The collapse of the Iran ceasefire has pushed oil prices higher and left Tehran using the Strait of Hormuz as its most powerful leverage. With American casualties rising and roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply at risk, Washington faces a stark choice – keep bombing, attempt to force the strait open or start looking for a way out. 

Kirsten Fontenrose, former White House national security advisor, joins The General & The Journalist to assess Trump’s options. Can the US reopen the strait without triggering a wider war? And can Trump pull back before Iran becomes America’s next forever war?

Is a military showdown in the Gulf inevitable? Send in your thoughts to [email protected]

Chapters: 

• 00:00 – Is Iran Trump’s Forever War?
• 05:22 – Why Iran wants to control the Strait of Hormuz
• 09:41 – US Troop deaths and growing political pressure on Trump
• 13:23 – Trump’s Iran Options: Diplomacy, Naval Blockade or Escalation
• 27:14 – Can the US reopen the Strait? Kirsten Fontenrose’s Six-Month Forecast

Guest: Kirsten Fontenrose, former Senior Director for Gulf Affairs at the National Security Council

Hosts: Tom Newton Dunn

Producer: Julia Webster

Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia 

Image: Shaun Parkinson, Getty

Clips: C-SPAN, US Central Command, Getty

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The pressure is mounting on the Kremlin, both militarily and economically. With Ukraine keeping a stranglehold on Putin's crown jewel, Crimea, the chances of a Russian escalation are growing. Could it become the beginning of the end for Vladimir Putin?

Russia expert Mark Galeotti joins The General & The Journalist to analyse Russia's capacity to lash out, the likelihood of a new mobilisation wave, and critically, when it might happen.

Is an escalation by Putin inevitable? Send in your thoughts to [email protected]

Guest: Mark Galeotti, expert on on transnational crime and Russian security affairs

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn

Producer: Julia Webster

Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia 

Image: John Silva, Getty

Clips: Reuters, Getty

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Following the NATO summit in Ankara, American allies face an uncomfortable question – can they still rely on Washington to lead?

Donald Trump is demanding more from Europe, NATO is trying to adapt and countries like Britain must decide whether to step up or become spectators in a world shaped by others. 

This week, John Bew joins The General & The Journalist to discuss NATO, Donald Trump, Britain's defence strategy and the future of transatlantic security. Drawing on his experience advising four UK prime ministers, he explains what the summit means for UK national security, military spending, foreign policy, and Britain's role in a changing world.

Should NATO be trying to keep the US on board or should they plan for a future without their support? Get in touch: [email protected]

Guest: John Bew, Professor of History and Foreign Policy at the Department of War Studies, King's College London

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn

Producer: Julia Webster

Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia 

Image: Getty

Clips: Reuters, CBS News, Simon Walker/No 10 Downing Street

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Britain says its long-awaited Defence Investment Plan will strengthen its role in NATO. But after months of delays, funding rows and warnings from allies, does the money go far enough? 

Admiral Sir Keith Blount, the former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe at NATO, joins Tom and Patrick to assess what the plan gets right, where it falls short and why Britain risks losing influence in the alliance if it fails to deliver. 

As NATO leaders prepare to gather in Ankara next week – with Russia threatening Europe, Donald Trump demanding more from the alliance, and countries such as Poland, Denmark and Germany moving faster on defence – is Britain still leading NATO or falling behind? 

Do you think the government has sufficiently funded UK defence? Get in touch: [email protected]

Guest: Admiral Sir Keith Blount, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe to NATO

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn

Producer: Julia Webster

Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia 

Image: Getty, Dana Chan

Clips: Reuters, Forbes, Sky

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For The General & The Journalist’s first anniversary, Tom and Patrick return to the question at the heart of the podcast – is the world becoming more dangerous?

Recorded live at the Nevill Holt Festival, they look at Ukraine’s fightback, Putin’s next moves, the Iran ceasefire, China’s advantage, the threat to Taiwan and the crisis in Britain’s defences. Patrick warns that we may be entering a new Cold War and Tom asks whether Britain is moving fast enough to protect itself. 

