The Briefing

Thomas Harding, Middle East security expert with deep Iran knowledge; Ewan Potts, Bloomberg markets correspondent tracking oil and market moves; Alexis Self, Monocle foreign editor on European diplomacy. They discuss who might succeed Ayatollah Khamenei, how Iran’s military options shape risk, European leaders’ diplomatic tightrope, Spain’s refusal to allow base use, and oil-driven market reactions.

The question of who commands Iran now remains unanswered, Tara Kangarlou joins Georgina Godwin to discuss. Then: aid into Gaza is threatened as the Middle East conflict continues. Plus: urbanism highlights from Monocle’s new magazine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US and Israeli strikes in Iran have become a regional conflict. Inzamam Rashid gives the latest from Dubai. Plus: does Donald Trump have a plan to resolve the conflict? Then: the threat to global oil markets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lynne O'Donnell, Afghanistan expert at Foreign Policy, unpacks Pakistan's airstrikes and regional fallout. June Harpac, Korea Risk Group correspondent in Seoul, dissects North Korea's muted parade and diplomatic signals. Ewan Potts, Bloomberg markets reporter, delivers business headlines and takeover drama. Gregor Muir, Tate Director of Collection, explores British art showcased in Tokyo.

Fernanda Augusto Pacheco, Monocle culture picker, shares global music highlights. Odile Renaud-Basso, EBRD president, outlines reconstruction finance and Ukraine’s investment prospects. Tyler Brulé, Monocle editorial director, maps Geneva’s history, infrastructure and the competition shaping its role as a diplomatic hub. Short, lively takes on diplomacy, reconstruction and cultural picks.

Grace Charlton, Monocle’s design and fashion editor reporting from Milan Fashion Week. Liana Fix, CFR senior fellow on European security and German rearmament. Ewan Potts, Bloomberg business reporter with market and corporate updates. H.J. Mai, Washington reporter covering Trump’s State of the Union. They discuss Trump’s long address and political framing. German defence shifts and risks for Europe. Milano shows, front-row culture and key designer debuts.

Maria Alyokhina, Pussy Riot activist who endured arrest and prison, speaks about campaigning for political prisoners and opposing the war. Julia Jen, Monocle writer of Ukrainian background, analyzes Valery Zaluzhny’s leadership, Ukraine’s strategy on manpower, infrastructure and unmanned systems, and calls for allied tech cooperation. Multiple short, vivid conversations explore war, resistance and political strategy.

Alfredo Jaar, Chilean artist and filmmaker who confronts social inequality, and Mike Sfraga, Alaskan-born Arctic diplomat focused on security. They discuss Nordic co-operation and Greenland's strategic role. Conversation jumps to Arctic defence, Nordic institutional ties, and Jaar’s Tokyo show exploring personal history, Japan–US relations and art as a response to global injustice.

Desiree Bandley, Monocle Radio producer in Zurich reporting Winter Olympics scenes. Raffaella Paniè, director of brand and look for the Games, on mascots, medals and visual identity. Mike Martin, Liberal Democrat MP and Army Reserve officer, on European defence, NATO and procurement. Elizabeth Braw, Atlantic Council fellow, on Sweden's civilian reserve and defending infrastructure against hybrid threats.

Andrew Tuck, Monocle editor known for royal affairs analysis, unpacks Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest and its fallout. Stephen Borowick, Nikkei Asia Seoul reporter, covers the life sentence of former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol and political context. Anita Menderada, tourism and aviation expert, discusses Airbus’s engine supply troubles. Enrico Buonacore, Milan restaurateur, talks about Langosteria and Milan’s seafood scene.