North Korea and Iran are fascinating countries for many reasons, but also because they're part of an emerging alliance of autocracies. China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are increasingly helping each other out in a range of global hotspots, often stymieing U.S. interests. But what is their end goal?

FP Live asks Barbara Slavin, an Iran expert at the Stimson Center, and Chung Min Lee, a Korea expert at the Carnegie Endowment.

Suggested reading

(FP links are paywall-free):Daniel R. DePetris and Jennifer Kavanagh: The ‘Axis of Evil’ Is Overhyped

Robbie Gramer: Looks Like ‘Axis of Evil’ Is Back on the Menu

The Economist: A new “quartet of chaos” threatens America

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On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel and set in motion a new cycle of violence that has rocked the Middle East. Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East advisor to both Republican and Democratic secretaries of state, joins FP Live to look back—and ahead. 

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Aaron David Miller and Steven Simon: Oct. 7 Changed Everything–but What if It Didn’t?

Aaron David Miller and Lauren Morgenbesser: Don’t Blame Biden for the Yearlong War in Gaza

FP’s Oct. 7 Roundup: Is the Israel-Hamas War Closer to Its Beginning or Its End?

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Unrest, even violence, could be a concern heading into the U.S. presidential election in November. What should be done to strengthen the nation’s democratic institutions? And what lessons can be learned from other countries facing similar challenges? Author and political scientist Barbara Walter joins FP Live to share her findings from her research on civil wars around the world.

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Transcript: Could Civil War Erupt in America?

Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware: How Bad Will Political Violence in the U.S. Get?

Stephen Marche: Why the U.S. Military Isn’t Ready for Civil War

Cameron Abadi and Adam Tooze: What a Real Civil War Would Do to the U.S. Economy

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South Africa’s allegations of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice draw on the African National Congress’s own long history and views on apartheid. But is Pretoria’s foreign policy consistent across other parts of the world—for example, Russia or Sudan? Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss how he’s shaping South Africa’s foreign policy. 

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Nontobeko Hlela: Why South Africa’s Nonalignment Is Here to Stay

Oliver Stuenkel: BRICS Faces a Reckoning

Chile Eboe-Osuji: South Africa’s ICJ Case Was Too Narrow

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With the United Nations General Assembly now underway, longtime U.N. watcher Richard Gown joins FP Live to discuss what’s on the agenda for the world leaders in attendance.

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Sophie Eisentraut: Can the West Revive Multilateralism?

Michael Galant and Aude Darnal: Who’s Afraid of the Global South?

J. Alex Tarquinio: The U.N. Security Council’s Default Is Deadlock

Michael Hirsh: The World Is Leaving Biden Behind

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NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg joins Ravi Agrawal for an exit interview as he prepares to step down on October 1. 

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Transcript: NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg on the Future of Russia’s War in Ukraine

Stephen M. Walt: This Time, NATO Is in Trouble for Real

Christopher S. Chivvis: NATO is Turning 75, but How Much Is There to Celebrate?

Jack Detsch: NATO Wants Everyone to Help Deter Russia

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An exclusive episode for our podcast listeners: Host and FP editor in chief Ravi Agrawal gives a preview of the latest print issue: “Letters to the Next President.”

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Martin Kimani: How to Restore the American Center

Arancha González: Isolationism Doesn’t Protect

Danny Quah: Why America Should Drop Its Obsession With Being No. 1

Joseph E. Stiglitz: Play by the Rules

Catherine Ashton: The Trans-Atlantic Partnership Still Matters

Jason Bordoff: Clean Energy Is Security

Mark Malloch-Brown: Muster Global Majorities

Joseph S. Nye Jr.: Invest in Soft Power

Nirupama Rao: Strategic Autonomy Is Nothing to Fear

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Former Trump administration National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster joins FP Live to debrief after the Harris-Trump debate.

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Christina Lu and Amy Mackinnon: Top Foreign-Policy Moments From the Harris-Trump Debate

FP Contributors: Letters to the Next President

H.R. McMaster and Gabriel Scheinmann: U.S. Restraint Has Created an Unstable and Dangerous World 

H.R. McMaster: At War With Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House

H.R. McMaster: Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World

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Nicholas Burns has served as the U.S. ambassador to China since 2022, a period that encompasses not only the country’s COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns but also a series of high and low points in the U.S.-China relationship. How should Washington compete with Beijing without spiraling into conflict? Burns joins FP Live for a rare longform interview.

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Robbie Gramer and Christina Lu: Washington’s China Hawks Take Flight

Bob Davis: Who Got China Wrong?

Michael Hirsh: No, This Is Not a Cold War—Yet

Bonny Lin: The China-Russia Axis Takes Shape

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The violence on Oct. 7 and the war in Gaza seem to have derailed any hope for a two-state solution. With tensions in the Middle East continuing to escalate, and a cease-fire agreement proving elusive, what does a path forward for both the Israelis and Palestinians look like? Former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad shares his insights with FP Live.

Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free):

Foreign Affairs: Salam Fayyad: A Plan for Peace in Gaza

John Aziz: Violence Has Failed the Palestinians

FP Contributors: How Will This War End? How Can the Next One Be Prevented? 

Stephen M. Walt: The Dangerous Decline in Israeli Strategy

Tickets to see FP's Ones and Tooze podcast live at Sixth & I in Washington, DC:

https://www.sixthandi.org/event/foreign-policys-ones-and-tooze-podcast/

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