Category: Podcast

Analysis: The discussion highlights how non-state asymmetric warfare directly jeopardizes core energy transit routes outside the Strait of Hormuz, challenging traditional deterrence frameworks. It illustrates that Gulf states can no longer decouple their economic modernization blueprints from broader regional conflict escalation. For global energy markets, this shift signifies that systemic geopolitical premiums are now permanently priced into critical supply nodes.

Renewed U.S. attacks under the Trump administration have killed at least 35 civilians in five days, prompting warnings from political analyst Ali Vaez that Washington is fueling potentially endless cycles of violence. Vaez notes that the U.S.’s unilateral withdrawal from a bilateral memorandum of understanding to justify military action has severely damaged diplomatic trust, emphasizing that there is no military solution and urging both nations to return to and uphold the agreement’s terms.

In this episode of Independent Thinking, Bronwen Maddox is joined by Laurel Rapp and Ambassador Tim Davis to discuss America’s international role and its domestic divisions as it approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding.

In this week’s episode of Independent Thinking, our experts discuss Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation and the challenges awaiting the Labour Party’s next leader.

A Conversation With Ian Bremmer

By Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Ph.D.

By Nizar Messari & Alae Jellal