Friday, August 21, 2026, Paris

The US has begun to unveil the next phase in its campaign agaisnt Iran, and it looks a bit like previous attempts to pressure the country. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the aim is to use the combination of sanctions, international pressure on third countries, and a naval blockade to “collapse” Iran.

In the latest edition of badlands, I discuss the sanctions and what “regime collapse” could mean.

Also in the episode, a replay of an April interview with Hossein Rassam, the former adviser to the UK Embassy in Iran about the current crisis and how the Iranian government may evolve as a result of the war.

Finally, I discuss what the world should do about an increasingy reckless and belligerent US and Israel and a range of topics—in a pair of interviews with India’s NewsX World.

badlands is a listener-supported podcast. To receive new episodes and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe

Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör Borzou Daragahi. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Borzou Daragahi och inte av, eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.