Gideon talks to Lloyd Austin, who served as US defence secretary under the Biden administration, about the need to adapt to new forms of warfare, accusations that he presided over a ‘woke military’ and how he headed off a nuclear threat from Russia in the early days of the Ukraine conflict. Clip: AP

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US pauses ‘Project Freedom’ as Trump seeks way out of Hormuz impasse

US warns Europe of delays to arms shipments as Iran war drains stockpiles

Pentagon to pull 5,000 soldiers out of Germany in dispute over Iran war

Donald Trump’s Iran war has cost $25bn, Pentagon says

Our inaugural FT Weekend Festival in NYC is quickly approaching! Join John Lithgow, Orna Guralnik, Jancis Robinson and more on Saturday, June 20 at Spring Studios or online — as the FT Weekend comes to life for one unforgettable day. Register now and as a podcast listener save 10% off using our code FTPodcast— this is the Saturday you won’t want to miss it.

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.

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Gideon talks to Dmytro Kuleba, former Ukrainian foreign minister, about the current state of Russia’s war against Ukraine. What would it take to break the stalemate and how has the conflict been impacted by the US-Israeli attack on Iran? Clips: DW; Reuters

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Vladimir Putin pares back Victory Day parade over fear of Ukrainian strikes 

US ambassador to Ukraine to leave over differences with Donald Trump

Ukraine’s drone pilots hit Russian targets from 500km away

Toxic rain falls on Russian city after refinery blaze

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.

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Those who do not study history may be destined to repeat it . . . and lose money. The Story of Money is a new podcast from The Financial Times exploring the past to see where the next opportunities — and disasters — may lie. Hosted by FT columnist Gillian Tett and FT Alphaville editor Robin Wigglesworth, The Story of Money explores the history of global finance through the people, ideas, events, and institutions that have shaped it. From unregulated frontier banking experiments in 19th-century America to institutionalised debt forgiveness in ancient Mesopotamia, The Story of Money traces how financial systems evolve — and why familiar patterns often repeat — offering context for everything from market cycles to emerging AI trends.

Watch episode 1: They are history’s geniuses. But were they any good at investing?

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Gideon discusses why the Iran conflict is proving so difficult to end with Michael Singh and Dana Stroul of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. What are the options on the table for both sides and can America’s allies play a useful role? Clip: New York Post

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The Iran crisis has not yet peaked

Iranian tankers bypass US blockade

Macron and Starmer to hold summit on plan to secure Strait of Hormuz

Lufthansa cuts 20,000 flights to save fuel as prices soar

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.

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Gideon discusses possible negotiated solutions to the Iran war with Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institution. What do Tehran's leaders want and how long can they hold out for a winning settlement that will ease the country’s economic pain? What are the stakes for Trump and the global economy? And what role, if any, can Gulf countries play in curbing the regime’s power to blight progress in the region? Clip: Fox News

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Why time is on Iran’s side

Iran is America’s Suez crisis — and just as ridiculous

Iran used Chinese spy satellite to target US bases

Iran faces halt to oil production within weeks if US blockade succeeds

Life inside Iran’s internet blackout

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What is it like to negotiate with Iran and what are the key issues that need to be resolved if the war is to end? Has the war permanently reshaped the relationship between the US and Europe? Gideon talks to Baroness Catherine Ashton, who was the EU’s high representative for foreign policy from 2009 until 2014 and played a leading role in negotiations with Iran.

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Armageddon is off . . . for now

US and Iran agree 2-week ceasefire that will open Strait of Hormuz 

Has Trump officially united Europe 

Trump’s threats to pull out of Nato leave alliance exposed  

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Nisha Patel. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.

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Donald Trump has said the US military action against Iran may be coming to an end. If so, what would it have achieved and where does this leave the key question of safe passage for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz? Gideon discusses the consequences of the war for the US and its allies with Philip Gordon of the Brookings Institution. Clip: NBC News

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Trump threatened to stop weapons for Ukraine unless Europe joined Hormuz coalition

Shutting Hormuz is a template for China in Taiwan

Iran could emerge from the war stronger and more dangerous

UK to host coalition talks on securing Strait of Hormuz

One battle after another: Netanyahu’s new security doctrine

Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.

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Viktor Orbán has been a thorn in the side of the EU and a favourite of Donald Trump. But his party is now behind in the polls ahead of next month’s Hungarian elections. So could this mark the end of the Orbán era? Gideon discusses this with Zsuzsanna Végh, an analyst at the German Marshall Fund. They also discuss Orbán's close relationship with Russia and hostility to Ukraine. Clip: APT

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ECB warns Hungary’s seizure of Ukraine cash risks euro credibility

Hungarian opposition groups quit to make way for Orbán challenger

Kremlin backs covert campaign to keep Viktor Orbán in power

The riches of Viktor Orbán’s home village

How Viktor Orbán’s oligarchs reaped billions in public contracts

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.

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Gideon discusses the Iran war with defence analyst Jack Watling, author of Statecraft - The New Rules of Power in a Divided World. Why did the US fail to foresee the need to protect the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route? What options are there to bring the war to a close?

Clip: NYT

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Iran vows retaliation against energy sites across Gulf after largest gasfield hit

Trump ally warns US economy not strong enough to cope with Iran war

Iran still seen capable of escalating attacks on Gulf’s energy

Israel says it has killed Iran’s top security official 

Top US counterterrorism official resigns over war against Iran

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.

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Introducing Opus Dei, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. Host Antonia Cundy uncovers the cultural and political influence of a controversial Catholic organisation in America. Opus Dei exists to help people get closer to God, but some members say they found other agendas – and unexpected harm – entangled in that spiritual mission. The first episode of Untold: Opus Dei launches March 25. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Gideon speaks to Sir Simon Gass, a former UK ambassador to Iran, about why the formidable destructive power of the US and Israel has failed to dislodge the Islamic regime. They discuss how long the war can continue as well as likely outcomes for the US, Iran and the Gulf region. Clip: Middle East Eye

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Trump’s Venezuela strategy has failed in Iran 

Iranians rethink the price of regime change

Iran official says new supreme leader is ‘fine’ despite absence from view

Drones, lasers and radars: Middle East war spurs hunt for cheaper air defence

Taco on Iran will come too late for Trump

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.

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