513. Inside Iran: The Country Trump Cannot Control? (Question Time)

Why are the US and the West as a whole so bad at understanding the cultures of other countries, including Iran, and what do they miss as a result? How will the Iran war unfold over the next six months? Has Trump unleashed a war he ultimately cannot control or end? Rory, Alastair, and Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour answer all these questions and more. __________ Go deeper into the world of The Rest Is Politics by signing up for our free newsletter HERE, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis and weekend reads from Alastair and Rory. Join The Rest Is Politics Plus: Start your free trial at therestispolitics.com to unlock exclusive bonus content – including Rory and Alastair’s miniseries – plus ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, exclusive newsletters, discounted book prices, and a private chatroom on Discord. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/politics. __________ Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: [email protected] __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith, Vasco Andrade, Lorcan Moullier Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Producer: Evan Green Exec Producer: Chris Sawyer General Manager: Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Russia the biggest winner from Trump’s war with Iran? Is GB News little more than a propaganda machine for Reform UK? How toxic is England's water and why does it have the only fully privatised water and sewerage system in the world? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. __________ Go deeper into the world of The Rest Is Politics by signing up for our free newsletter ⁠HERE⁠, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis and weekend reads from Alastair and Rory. Join The Rest Is Politics Plus: Start your free trial at ⁠therestispolitics.com⁠ to unlock exclusive bonus content – including Rory and Alastair’s miniseries – plus ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, exclusive newsletters, discounted book prices, and a private chatroom on Discord. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit ⁠fuseenergy.com/politics⁠. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ ⁠nordvpn.com/restispolitics⁠ It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅ __________ Instagram: ⁠@restispolitics⁠ Twitter: ⁠@restispolitics⁠ Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith, Kieron Leslie Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Producer: Evan Green Exec Producer: Chris Sawyer General Manager: Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why is Tony Blair criticising Starmer’s approach to Trump’s warmongering in the Middle East? Should European leaders be calling out Trump’s lies more directly? What is actually unfolding inside Iran right now? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. __________ Go deeper into the world of The Rest Is Politics by signing up for our free newsletter HERE, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis and weekend reads from Alastair and Rory. Join The Rest Is Politics Plus: Start your free trial at therestispolitics.com to unlock exclusive bonus content – including Rory and Alastair’s miniseries – plus ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, exclusive newsletters, discounted book prices, and a private chatroom on Discord. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/politics. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅ __________ Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: [email protected] __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith, Bruno Di Castri Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Producer: Evan Green Exec Producer: Chris Sawyer General Manager: Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Has Trump unleashed a sequence of events nobody in the world can control? How serious are the global consequences? Is this war even more dangerous than the Iraq war? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. __________ Go deeper into the world of The Rest Is Politics by signing up for our free newsletter HERE, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis and weekend reads from Alastair and Rory. Join The Rest Is Politics Plus: Start your free trial at therestispolitics.com to unlock exclusive bonus content – including Rory and Alastair’s miniseries – plus ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, exclusive newsletters, discounted book prices, and a private chatroom on Discord. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/politics. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅ __________ Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: [email protected] __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Producer: Evan Green Exec Producer: Chris Sawyer General Manager: Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Europe sleepwalking into American AI dependency? Are we building toward a world where AI genuinely thinks for itself? And as AI becomes the backbone of modern warfare, who's really in control? Join Rory Stewart and Matt Clifford as they answer all of these questions and more. For the full AI series, sign up at therestispolitics.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to goalhanger.com Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: [email protected] __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: James Clayden Producer: India Dunkley Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Senior Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Tom Whiter For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to goalhanger.com Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does the Gorton and Denton by-election result suggest Labour has been underestimating the threat of the Green Party? Is the UK's tuition fee system less like a loan and more like a punishing graduate tax? As America retreats from the world stage under Trump, could the UK seize the moment to reassert itself as a cultural superpower? Join Alastair and Rory as they answer all these questions and more. __________ Sign up ⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the free TRIP newsletter. Join The Rest Is Politics Plus: Start your free trial at therestispolitics.com to unlock exclusive bonus content – including Rory and Alastair’s miniseries – plus ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, exclusive newsletters, discounted book prices, and a private chatroom on Discord. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/politics. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅ __________ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@restispolitics⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠@restispolitics⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ __________ Social Producer: Emma Jackson Video Editor: James Clayden Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Producer: Evan Green Senior Producer: Callum Hill General Manager: Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Keir Starmer sleepwalking into a war Britain never agreed to fight? What are Trump's real objectives in attacking Iran? How far will Iran's retaliation go? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. __________ Sign up ⁠HERE⁠ to the free TRIP newsletter. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/politics. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee ✅ __________ Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: [email protected] __________ Social Producer: Emma Jackson Video Editor: Josh Smith, Vasco Andrade Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Producer: Evan Green Senior Producer: Callum Hill General Manager: Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the confirmation of the death of Iran's Supreme Leader confirmed, where does this leave the regime? Who is being targeted in Iran's retaliation attacks and how have Iranians reacted? Is Trump's bet on regime change his biggest gamble yet? Rory and Alastair discuss. ---------------------------- The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit https://fuseenergy.com/politics ---------------------------- Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee ✅ ---------------------------- Tonight, those who are signed up to our free newsletter will receive a special email from across our shows, from me Alastair, but also from Gordon Corera, on the Rest Is Classified, and our friends at TRIP US, Katty and Anthony, rounding up what we all make of the situation unfolding in Iran so far... If you wish to sign up, follow this link: https://mailchi.mp/fa3e66f5e4c7/trip-public-newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Tehran launches retaliatory strikes against Israel and US military bases, how dangerous is this moment for the Middle East and the wider world? Are the attacks an attempt by Trump to shift attention away from the Epstein files? Will any of this lead to regime change in Iran? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. __________ Join The Rest Is Politics Plus: Start your free trial at therestispolitics.com to unlock exclusive bonus content – including Rory and Alastair’s miniseries – plus ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, exclusive newsletters, discounted book prices, and a private chatroom on Discord. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/politics. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅ __________ Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: [email protected] __________ Social Producer: Emma Jackson, Charlie Johnson Video Editor: Josh Smith Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Producer: Evan Green Senior Producer: Callum Hill General Manager: Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, what's the reality on the ground? Why is Trump still calling the shots on negotiations with Russia, given the huge withdrawal of US military aid? Why are Ukrainians tired of being praised for their resilience? __________ Sign up HERE to the free TRIP newsletter to receive Alastair's diary from Ukraine, and much more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/politics. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee ✅ __________ Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: [email protected] __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith, Adam Thornton Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Producer: Evan Green Senior Producer: Callum Hill General Manager: Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices