s top security official
Top US counterterrorism official resigns over war against Iran

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.
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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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Introducing Opus Dei, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. Host Antonia Cundy uncovers the cultural and political influence of a controversial Catholic organisation in America. Opus Dei exists to help people get closer to God, but some members say they found other agendas – and unexpected harm – entangled in that spiritual mission. The first episode of Untold: Opus Dei launches March 25.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Gideon speaks to Sir Simon Gass, a former UK ambassador to Iran, about why the formidable destructive power of the US and Israel has failed to dislodge the Islamic regime. They discuss how long the war can continue as well as likely outcomes for the US, Iran and the Gulf region. Clip: Middle East Eye

Free links to read more on this topic:
Trump’s Venezuela strategy has failed in Iran
Iranians rethink the price of regime change
Iran official says new supreme leader is ‘fine’ despite absence from view
Drones, lasers and radars: Middle East war spurs hunt for cheaper air defence
Taco on Iran will come too late for Trump

Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.
Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.
Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachman

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon discusses the US and Israeli war against Iran with Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. What are the war aims, can they be achieved and where does this leave the future of the region and its relations with Israel? Clips: CBS; CNN

Free links to read more on this topic:
Gulf insurance costs soar 12-fold despite Trump guarantee
Trump has no realistic plan for Iran’s future
Military briefing: how Iran could wage a new ‘tanker war’
The cynical opportunities of ‘Epic Fury’
The influencers leaping to Dubai’s defence

Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.
Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.
Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachman

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon discusses the state of peace talks on Ukraine with Boris Johnson at a conference organised by the Yalta European Strategy group in Kyiv. The former UK prime minister offers his view of what needs to be done to bring an end to the conflict: put more pressure on Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Otherwise, we are “setting a course for years more of conflict”. Clip: BBC

Free links to read more on this topic:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says war in Ukraine at ‘beginning of the end’
European leaders express solidarity with Ukraine as US hangs back
Ukraine’s economy shows grit amid lasting war damage
Europe re-arms as US slows defence spending

Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.
Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.

Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachman

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.