Borzou Daragahi
@borzou.bsky.social
Journalist, writer, broadcaster. https://borzou.substack.com
In the latest FREE edition of badlands, I discuss reports by CBS News, The Wall Street Journal, and CNN that showed the extent of the damage caused by Iran’s attacks on the Arabian Peninsula and its under-appreciated capabilities. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jft8...
Leaks Expose Iran War Damage, Iranian Capability (S01E152)
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Yemen’s Ansar Allah seized control over huge swaths of the country, defeating Saudi-backed forces in an extraordinary offensive that appears to have been in the works for months.
A Political Earthquake In Yemen (S01E150)
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In the latest episode of badlands, Turkish journalist and security analyst Ahu Ozyurt joins for a talk about 9/11 and Turkey’s role in the region’s conflicts, then and now. We also discuss Turkish domestic politics, and the latest surge by a new opposition party.
A World Still Haunted By The Shadow Of September 11 (S01E149)
Watch now (48 mins) | Ahu Ozyurt joins for a discussion about 9/11 attacks and Turkish domestic and international politics. Plus, JD Vance moves into the position of GOP frontrunner
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For months the US claimed that its war against Iran was a success because it had “degraded” Iran’s military and nuclear program. But recent military exchanges and news reports have revealed the reality of Iran’s missile capabilities and its nuclear program has emerged.
How Do I Deceive Thee? Let Me Count The Ways (S01E148)
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On the latest episode of badlands, I discuss Israel’s reaction to the sanctions and the significance on the trading restrictions imposed on Israel, as well as the latest escalation in Yemen. Also an interview with ex US diplomat Alan Eyre, who talks about US foreign policy in the age of Trump.
A New Hope: Fighting Back Against Israel’s Extremism (S01E147)
Alan Eyre on continuity between the Trump administration and the past; Plus sanctions against Israel’s settlers, the sorry state of human rights, democracy, and diplomacy
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Ottawa doubles down on its confrontation with the US. Plus UK sanctions on Israel, and part one of my interview with Chatham House’s brilliant Sanam Vakil, who has a critical, well-informed take on the crisis in the Persian Gulf.
America Needs An Intervention (S01E146)
Chatham House’s Sanam Vakil on the crisis in the Middle East. Plus, updates on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
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An article in Israel’s Jerusalem Post last week made waves for a provocative suggestion to boost military recruitment numbers to fight the Iran war. In this special Labor Day episode of badlands, I discuss the sheer chutzpah of the suggestion and one aspect of it that hasn’t been widely pointed out.
Sacrifice American Lives, Wealth For Israel’s Regime Change War In Iran
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Huge segments of official Washington are finally catching up with the overwhelming American public consensus that the war is a disastrous mistake. But why did it take so much and so long to overcome?
How Iran Is Defeating The Washington Blob
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Unique among allies, Canada has stood up to the US, with Premier Mark Carney refusing to buckle to American pressure. In the latest episode of badlands, University of Ottawa professor Thomas Juneau discusses Canada’s stance on both Trump and the ongoing Middle East war.
Why Canada Is Challenging The US (S01E144)
Thomas Juneau on Canada’s bold stance. Plus, why Iran is bound to become another forever war, and updates on the Pentagon and the West Bank
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Former US Pentagon official Jasmine el-Gamal joins me for a candid discussion about American arrogance. I speak about an alternative universe where Donald Trump embraces diplomacy. borzou.substack.com/p/when-empir...
When Empires Meet Their Match In Iran, Ukraine (S01E143)
Jasmine el-Gamal on whether the US military power does any good anywhere in the world
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In the latest episode of badlands, I bring you up to speed on what happened and explain why the return to kinetic warfare was inevitable. Plus, I recount my interview with the International Crisis Group's Amjad Iraqi, who recently published a lengthy report on the dashed hopes for peace in Gaza.
Iran Wedding Horror Sparks Waves Of Missiles At US Bases
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In the latest episode of badlands, I discuss the inevitability of the return to warfare as well as the escalating rhetoric preceding the bombing and the danger of the type of “preemptive” war thinking that drives the US thinking. borzou.substack.com/p/back-to-bo...
Back To Bombs: US Launches Fresh Attacks On Iran (S01E140)
Watch now | Plus updates on the deadly boat accident in north Cyprus, and the meeting between the CIA and Russian officials in Moscow
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The US claimed it launched attacks on two missile launchers preparing to attack Persian Gulf shipping on Iran's Larak Island. Iran says two military personnel were killed and two injured, and launched overnight counterattacks targeting US military sites in Jordan and the Arabian Peninsula.
