Welcome to a new episode of the Tipping Point from the TRT World Research Centre.

In this episode, we examine Iran’s escalating unrest, which began in late December 2025 and has evolved from economic protest into a broader structural challenge. What makes this moment distinct is not only the scale of mobilisation, but the range of actors now involved.

While much of the international coverage has focused on street demonstrations, developments on the ground point to a deeper shift. In Tehran, Abadan, and other urban centres, protests are no longer confined to students or youth groups. The closure of major bazaars signals the entry of Iran’s traditional merchant class—historically a key pillar of the post-revolutionary order—into the crisis. With the national currency sharply depreciating and inflation eroding purchasing power, long-standing economic arrangements between state institutions and commercial actors are under strain.

This episode unpacks the political economy behind the unrest. We explore how the expanding economic footprint of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reshaped market access, marginalising traditional businesses and intensifying internal competition. We also assess the symbolic dimensions of the protests, including the appearance of alternative national imagery, not as a straightforward call for restoration, but as an expression of broader disillusionment with the current system.

We also situate the protests within a volatile regional and international context. Heightened tensions with Israel, sharp rhetoric from Washington, and recent security lapses have further weakened perceptions of state competence. At the same time, restrictions on digital access—alongside debates over satellite connectivity—highlight the growing role of information control in managing dissent.

Key issues discussed include:

• The significance of merchant strikes as an indicator of elite fragmentation
• The IRGC’s parallel economy and its impact on Iran’s commercial landscape
• The political meaning of symbolic protest without assuming a singular ideological direction
• External pressures and their interaction with domestic instability
• Digital constraints, limited reform signals, and their effectiveness amid economic crisis

Join us as we assess how economic stress, elite realignment, and geopolitical pressure intersect in a country approaching a critical threshold.

Note: This podcast episode is AI narrated.

Welcome to a new episode of The Tipping Point from the TRT World Research Centre.

In this episode, we dissect one of the most unprecedented military and diplomatic events in modern history: the execution of Operation Absolute Resolve and the stunning detention of the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The lightning-fast raid by US Delta Force units on Fort Tiuna has shattered decades of international norms. While the official narrative from the Trump press conference centres on narco-terrorism charges and the transfer of the captives to the USS Iwo Jima, we look beyond the surface. Is this truly a war on drugs, or a strategic manoeuvre to secure Venezuela oil reserves and critical minerals in an escalating rivalry with China?

We delve deep into the geoeconomic realities behind the headlines, moving from the optics of the Maduro captured reports to the silent war for coltan and tantalum—resources vital for advanced defence technology. We also analyse the legal ramifications of this "transboundary abduction" and what the US declaration of a provisional administration means for the future of sovereignty.

Key topics discussed in this episode include:

• The Raid on Fort Tiuna: We examine the details of the military operation, the role of Delta Force, and the immediate transfer of the Venezuelan President to the USS Iwo Jima awaiting extradition to New York.
• The Narco-Terror Pretext: A look at why Washington is using narco-terrorism charges as a key to unlock military action, contrasting the treatment of Nicolas Maduro with other figures like Juan Orlando Hernandez.
• The Resource War: Analysis of the true prize lying beneath the Venezuela oil reserves: massive deposits of coltan and niobium. We discuss how these minerals are crucial for US defence sectors, from F-35s to AI, and the goal of cutting off China from these supply chains.
• Domestic Politics & Strategy: How falling approval ratings and a need for a "political lifeline" influenced the timing of this operation, and why the US has shifted from seeking regime change to "direct extraction."
• The Legal Vacuum: The challenges regarding international law, the bypassing of the UN Security Council, and the global reaction to this assertion of control in the Western Hemisphere.

Join us as we navigate the thin line between national security interests and the violation of international sovereignty.

Note: This podcast episode is AI narrated.

Welcome to a new episode of the Tipping Point from the TRT World Research Centre.

In this episode, we confront one of the most disturbing and shadowed dimensions of the ongoing geopolitical conflict: the persistent allegations of Israel organ harvesting and the commodification of human remains.

For years, a baffling statistic has circulated in medical and political discourse: Israel has the largest organ skin bank in the world, but Israelis don't donate at rates comparable to other Western nations. This discrepancy—a massive supply of human skin despite a national organ donation rate of roughly 14%—has raised serious ethical and legal questions. Where does this supply come from?

We delve deep into the history behind these claims, moving from the rumours of the First Intifada to the documented admissions by Israeli officials regarding the harvesting of skin from deceased Palestinians. We also analyse the legal loopholes, including Israel's non-ratification of key sections of the Fourth Geneva Convention, that have created an "ethical vacuum" in the region.

Key topics discussed in this episode include:

• The Skin Bank Paradox: We examine the data behind Israel’s skin banks and how religious objections in the country contribute to a chronic shortage of voluntary donors, fueling a demand for alternatives.
• From Allegation to Admission: A look at the historical timeline, including the 2009 Aftonbladet report and the 2014 televised admission by the former head of the Israel skin bank, confirming the harvesting of organs and skin without family consent.
• The Legal Vacuum: How the lack of international oversight and rejection of the Istanbul Declaration has turned the region into a hub for Israel organ donation tourism and trafficking concerns.
• The Gaza Context: Analysis of recent reports from the Euromed Human Rights Monitor and Haaretz regarding the treatment of bodies returned from custody during the current war on Gaza.
• The Demand for Accountability: The challenges of gathering forensic evidence under military occupation and the potential role of the ICC in investigating these as war crimes.

Join us as we navigate the thin line between medical necessity and the violation of human dignity in conflict zones.

Note: This podcast episode is AI narrated.

Welcome to the premiere episode of the Tipping Point, a new podcast series from the TRT World Research Centre.

For decades, the global economic system was predicated on a simple idea: efficiency and multilateral consensus. You traded with whoever offered the best price. But that era is effectively over. Today, we are witnessing a fundamental shift where strategic calculations and national security interests have become the ultimate arbiters of global commerce.

In this inaugural episode, we delve into the "weaponisation of interdependence." We unpack how major powers are moving economic tools, such as sanctions, export controls, and tariffs, from the diplomatic sidelines to the proactive core of geopolitical strategy.

Key topics discussed in this episode include:

• The Shift in Statecraft: Why economic pressure has become a "low cost, high impact" alternative to military confrontation.

• The US-China Dynamic: How the competition for technological supremacy, particularly in semiconductors, is rewriting the rules of trade.

• The Rise of Extraterritoriality: How domestic laws are being projected across borders to force third-party compliance.

• The Global Response: The push for de-dollarisation by BRICS nations and the emergence of a fluid, transactional multipolar order.

• The Middle Power Dilemma: How nations like South Korea and Kenya are navigating the pressure to align with rival blocs while striving for economic resilience.

Join us as we analyse whether the world is heading towards irreversible fragmentation or if a new, stable equilibrium is possible.

You can find the full analysis report on the TRT World Research Centre website.

Note: This podcast episode is AI narrated.