Thursday, August 27, 2026, Istanbul

An extraordinary series of images published by Tanker Trackers showed the ship-to-ship transfers being used by the US to get oil across the Strait of Hormuz despite an Iranian blockade of the waterway.

In the latest edition of badlands, energy analyst Nader Itayim joins me to sort through the lies and hype to figure out just how much oil is being moved out of the Persian Gulf and whether global energy supplies are dwindling.

In an interview with India’s NewsX World, I discuss the latest US efforts to impose Iran sanctions on other countries. Will they comply or not?

I also discuss, Microsoft founder and Epstein class member Bill Gates attempt to rehabiliate his image by rebranding himself as an advocate for controls on artificial intelligence. Should we trust tech oligarchs to police themselves when it comes to AI?

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Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Istanbul

Both US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Iran Parliament acknowledged that the US is treading on fragile economic ice with bond yields spiking and oil reserves plummeting. In the latest edition of badlands, I discuss why the US imposition of sanctions on Iran risks damaging an already weakened global economy.

Also in this edition, I discuss the potential efficacy of the sanctions with India’s NewsX World.

Also, in this episode I discuss the Pakistan’s continuing mediation efforts with the US and Iran in an interview with Pakistan’s Asia One.

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Tuesday, August 25, 2026, Istanbul

US Secretary of State Scott Bessent launched the Trump administration’s “D-Day” sanctions on Iran to much fanfare.

In the latest edition of badlands, I delve into the sanctions and attempt to assess whether they will be any more effective than previous rounds of sanctions on Iran.

Plus, Nadim Shehadi and I debate models for the future of the Middle East, whether glittery global-connectedness of Dubai or the gritty resilience of Tehran is more desirable or feasible, as well as the successes and failures of the US wars in the Middle East.

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit borzou.substack.com

Monday, August 24, 2026, Istanbul

After full-throttled war and half-hearted diplomacy, the administration of Donald Trump has settled on sanctions as away of achieving its goals on Iran. But does it even know what those goals are, and are they achievable?

In the latest edition of badlands, retired American diplomat Alan Eyre joins me for a discussion about the ever-shifting nature of US policy on. Alan is a noted Iran specialist and fluent Persian speaker who became famous on Iranian social media for his eloquent posts and stellar language skills.

Also in this episode, join for me a lively discussion with Pakistan TV about the efficacy of US sanctions—whether the Trump administration’s scheme to use economic pressure to get Tehran to accede to its demands might work.

In a separate inteview with India’s NewsX World, I discuss the recent shift by Iran’s armed forces toward a more aggressive posture.

And in non-Iran news, I discuss the recent attempts by governments and courts to rein in the abuses and power of big tech social media companies.

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Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Chicago

In the latest edition of badlands, Libya expert Anas el-Gomati and I examine our sympathy for the 2011 uprising that toppled ruler Muammer Gaddafi and ignited an ongoing civil conflict that has impoverished the country and handed it to rival armed gangs, (as described in S01E109).

Gomati describes why Libya remained in the crosshairs of Israel and Washington even after it dismantled its nuclear program and brokered a measure of peace with the West in the early 2000s. But he also explains the flaws in Gaddafi’s system that might have made a civil war after his fall inevitable.

Plus, in this episode I provide an update on the latest from the Iran war, and also discuss the tough quandaries of the Gulf states, Israel’s role in the current phase of the conflict, how propaganda shapes perceptions of the conflict, and how technology is impacting the war in an interview with India’s NewsX World.

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Friday, August 21, 2026, Paris

The US has begun to unveil the next phase in its campaign agaisnt Iran, and it looks a bit like previous attempts to pressure the country. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the aim is to use the combination of sanctions, international pressure on third countries, and a naval blockade to “collapse” Iran.

In the latest edition of badlands, I discuss the sanctions and what “regime collapse” could mean.

Also in the episode, a replay of an April interview with Hossein Rassam, the former adviser to the UK Embassy in Iran about the current crisis and how the Iranian government may evolve as a result of the war.

Finally, I discuss what the world should do about an increasingy reckless and belligerent US and Israel and a range of topics—in a pair of interviews with India’s NewsX World.

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Thursday, August 20, 2026, Paris

The New York Times this week published a well-reported piece about how Israel is destroying the economy of the West Bank.

In the latest edition of badlands, I discuss the various ways in which Israel has manipulated its control over the territory meant to be the main component of a future Palestinian state to impoverish the population and prevent the economy from thriving.

The New York Times piece follows a June 15 report by Joost Hiltermann of the Crisis Group warning of an economic collapse in the West Bank thanks to the restrictions.

In the latest episode, I repost an edited version of that interview with Joost.

Plus, in a brief interview with India’s NewsX World, I discuss Oman’s dilemma following the Trump administration’s threats to bomb it.

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Wednesday, August 19, 2026, Paris

Iran has been warning for months that it plans to escalate its war against the US unless the Americans take steps that include freezing its assets and acknowledging its authority over the Strait of Hormuz.

It has not only signaled such escalation, it has begun to implement its plans, activating or coordinating with proxy forces to spread the conflict from the Persian Gulf to the Levant to Iraq to the Red Sea.

It recently, listed all the sites it would strike if the US were to launch an attack on Iranian civilian infrastructure.

In the latest episode of badlands, I talk apart a recent Wall Street Journal article which contained some nuggets of decent reporting, but was framed as a revelatory scoop depicting Iranians as devious warmongers and Americans as naive simpletons merely hoping to wind down the conflict.

Also in this episode, I speak about the latest security developments in the Gulf in an interview with India’s NewX World.

Finally, the episode includes a rerun of my interview with Ali Ahmadi, a former advisor to the Iranian mission to the United Nations, in which he discusses Iran’s military capacity.

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Donald Trump plumbs new depths of dishonor and disloyalty by threatening to bomb one ally while throwing another to the nuclear-armed wolves.

In the latest episode of badlands, I ask why Iran or any country not named Israel would trust the US or make any deals with it.

Also, badlands re-posts an interview with former Chinese diplomat and host of the podcast “Devil’s Advocate” Han Yang from March, when the war between Iran and the US was raging.

I made a number of predictions on the war’s outcome. Listen or watch to assess how well or poorly I performed.

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Monday, August 17, 2026, Paris

Lots of threats and bluster by Iranian officials over the weekend, including a warning that Iran would “cut off the legs” of Donald Trump, who prompted the exchange of ballistic trash talk with his apparently jocular vow to turn the Strait of Hormuz into American territory.

On the latest episode of badlands, I discuss the latest rhetorical flourishes by US and Iranian officials.

In interviews with India’s NewsX World and Pakistan TV, I also dicuss the latest news, including the impact of the conflict on US amd international politics.

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe