Episode Details

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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