Back To Bombs: US Launches Fresh Attacks On Iran (S01E140)
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In the latest episode of badlands, the state of the conflict, with a focus on the US bases that were hit by the Iranians during the war and may never ever be rescuscitated. Plus, a new strategic alliance formed by regional countries in reaction to the chaos and unpredictability of the US
US Bases, How Low You Can You Go? (S01E139)
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In the latest edition of badlands, energy analyst Nader Cyrus Itayim joins me to sort through the lies and hype to figure out just how much oil is being moved out of the Persian Gulf and whether global energy supplies are dwindling.
Oil’s Well That Ends Well In The Persian Gulf (S01E138)
Watch now | Energy analyst Nader Itayim assesses the energy picture in the Middle East and worldwide. Plus, how the US is pressuring countries to comply with sanctions, and why Bill Gates is in the ne...
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Scott Bessent and Iran Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf acknowledged the US is treading on fragile economic ice with bond yields spiking and oil reserves plummeting. In the latest edition of badlands, I discuss why the sanctions on Iran risk damaging an already weakened global economy.
Iran Sanctions Could Tank The World Economy (S01E137)
Why the US is really pulling back from its own scheme to strangle the Iranian economy
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Both Scott Bessent and Iran Parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf acknowledged that the US is skating on thin economic ice with bond yields spiking and oil reserves plummeting. youtu.be/9YfWm7HST2U
Iran Sanctions Could Tank The World Economy (S01E137)
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In the latest edition of balands, Nadim Shehadi and I debate models for the future of the Middle East, whether the glittery global-connectedness of Dubai or the gritty resilience of Tehran is more desirable or feasible, as well as the successes and failures of the US wars in the Middle East.
Neocon Wars Have All Been Failures. Will Iran Be Different?
Borzou Daragahi vs Nadeem Shehadi on US interventions abroad. Plus, Scott Bessent’s sanctions appear destined to fail.
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Author and intellectual Robin Yassin-Kassab aka @qunfuz.bsky.social tells badlands the story behind the not-so-clandestine effort by the CIA and regional powers to arm the Syrian rebel groups which ultimately toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
The Real Story Of The CIA’s Regime Change Plot In Syria
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In the latest edition of badlands, I discuss the various ways in which Israel has manipulated its control over the territory meant to be the main component of a future Palestinian state to impoverish the population and prevent the economy from thriving.
Israel Is Choking The West Bank Economy. The World Is Finally Noticing (S01E133) B
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Iran could cause oil prices to spike right when it matters most
Donald Trump plumbs new depths of dishonor and disloyalty by threatening to bomb one ally while throwing another to the nuclear-armed wolves. In the latest episode of badlands, I ask why Iran or any country not named Israel would trust the US or make any deals with it. youtu.be/ApuCN2gdmLo
Screwing Over Your Friends And Neighbors (S01E131)
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The president keeps flapping his trap with irresponsible talk. Iranians are responding with esclalatory rhetoric. On the latest episode of badlands, I discuss the latest rhetorical flourishes by US and Iranian officials. youtu.be/xp6iNKk-bjE
Donald Trump Can’t Shut His Big Fat Mouth (S01E130)
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One kidnapped innocent people and forced them into concentration camps. Another aired a forced confession live on television. Yet another stole people’s homes and terrorized their inhabitants. Three misbehaving governments compete for the dubious honor of “rogue regime of the week.”
Rogue Regimes: Governments Which Oppress, Abduct, And Brutalize (S01E129)
Iran, Israel, and the US compete for rogue regime of the week
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Recent comments by US President Donald Trump on Iran show how stuck he is in his Iran failures. In the latest episode of badlands, host Borzou Daragahi breaks down Trump’s latest lies and misinformation and sketch out how Iran has become a hell of his own making. youtu.be/UlYf7wfWWY8
Donald Trump Is Stuck In The Quicksand of Iran (S01E127)
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Talking to @borzou.bsky.social about "The Blood Between Us: Syria After the Fall of Assad"
Scholar Nahid Siamdoust joins badlands to disuss her new article for The New York Review of Books in which she explores how the Saudi-financed and Israeli-controlled satellite news channel Iran International shaped opinons of the war in both Iran and the diaspora. youtu.be/nNnj8wiFz30?...
How A TV Channel Drove The Iran War
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The US appears poised to hand over control of the Strait of Hormuz over to the Iranians. Meanwhile, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan inked a major security partnership, dissing the US attempt to corral the countries of the region into the pro-Israel Abraham Accords.
Sour Grapes: US, Israel Lose On Hormuz, Diplomatic Alliances (S01E124)
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In the latest episode of badlands, I discuss the Michigan primary election today between Abdul el-Sayed and Haley Stevens. It is now considered the most expensive US Senate primary in history and a battle between the pro-Israel establishment and the insurgent wings of the party.
How Israel Lost Michigan, And American Jews (S01E121)
David Goldberg on shedding Israeli indoctrination, plus the big Michigan primary everyone is watching
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