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)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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). 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public life, and not for his alleged behavior toward women. He is the first member of the British royal family to be detained since King Charles I was taken prisoner in 1647. Former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove details the level of classified information Andrew may have allegedly shared for personal gain.

In this special bonus episode:

• Why Prince Andrew was arrested for misconduct in public office

• The state of the UK justice system and the future of the monarchy

• The fallout from the Epstein files: why the UK is acting while the US remains silent

• Peter Mandelson’s vulnerability to similar charges

• Andrew’s history as “Randy Andy” and “Air Miles Andy”

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and co-host Kate McCann (Political Editor, The Times). 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is 2026 China's window to “reunite” Taiwan? With Trump’s muted position on Taiwan and focus on the Western Hemisphere, China experts see a "perfect storm" of opportunity. Yun Sun, Ph.D., Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, explains why Beijing believes this may be a now-or-never moment.  Dr. Sun unpacks her arguments and warnings from her recent Foreign Affairs essay.

In this episode:

• The People's Liberation Army’s military readiness 

• If the United States won’t intervene, would Japan or South Korea? 

• Decoding the signals from the purge of PLA generals

• Xi Jinping's legacy ambitions

• Warning signs to watch in 2026

Show Notes: 

• A Perfect Storm for Taiwan in 2026? | Foreign Affairs  

• Yun Sun | Stimson Center

• Yun Sun | Brookings 

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and guest co-host Rosanna Lockwood (international journalist).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's speech at the Munich Security Conference marks a seismic shift in European defense. Former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove breaks down why Germany's massive military spending increase changes everything, and why the UK might be left behind.

Plus: Is the US heading toward military conflict with Iran? What is the significance of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s controversial support for Orban in Hungary? 

In this episode:

• Germany's constitutional change for unprecedented defense spending

• Merz's "German Gaullism" - what it means for Europe

• Why Starmer's Munich speech fell flat

• Israel strategizing with Trump administration regarding Iran

• Zelensky's election strategy and Ukraine's battlefield gains

Show Notes: 

• Royal Navy misses £500m of submarine maintenance | The Times  

• Le gaullisme allemand de Merz à Munich: discours intégral | Le Grand Continent  

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and Kate McCann (Political Editor at The Times).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

s the United States about to launch military strikes against Iran? Former National Security Council official Michael Allen joins One Decision to discuss escalating tensions in the Middle East, revealing why he believes President Trump will soon authorize joint US-Israeli military action against Iran.

In this episode, Michael Allen analyzes:

• Why Iran negotiations may be doomed to fail

• Putin's negotiating strategy and the Donbas sticking point

• Europe's slow response to Trump's defense spending demands

Michael Allen is a Managing Director at Beacon Global Strategies, co-host of NatSec Matters Podcast, and a former NSC official who ran intelligence strategy and counter-proliferation.

Show Notes: 

• A Second Wave of Popular Anger Is Building in Iran | WSJ 

• The Critical Importance of Ukraine’s Fortress Belt in Donetsk Oblast | ISW 

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and guest co-host Sabrina Singh (former Pentagon Press Secretary).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein files has reached the highest levels of the United Kingdom Parliament. Tensions continue to rise as Iran attempts to run out the clock on American forces. Russia–Ukraine peace talks appear to be stalling yet again.

Former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove and Sabrina Singh dive into the ongoing turmoil facing UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Sir Richard details calls for the PM’s resignation, as documents in the Epstein files reveal that Starmer’s former U.S. ambassador pick, Peter Mandelson, allegedly distributed classified intelligence with Epstein back in 2008.

Sabrina gets into Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff’s approach to engaging with Iran. Sir Richard explains Iran’s strategy for running out the clock on the United States, and why past nuclear negotiations remain influential for both sides.

Ukraine does not appear willing to surrender the Donbas region to Russia. Sir Richard and Sabrina analyze the war’s impact on the strained Russian economy. As casualties on both sides continue to mount, Russians are fleeing the country at rates not seen in decades to escape the conflict and conscription.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denmark's Defence Committee Chair Rasmus Jarlov exposes the truth behind Trump's “framework of a future deal.” In this interview, Jarlov explains why Denmark has drawn a hard line against Trump's territorial claims. Jarlov admits that he's no longer sure if America would defend a NATO ally under attack.

In this episode of One Decision, we explore:

• What's Trump really after in Greenland

• How Trump’s Greenland threats are fracturing NATO 

• Why the "Chinese threat" in Greenland is "exaggerated to the extreme"

• Would Denmark block a Greenland independence referendum to stop US annexation?

• Europe's defense spending surge 

• Why allies can no longer depend on America

With trust between NATO allies at its lowest point in decades, Jarlov draws a hard red line: Denmark will not accept territorial demands from any country. He reveals how Trump's threats have backfired, bringing Denmark and Greenland closer together while pushing Europe away from relying on U.S. military defense. Plus: What "losing a friend" means when that friend is a global superpower.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices