Twice a week, award-winning journalist Afshin Rattansi and his team go underground to cover geopolitics and current affairs from a perspective you won’t find in the mainstream media, with some of the most high-profile guests.
US losing the war on Iran shows the US empire is in decline – Lt. Col. William J. Astore
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel William J. Astore, author of ‘American Militarism on Steroids’. He discusses why he believes the US is losing the war against Iran, the ballooning US military budget for perpetual war and the decline of US empire, the decline of democracy in America as the empire’s appetite continues to grow, Pope Leo XIV’s stance against the Iran war, why Israel and Netanyahu dragging the US into the war represents a threat to national security, the mainstream media’s coverage of the Ukraine proxy war and Russia’s lack of trust of the US in negotiations, and much more.
Iran won against the US & Israel, Netanyahu is a failure - Ex-Acting Israeli President Avraham Burg
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to former Acting Israeli President Avraham Burg. He discusses why the US’ ceasefire with Iran appears to be a divorce between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu as Iran is the clear winner of the war, why Donald Trump needed the war to end quickly in contrast to Netanyahu’s need for it to be prolonged, Israel’s continuing war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the impact of the Gaza genocide on the future of the Israeli state and politics, the omission of people who share his views from media coverage in Israel, the allegations that Benjamin Netanyahu is using Jeffrey Epstein blackmail material to drag Trump into wars and control his foreign policy, how the US-Israeli war on Iran will accelerate Iran and other states’ pursuit of nuclear weapons and his call for the entire Middle East, including nuclear-armed Israel, to be a nuclear free zone, and much more.
UAE’s Mishal Kanoo on relations with Iran, America’s Gulf bases, Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to one of the UAE’s most prominent businessmen, Mishal Kanoo, the chairman of the Kanoo Group. He discusses headlines such as ‘The Dubai Dream is Over’ in the Western media and the motivation for this coverage against the city, the desire among the UAE’s leadership circles for Iran and other neighbors to prosper despite the war, why the Gulf States did not retaliate against Iranian strikes against the GCC, his response to Iran’s premise of attacking GCC states for hosting US military bases, Iran’s assertion of control over the Strait of Hormuz and how it affects shipping, the impact of the US-Israeli war against Iran on the real estate sector in Dubai, and much more.
War on Iran: US military being used for Epstein class’ profits and Israel — Sgt. Brian McGinnis
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Sgt. Brian McGinnis, US Senate Candidate for the Green Party in North Carolina, who had his arm broken while being dragged out of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing while protesting the war on Iran. He discusses how the US military-industrial complex and Israel lobbyists have bought off US politicians to launch this war for Israel’s interests, the role of the Internet and social media in breaking through the US government’s propaganda and the rise of anti-war sentiment, Iran’s destruction of US assets in Iraq — a country which he fought in as part of the US invasion and occupation, his personal experience in occupied Palestine seeing the brutality of the Israeli occupation’s settlers and soldiers, his thoughts on War Secretary Pete Hegseth and his conduct in the war on Iran, and much more.
War on Iran: US decision-making being made by Trump’s council of one – Anthony Scaramucci
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Anthony Scaramucci, President Donald Trump’s former White House communications director and founder of SkyBridge Capital. He discusses whether Trump is losing in the war against Iran and what his likely strategy will be, his belief that decision-making in the Trump administration is a ‘council of one’, the Epstein Files and whether the war is a distraction from the damaging revelations, the prospect of US boots on the grounds in Iran, his goals for the war on Iran despite his opposition to the war beginning, Joe Kent’s assertion that the war is for Israel, whether it is part of an effort to save US hegemony, the consequence of de-dollarization as oil is priced in Chinese yuan, and much more.
War on Iran: Afshin Rattansi challenges Obama’s deputy assistant secretary of state, Joel Rubin
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Joel Rubin, Barack Obama’s deputy assistant secretary of state. In a heated interview, Afshin Rattansi challenges him on his support for Donald Trump’s and Benjamin Netanyahu’s war on Iran and all of the justifications for it; ranging from Iran’s nuclear program, human rights, ballistic missile program, the failed negotiations with the United States, alleged corruption, and the underlying arguable hypocrisy behind US foreign policy. Read Joel Rubin’s Substack: https://substack.com/@joelrubin