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn

Producer: Julia Webster

Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia 

Image: William Blakesley-Herbert

What are your thoughts on the state of British defence spending? Get in touch: [email protected]

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H.R. McMaster served as Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser and saw firsthand how he makes decisions about war, peace and American power.

As his former boss is tested by crises from Iran to Ukraine, China, NATO and Venezuela, he explains how the president really thinks. Does Trump have a grand strategy, or is he driven by instincts, deals and the search for a quick win? And will fragile US-Iran peace deal force a lasting peace or end in disaster?  

Guest: LTG HR McMaster, former US National Security Advisor (2017-2018)

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn

Producer: Julia Webster

Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia 

Image: Dana Chan and Getty

Clips: PBS, WPLG, Reuters, Getty

What are your thoughts on the US/Iran deal? Get in touch: [email protected]

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Cuba is running out of power, fuel and patience. As blackouts spread and anger grows, Donald Trump is turning up the pressure on Havana, blaming the regime for the island’s collapse while Cuba points to decades of US sanctions. 

The historic US indictment of former president Raúl Castro has raised the stakes and a bigger question – is Trump trying to use his Venezuela playbook on Cuba? With US military power visible in the Caribbean, can Washington force change in Havana or would intervention in America’s Caribbean neighbour could end in catastrophe?

Guest: 

• Stephen Gibbs, Latin America correspondent for The Times & The Sunday Times
• William LeoGrande, professor of Government at American University

Hosts: Tom Newton Dunn

Producer: Julia Webster

Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia 

Image: Paul Brookbanks and Getty

Clip: USA TODAY, Getty

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Nearly four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine is trying to change the course of the war with drones, AI and battlefield innovation. What began as improvised technology has become central to Kyiv’s strategy, helping Ukraine defend the front line and strike deeper into Russia. But can drones really help Ukraine break the deadlock? And what does this mean for the future of war? Patrick and Tom speak to leading military analyst Dr Jack Watling about the reality on the front line, the rise of AI-enabled warfare and the ethical questions it raises.

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn

Guest: Dr Jack Watling, Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute

Producer: Shabnam Grewal and Julia Webster

Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia

Image: Dinesh Mehta and Getty

Clip: CNN

Can drones and AI help Ukraine break the deadlock or make the war more dangerous? Get in touch: [email protected]

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Two weeks after British paratroopers landed on Tristan da Cunha, one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands, the rescue team are finally heading home.

Their mission was extraordinary – reach a critically ill Briton on a tiny British Overseas Territory with no runway, no quick route by sea, and no easy way in. Within hours, 16 Air Assault Brigade was mobilised, sending paratroopers, military medics and vital supplies into the South Atlantic.

Brigadier Ed Cartwright, who planned the operation, tells General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn how the daring rescue unfolded and what it says about Britain’s duty to protect its citizens and remote territories. But could the UK really defend these far-flung outposts from disaster or attack?

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn

Guest: Brigadier Ed Cartwright, Commander, 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team

Producer: Shabnam Grewal

Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia

Image: Getty

Get in touch: [email protected]

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Nearly three months after the Iran war began, there is a ceasefire, but no settlement. The Strait of Hormuz remains a global pressure point, Iran’s nuclear programme is unresolved, and Donald Trump is still demanding progress.

But the biggest question may be inside Tehran. After war, assassinations and stalled diplomacy, power appears to be shifting away from the clerics and towards the Revolutionary Guards. Has the West weakened the Islamic Republic or helped make it harder to deal with?

Patrick and Tom speak to Iran analyst Alex Vatanka about the rise of the IRGC, the myth of division inside Tehran, and what comes next.

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn

Guest: Alex Vatanka, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute

Producer: Shabnam Grewal

Executive producer: Fiona Leach, Priyanka Deladia

Image: Getty

Who holds the upper hand in the Iran war? Get in touch: [email protected]

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