The Fourcast

Arthur Holland-Michel, journalist and AI researcher on AI in modern warfare, and Emelia Probasco, former Navy officer and security policy expert, discuss AI’s growing role across conflicts. They cover AI use in Iran following Gaza, military adoption of LLMs and MAVENSmart, limits of AI against simple tactics, accountability around AI-assisted targeting, and risks of machine-speed autonomous systems.

Omid Djalili, British‑Iranian comedian and cultural commentator, speaks passionately about Iran’s uprising and humanitarian toll. He frames the crisis through responsibility to protect and explains why many Iranians support painful change. He discusses censorship, propaganda, leadership succession and the risks and consequences of removing the regime.

Bernard Haykel, Near Eastern Studies professor advising on Gulf politics; Guy Laron, historian of oil and author of Oil Wars. They discuss Saudi neutrality and Gulf fears of Iranian revisionism. They explore why oil infrastructure has largely been spared and whether the US aims to control Iran’s energy chokepoints. They weigh risks to the Strait of Hormuz and how rising prices shape strategic choices.

Fred Fleitz, former National Security Council official and America First Policy Institute vice-chair, offers U.S. strategic views. Chimène Keitner, international law expert and ex-State Department legal adviser, examines legality of force. General Sir Richard Shirreff, retired NATO deputy commander, gives military and strategic analysis. They debate escalation risks, legal justification, civilian harm, wider geopolitical fallout, and post-conflict options.

Anushka Asthana, US editor on Washington politics and decision-making. Lindsey Hilsum, international editor reporting from Beirut on Hezbollah and regional spillover. Secunder Kermani, foreign affairs correspondent with expertise on Iran, Kurdish groups and proxy dynamics. They discuss Kurdish moves toward Iran, US calculations over backing, Iran’s calibrated strikes and the widening regional spillover.

The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran has already rattled the global economy. Gas prices have jumped 30% to a three-year high, oil is surging, tankers are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz and refineries across the region are under attack. Stock markets from London to Tokyo are tumbling, and hopes of interest rate cuts in the UK and US are fading fast.So how serious is this economic shock? What happens if the conflict lasts weeks, as Donald Trump has suggested? And is Rachel Reeves’s newly claimed fiscal headroom about to disappear as energy prices spike?Matt Frei speaks to our economics correspondent Helia Ebrahimi, and to Dr Neil Quilliam, a leading Middle East energy policy and geopolitics specialist at Chatham House. They explain how this war is reverberating through global markets, the risks to supply routes, the inflation threat, and how governments and central banks might respond.

The crisis in the Middle East is deepening by the day. The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader has triggered a regional shockwave, from missile launches to unrest in neighbouring states. But what does this moment really reveal about the Iranian state, its capacity for survival, and the calculations being made in Washington, Jerusalem, and Tehran?In this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to journalist Anshel Pfeffer and peace advocate Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini about the limits of decapitation strategy, why Western governments have so often misread the Islamic Republic, and the competing endgames now in play.

Natalie Bennett, Green peer and former party leader, defends the Greens' broader agenda. Sam White, ex-chief of staff to Keir Starmer, analyses Labour strategy and risks from populists. Tim Montgomerie, right-leaning commentator, examines Reform and party realignments. Zack Polanski, Green leader, discusses the by-election win, national ambitions and whether Greens can woo new voters.

Dawn Butler, Labour MP campaigning on racial harm and duty of care. Eddie Marsan, actor and parent of a son with Tourette’s and patron of Tourettes Action. They discuss the BAFTAs broadcast of an offensive slur, how involuntary tics differ from intent, the trauma caused to Black actors, failures in editorial choices and calls for accountability and better Tourette’s understanding.

Benjamin Smith, historian of the Mexican drug trade. Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, expert on transnational crime and firearms trafficking. Deborah Bonello, investigative reporter on organised crime. They discuss the violent CJNG backlash after El Mencho’s death. They cover blockades and burnings, cartel show-of-force tactics, military raids and political timing, US-Mexico security ties, and risks as the World Cup approaches.