CONFLICTED

Wassim Nasr, journalist and Sahel expert who reports on jihadist groups and regional conflicts. He unpacks France’s counterterrorism legacy in Mali. He traces Iyad al-Ghaly’s rise and JNIM’s evolution. He explains the JNIM–FLA rapprochement, the April 25 coordinated attacks, and why negotiations with Islamist actors are now on the table.

Sir Vince Cable, former UK Liberal Democrat leader and economist, reflects on postcolonial state-building and his Kenya experience. He explores globalization, the 2008 financial legacy, and why China and India are rising superstates. He debates democracy versus authoritarian efficiency, growing geoeconomic rivalry, and possible futures for a fractured world order.

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Russian-Israeli researcher and Princeton doctoral student who conducts field research in the Middle East and survived captivity by Kata'ib Hezbollah, unpacks Iraq’s militia-driven political economy. She explores Saddam’s faith campaign, the rise of Shia politics and the Sadrist movement. Conversations cover how militias extract wealth, their difference from Lebanese Hezbollah, impacts on daily life, and Iraq’s oil-dependent, dysfunctional governance.

Tim Weiner, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who has spent decades reporting on the CIA, discusses the agency as an instrument of presidential power. He covers the post‑Cold War identity collapse, the shift to global counterterrorism and drone warfare, the rise of torture and black sites, covert operations like Timber Sycamore, and why espionage differs from covert action.

A deep dive into how recent Iran negotiations unraveled and the fallout for regional diplomacy. Tense scenes from the Islamabad peace talks and Tehran’s stall tactics take center stage. Gulf leaders’ frustration with US policy and market-driven decision making gets unpacked. Strategic risks around the Strait of Hormuz and shifting military priorities are highlighted.

Jack Carr, former U.S. Navy SEAL sniper turned bestselling novelist and historian. He traces his path to the SEALs and sniper trade. He recalls Hell Week, maritime interdictions, and combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. He explores the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing and its long shadow on counterterrorism. He describes turning frontline experience into fiction and nonfiction.

A deep dive into why Pakistan-brokered Islamabad talks unraveled. Power struggles inside Tehran and an IRGC counter-coup shape Iran’s shifting demands. Plans to secure Iran’s uranium and U.S. concessions are examined. Regional incidents in the Gulf, seizures at sea, and Hezbollah’s maneuvers are discussed. Tensions over escalation risks and Gulf security run throughout the conversation.

Jason Burke, veteran foreign affairs reporter and author, examines how the 1960s–70s revolutionary ferment birthed modern terrorism. He traces theatrical hijackings, cross‑continental militant networks, the rise of state countermeasures, and how the Iranian Revolution redirected revolutionary currents into Islamist movements.

Aimen Dean, former al-Qaeda member turned MI6 informant and regional security analyst, breaks down the fallout from failed Islamabad talks. He explains Iran’s negotiation style, the U.S. decision to blockade maritime trade, and the legal and operational reality of blockades. He also covers Gulf states’ leverage, China’s limited options, and regional escalation risks.

Aimen Dean, former al-Qaeda jihadi turned MI6 spy and now geopolitical analyst, walks through the sudden U.S.-Iran ceasefire. He teases Pakistan’s negotiating games, Russia’s balancing act, GCC leaders’ reactions to Trump, confusion over Lebanon’s status, and what military movements and Islamabad talks might mean. Short, sharp takes on who benefits and where the real power lies.