One Decision

Iran's strategy isn't to defeat the US militarily. Trita Parsi argues that it's to make the cost high enough, fast enough, to collapse domestic support before Iran loses. With MAGA turning against the war, oil markets destabilizing, and both parties alarmed by talk of ground troops, Trump urgently needs a face-saving exit. Plus, Parsi believes that Iran's revolutionary system was built to withstand exactly this kind of pressure.

Trita Parsi is the co-founder and Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, co-founder and former president of the National Iranian American Council, and author of four books on US foreign policy in the Middle East. 

In this episode:

01:19 Succession After Assassination

03:13 Army vs IRGC Dynamics

10:55 Iran Strategy and US Politics

15:44 Why No Uprising

22:42 Gulf States Security Fallout

25:43 Saudi Shift After Oct 7

30:03 MAGA Backlash and Exit Ramps

33:32 Why Trump Went In

39:56 One Decision to Watch

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and guest co-host Rosanna Lockwood (International Journalist)
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Former National Security Advisor John Bolton doesn't mince words: the opening strikes on Iran were just the beginning. In this special bonus episode, Bolton breaks down why he believes the Iranian regime will fragment from within, what the Gulf Arab states are about to do, and how war in Iran affects Russia, Ukraine, and China. 

Then, retired Lt. General Mark Hertling brings the view from the ground. A veteran of multiple Iraq deployments and the former Chief of War Plans on the Joint Staff. Hertling has seen this before. He's asking the question nobody in Washington seems to want to answer: Is there actually a plan for the day after the strikes?

In this episode:


01:31 John Bolton


04:32 Power Vacuum Risks


08:44 Gulf States Reaction


10:50 Iran Retaliation Strategy


15:16 Israel Influence Question


17:03 Oil Shock And Putin


19:51 China And Taiwan 


23:34 Deterrence And Alliances


29:51 Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling


34:28 Decapitation and Unrest


36:24 Iraq Lessons on Disbandment


42:02 Intel Gaps and Planning


52:19 Wider Regional Fallout

Show Notes: 


Opinion | With attack on Iran, U.S. deterrence is being restored - The Washington Post 


Order Mark Harling’s book: If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal

Lt. General Mark Hertling recorded on March 2, and Amb. John Bolton recorded on March 3. 

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and Kate McCann (Political Editor at Times Radio). 
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After weeks of buildup, the United States and Israel have attacked Iran, killing long-time leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. How will the downfall of his regime reverberate throughout the Middle East and beyond? 

Former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove and journalist Kate McCann (Political Editor at Times Radio) dive into the questions around the decision to strike Iran, what the death of Khamenei means for Iran’s future, and whether Iranian proxies in the region like Hezbollah have the strength to aid in retaliation.

Plus: Does China have a reason to step in and help Iran? Should Russian President Vladimir Putin be concerned that he’s lost an ally, or emboldened because of the United States’ split attention? What will the UK’s involvement be in supporting the US and Israel in this conflict?

In this episode:


01:37 - The decision behind killing Khamenei


03:43 - Ramifications of turning Khamenei into a martyr


06:32 - Why a popular uprising in Iran is unlikely


08:50 - Starlink and the information war


10:25 - How the Ayatollah’s downfall may be the death knell for Iran’s regional proxies


12:28 - Who backs Iran now?


13:51 - Will China be a mediator?


15:48 - Putin’s lost an ally


19:18 - Consequences of Starmer’s hesitancy


22:36 - The lethal combination of Israeli HUMINT and the CIA’s advanced surveillance

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and journalist Kate McCann (Political Editor at Times Radio).
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When a former CIA officer and the ex-Chief of MI6 agree something is coming — pay attention. This week, Sir Richard Dearlove, former Chief of MI6, and guest co-host Baroness Ayesha Hazarika are joined by Mike Baker, a former CIA covert operations officer with nearly two decades running intelligence operations in the world's most hostile environments.

Together, they give an unvarnished assessment of the three crises dominating global affairs right now: whether US military action against Iran is imminent and what it would actually target; why Putin has little incentive to end the war in Ukraine and what could change his calculus; and why Cuba, just 90 miles from Florida, may be closer to collapse than anyone is reporting.

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and guest co-host Baroness Ayesha Hazarika (House of Lords).
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The U.S. Supreme Court just struck down President Trump's reciprocal tariffs — so what happens next? Former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove and Baroness Ayesha Hazarika break down Trump's options to reimpose his tariff regime, what it means for trade negotiators worldwide, and why international leaders who flew to Washington may have wasted their time.

Plus: Will US intel lead the front of the war against Mexican drug cartels? What role will the Board of Peace play on the global stage beyond Gaza? Is the United Nations still an important force in geopolitics?

In this episode:


What’s next for President Trump’s tariffs after the U.S. Supreme Court’s sweeping decision 


Knock-on effects to watch for following the killing of Mexican cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, aka “El Mencho”


The role President Trump’s Board of Peace may play in the rebuilding of Gaza


The diminished relevance of the United Nations in world affairs

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and Baroness Ayesha Hazarika (Member of the House of Lords).
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