- 40 minutes 1 secondThe Gulf’s Postwar Playbook
Gulf countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have created entire cities and world-class airlines off the back of energy riches and U.S. security. The Iran war has upended the calculations of the Gulf monarchs. How are they rethinking their strategies? Allison Minor worked on Gulf policy in the Biden administration and joins FP Live to share her analysis.
Plus, Ravi shares his read on what the recent migrant crisis in Ceuta means for the future of immigration policy.
Allison Minor and April Longley Alley: A Saudi-Emirati Thaw Can Help Contain Iran
Saeid Jafari: The Regional Order Iran Wanted Is Taking Shape Without It
Steven A. Cook: Economic Integration in the Middle East Is a False God
Rob Geist Pinfold: Discord in the Gulf
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12 August 2026, 3:35 am - 45 minutes 11 secondsWhy Everyone Is Talking About Chokepoints
The Strait of Hormuz may be the chokepoint of the moment, but it’s actually not even the one that’s most concerning to Eddie Fishman, the author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare. He explains why U.S. dollar dominance, Chinese critical mineral control, and the semiconductor supply chain are more potent in terms of how much they can impact geopolitics—and how countries and companies might weaponize them.
Plus, why is China following such a radically different artificial intelligence strategy than the United States? Ravi shares his read.
Graham Allison: America’s Cosmic Bet on AI
Rishi Iyengar: China Is AI-Maxxing
Agathe Demarais: How China Is Winning the Global AI Race
Keith Johnson: America’s Economic Warfare Is Sowing Its Own Demise
Bob Davis: Does the United States Have the Weapons for Trade War?
Maximilian Hess: Trump Has Weakened America’s Sanctions Weapon
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5 August 2026, 5:23 pm - 43 minutes 48 secondsWhy the Energy Crisis Isn’t Worse—Yet
The ongoing war in Iran has been called the biggest energy crisis in history. How is it changing the plans of countries and companies? Which changes will be permanent? Ravi turns to Daniel Yergin, the world’s foremost expert of the oil industry and its history. Yergin is the vice chairman of S&P Global and the author of The Prize, The Quest and, most recently, The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations.
Plus, Ravi shares his read on the expanding conflict in the Middle East.
Philip H. Gordon: There’s Only One Way Out of Trump’s Reckless War
Allison Minor and Nate Swanson: How to End the Iran War
Fatih Birol: The Global Energy Map Is Being Redrawn in Real Time
Michael Hirsh: How the Iran War Reshaped the Global Landscape of Power
John V. Bowlus: Escaping the Hormuz Trap
Ali Ahmadi: The Oil Market Is Much More Vulnerable Than Trump Believes
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30 July 2026, 7:50 pm - 45 minutes 19 secondsThe Iran Expert Trump Fired
Iran and the United States are locked in a familiar pattern. Conflict has resumed, both sides seem caught in an escalation trap, and oil prices are rising. What would it take for Tehran and Washington to both save face and step back? Ravi Agrawal turns to career diplomat and Iran expert Nate Swanson, who was fired by the Trump administration last year.
Plus, Ravi shares his read on India’s youth protests and the so-called “Cockroach Janata Party.”
Sumit Ganguly: India’s Cockroach Movement Gains Momentum
Ellie Geranmayeh: How the United States and Iran Can Solve Hormuz
Dennis Ross: How to Isolate Tehran
David Ignatius: Trump Pushed the Reset Button. This is ‘Iran Fiasco 2.0.’
Keith Johnson: Energy Markets’ False Dawn May Be Over
Rob Geist Pinfold and Dania Thafer: The Gulf States That Iran Thinks It Can Attack
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21 July 2026, 12:42 am - 46 minutes 34 secondsIs the Trans-Atlantic Relationship Over? A Debate.
Is the trans-Atlantic relationship over? Nathalie Tocci argues that it cannot be rebuilt as it was: The liberal order that birthed trans-Atlanticism is gone, and a fundamental breach of trust has occurred. Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer sees it differently: Trans-Atlanticism was never based only on values but also on security, economic, and technological interests. The relationship has now entered a period of geopolitical maturity, where the two sides will pick and choose areas of cooperation. The two European experts debate their takes.
Plus, Ravi shares his read on how renewed conflict in Iran hurts energy prices.
Alexandra Sharp: U.S.-Iran Talks May Continue, but the Cease-Fire Is Over
Nathalie Tocci: The End of Trans-Atlanticism
Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer: Trans-Atlanticism Isn’t Dead—It’s Being Renegotiated
Luke McGee: Washington Shouldn’t Fear NATO Expansion
Dimitar Bechev: Contain, Consolidate, and Co-Opt
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15 July 2026, 5:10 pm - 39 minutes 46 secondsCan Ukraine Win in Russia?
