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.
Prof. Avi Shlaim: Trump-Netanyahu war on Iran is the most unjustified and foolish war in the 21st century
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Israeli-British historian Prof. Avi Shlaim. He discusses why he calls Donald Trump’s and Benjamin Netanyahu’s war on Iran the most unjustified, senseless, and foolish war in the 21st century, with Netanyahu as the chief architect. He also discusses the overwhelming support of Israeli society for the war on Iran, why Iran is not an existential threat to Israel, the impact of unconditional US support for Israel across the region, the disconnect between Western governments and their publics on support for Israel, European nations’ complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the power of the Israel lobby in the UK and the criminalization of Palestine Action, and much more.
‘Trump-Xi summit: ‘China is winning the competition against the USA’ — Prof. Zhang Weiwei
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Zhang Weiwei, Director of Fudan University’s China Institute and former Translator for Chinese Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping. He discusses China’s current attitude to the Trump administration amid the war on Iran, how China acted over decades to lessen the impact of the US attempts to control China’s access to energy via the war on Iran and regime change in Venezuela, why China is winning in the tech and trade race against the US, China’s position on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, China’s limitation of rare earth exports to the US for military purposes, China’s decoupling from the US in trade and Treasury bill holdings, the low quality of leadership in Europe and the United States, Russia as a ‘revolutionary’ against the US unipolar order whereas China is a ‘reformer’ of the world order, why tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook joined Trump in visiting Beijing, and much more.
US & Israel humiliated by Iran, Greater Israel plan must be confronted – Prof. Paul Craig Roberts
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Paul Craig Roberts, former US Assistant Treasury Secretary for Economic Policy. He discusses why he believes Iran has prevailed in its war with the US and Israel but made a mistake in agreeing to a ceasefire, why Iran’s ‘restraint’ against the hegemonic powers of the US and Israel is a flaw in their strategy, the role of 9/11 as the US’ Pearl Harbour in waging wars that benefit the Greater Israel Agenda, why Trump and Netanyahu suffered humiliation by Iran in this war, the need for the Muslim world to confront the Greater Israel plan, why Israel’s Dimona serves as Iran’s nuclear weapon and the possibility of Israel using nukes against Iran, Russia’s strategic blunders in the Ukraine proxy war, and much more.
Trump powerless to end Ukraine proxy war, Europe is Russia’s principal adverdary — Dr. Dmitri Trenin
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Dmitri Trenin, Member of Russia’s Foreign and Defence Policy Council and former Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center. He discusses the significance of Victory Day amid the NATO-Russia proxy war in Ukraine, what ‘victory’ looks like for Russia in Ukraine and why it is likely to be a long war, whether Russia has failed to seize the opportunities presented by a Trump presidency and Russia’s reasons for showing restraint, Europe’s increasing involvement in the proxy war, Europe’s use of hostility towards Russia to consolidate itself, why Trump has been powerless to end the war, China’s changing attitude to dealing with the US, why Trump is seeking a pause in the conflict with Beijing, and much more.
‘Israeli vassal’ Trump fighting a war of lies against Iran for Greater Israel Project – David Pyne
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to David Pyne, the deputy executive director of the US Taskforce on National and Homeland Security. He discusses Donald Trump’s war on Iran being a war based of lies for the Greater Israel project, the prospect of thousands of US soldiers dying in a ground invasion of Iran, Trump’s behavior as an Israeli vassal, why he believes many in the Gulf States are angry at the US for the destabilization caused by the war on Iran and the prioritization of defending Israel, the extent of the damage against US bases in the Middle East, the most recent assassination attempt against Trump, why this war shows the necessity for the US to end its security relationship with Israel, the future of the US military’s presence in Europe and the state of the Ukraine proxy war, and much more.
War on Iran: Pentagon whistleblower Wes Bryant slams Trump Administration’s reckless bombing of civilians
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Master Sgt. Wes Bryant Pentagon Whistleblower and Former Branch Chief of the Pentagon’s Civilian Protection Center of Excellence. He discusses Pete Hegseth shutting down the department he worked for and the ‘revelling in death and destruction’ as civilians are killed and injured in Iran, the US’ bombing of civilian infrastructure and Trump’s threats to destroy the entire Iranian civilisation, the dramatic departure from targeting assessment protocol under the second Trump Administration, the extreme Christian nationalism and Zionism behind Pete Hegseth’s and Donald Trump’s support to the hilt of Israel, the Pentagon’s conduct during the Gaza genocide under the Biden Administration, the allegation that the civilian protection centre was a PR cover for US war crimes, Israel’s dropping of landmines in Iran, and much more.