Key Topics

Links

Show Notes

In this episode, Ivo Daalder is joined by Steve Erlanger, Christopher Miller, and Carla Anne Robbins for a wide-ranging conversation about three tests of U.S. power: Iran, Ukraine, and Cuba. The discussion begins with Iran, where the panel explores whether Tehran is outlasting Washington in a long war of patience and why sanctions and military threats may not produce the outcome the U.S. wants.The conversation then turns to Ukraine, where listeners hear how Ukrainians are adapting to modern warfare, why air defense remains critical, and how shortages of Patriot interceptors are reshaping the battlefield. The panel also examines the uncertainty around U.S. support and the broader lessons Kyiv is teaching the West about decentralized warfare.Finally, the episode looks at Cuba, where pressure, collapse talk, and regime-change logic collide with the reality of blackouts, shortages, and no clear post-collapse plan. Across all three cases, the central question remains: what happens when the U.S. escalates before deciding what success actually looks like?

Iran and Oman appear to have reached a tentative agreement over the Strait of Hormuz, but is it a genuine diplomatic breakthrough or simply a pause in a much larger geopolitical conflict? At the same time, Europe is grappling with renewed migration pressures in Ceuta and record-breaking heat that underscores the growing political and economic consequences of climate change.

Host Giles Whittell is joined by Adam Cancryn (CNN), Shona Murray (Euronews), and Kim Willsher (The Observer) to connect these stories and explore what they reveal about the shifting global landscape. The panel examines President Trump's approach to Iran, the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, and the potential impact on global energy markets. They also discuss Europe's response to increasing migration, the political tensions within the European Union, and the ways climate-related disasters are becoming central to policy debates.

Together, they explore how international crises increasingly shape domestic politics, influence elections, and test alliances across Europe and the United States. From energy security and border policy to climate resilience and transatlantic relations, this episode provides the context behind the headlines and explains why these interconnected challenges will continue to shape global affairs in the months ahead.

Key Topics

Links

In this episode, we take a critical look at FIFA, global sports politics, and the way major international events can reveal deeper institutional problems.

Key Topics

Links

In this episode of World Review, we explore the shifting dynamics shaping global security, from tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S.-Iran brinkmanship to the political and military challenges facing Ukraine. The conversation also examines Gaza’s stalled recovery efforts and the role leadership style plays in both diplomacy and war.

Key topics include:

The episode offers a sharp look at how geopolitics, technology, and political decision-making collide in real time.

Key Topics

Links

Karin Axelsson - https://politiken.dk/person/7961_Karin_Axelsson

Anna Sauerbrey - https://ces.fas.harvard.edu/people/anna-sauerbrey

Peter Spiegel - https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/peter-spiegel/

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — belfercenter.org

Key Topics

Links

Zanny Minton Beddoes - https://mediadirectory.economist.com/people/zanny-minton-beddoes/

James Harding - https://observer.co.uk/contributor/james-harding

Sylvie Kauffmann - https://www.lemonde.fr/en/signataires/sylvie-kauffmann/

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — belfercenter.org

Key Topics

Links

Catherine Philp - https://www.thetimes.com/profile/catherine-philp

Yaroslav Trofimov - https://www.wsj.com/news/author/yaroslav-trofimov

Yannis Palaiologos - https://def-ix.delphiforum.gr/speaker/12656901759

Key Topics

Links

Giles Whittell - https://x.com/GWhittell