Ukraine has a new strategy in its full-scale war with Russia: using drones to attack deep into Russian territory and bring the war home to the Russian people for the first time. Has this put Moscow on the backfoot? What will it mean for the chances of a deal? Dmytro Kuleba, a former Ukrainian foreign minister and senior fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center, joins FP Live for a frank and realistic assessment.
Plus, Ravi shares his read on the NATO summit in Ankara.
John Kennedy and Jacob Parakilas: Putin May Escalate, but Ukraine Is Winning
Christian Caryl: Ukraine Finally Has a Theory of Victory. Will It Work?
Paul Hockenos: The Strategy Behind the Battle for Crimea
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10 July 2026, 2:49 pm - 40 minutes 13 secondsIs Trump Really Planning to Invade Cuba?
After the United States ousted Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro in January and then took out Iran’s senior leadership in the following months, U.S. President Donald Trump set his sights on Cuba, claiming that he would have the “honor of taking” the island. Michael Bustamante, a leading historian of Cuban-American relations, joins FP Live to assess the White House’s strategy and Havana’s options.
Plus, Ravi shares his read on the diverse United States seen by World Cup tourists.
Oliver Stuenkel: Washington’s Cuba Policy Is Self-Sabotage
Howard W. French: Trump Is Playing With Fire in Cuba
Katrin Hansing: Blackouts, Food Shortages, and Water Scarcity
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1 July 2026, 5:49 pm - 44 minutes 11 secondsThe Geopolitics of SpaceX and Elon Musk
SpaceX’s initial public offering broke records as the largest ever and one that (briefly) made Elon Musk the first trillionaire. But just how much power should one person or one company have in space? Quinn Slobodian, a co-author of Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed, joins FP Live to argue that Musk’s network of integrated companies—from X to Starlink—amplifies not only his economic power but his worldview.
Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff: Elon Musk’s Self-Contradictory Military Policy
C. Raja Mohan: Elon Musk and the Rise of Space Capitalism
Adam Tooze: Elon Musk’s First Principles
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26 June 2026, 12:58 pm - 39 minutes 48 secondsDeciphering the U.S.-Iran Deal
The United States and Iran have struck a memorandum of understanding to end the war that began in February. Will the deal last? And what does it mean for the United States, the Middle East, and the world? Ali Vaez has long been involved in unofficial dialogues with Iran and the United States, and he joins FP Live to analyze the deal.
Plus, Ravi shares his read on why the cease-fire deal, despite its flaws, will hold.
FP Staff: U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding: Full Text
Duncan B. Hollis: Is the MOU a Treaty or Not? And Why Should We Care?
Matthew Kroenig: The U.S. Won the War With Iran
Paul Musgrave: Iran Is a Bigger Defeat Than Vietnam
Will Todman: Everyone Lost the War With Iran
Daniel Byman: How the Iran Deal Sets the Stage for More Conflict
Nik Kowsar and Alireza Nader: Ordinary Iranians Won’t See a Dime of Trump’s Money
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24 June 2026, 2:02 pm - 39 minutes 53 secondsIs the U.S.-Israel Special Relationship Over?
U.S. public opinion is undergoing a dramatic shift, with more and more Americans calling for less military support to Israel. So, is the “special relationship” between the two countries over? According to an essayist in Foreign Policy’s latest print issue, the partnership has peaked—and the only way to go is down. Why is that, and how did we get here? Joshua Leifer, a columnist for Haaretz and author of that essay, joins FP Live to explore trends in the U.S.-Israeli partnership.
Plus, Ravi shares his read on the proposed U.S.-Iran cease-fire deal.
Paul Musgrave: Iran Is a Bigger Defeat Than Vietnam
Will Todman: Everyone Lost the War With Iran
Menahem Merhavy: Iran’s Victory Is More Pyrrhic Than It Looks
Joshua Leifer: The End of the U.S.-Israel Alliance
FP’s Summer Print Issue: The End of the World as We Know It
David E. Rosenberg: Netanyahu’s Reelection Could Hinge on Outcome of Iran War
Steven A. Cook: Why the U.S. Should Wind Down Military Aid to Israel
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17 June 2026, 4:30 pm - 38 minutes 31 secondsThe Geopolitics of the World Cup
This week, the largest-ever World Cup will commence. Across the three host countries—Canada, Mexico, and the United States—48 teams will play 104 matches in 16 cities. But it also comes amid a particularly fraught geopolitical backdrop. Not only have the three hosts spent the last year sparring over immigration, trade, and even national sovereignty, but one of them, the United States, is at war with fellow participant Iran. Top soccer expert and Times economics editor Mehreen Khan joins FP Live to explore just how exceptional this World Cup is.
Plus, Ravi shares his read on troubles for China’s solar industry.
Financial Times: Adam Tooze: Wasting China’s solar panel surplus is madness
The Economist: China’s world-beating solar industry is in turmoil
Bobby Ghosh: Sleeping in Mexico, Playing in America
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