To add another reason the Iran war was such a strategic blunder, the reconstruction of Syria (and Gaza) was predicated on Gulf money. That was ambitious prior to the war given how overstretched Gulf budgets already were. Now there's less money and a need for it at home. Major regional implications.

Excellent interview by @gideonrachman.bsky.social with former 🇺🇦Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on “The Rachman Review” 4/4 podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/t...

This poem that I wrote aged 15 in 1970 was published in my school magazine. I was thrilled when a TV producer picked it up and made a short film of it (on BBC Look North, I think).

By @gideonrachman.bsky.social

Striking listening to this @gideonrachman.bsky.social interview with two US policy people from ‘normal’ times how naive they both are about how the world now sees America. As if Trump were just a hiccup rather than a malodorous belch that clears the room for good. open.spotify.com/episode/1AEZ...

Interesting i/v by @gideonrachman.bsky.social about how to end the US-Iran war. Critical note: telling detail that Trump’s global toxicity hence political dangers for allies for being associated with T’s war is not valued by the Americans. USfirst => USalone podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/t...

Would love to play that one for the jury in the defamation case.

Across the world, regardless of skin colour, the successful playbook is IMV always 'I'm awesome! You're awesome! This is an awesome country! I will avoid where possible talking about racism!' and not....this.

"Financial markets ended last week on an upswing — apparently convinced that the worst of the crisis is over. That assumption looks complacent." @gideonrachman.bsky.social @financialtimes.com

If this actually happens, it may rank as the single most corrupt act in the history of American politics. I cannot believe this is even under discussion.

“Orbán’s banishment is a blow to the fatalism that has become so fashionable in western democracies. There’s nothing inevitable about the march of the populist-oligarch right.” My Swamp Notes with @gideonrachman.bsky.social. Free to read. as.ft.com/r/a16fea82-8...

"The economic impacts of the war were cushioned for a while b/c a lot of Gulf oil/gas was already at sea when the US & Israel attacked Iran in Feb. But the effects of the strait’s closure & Iran’s attacks on Gulf energy are now kicking in." @gideonrachman.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/2f1c...

Quite a flex to turn up at the presidential palace, get him to confirm you as prime minister, call him unfit to serve with no moral authority, tell him to resign, and then pose for a picture

Negotiating an end to the war — and the energy crisis it is causing — will require strategic vision, patience and an ability to understand trade-offs and to build alliances. All qualities that Trump lacks @gideonrachman.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/2f1c...

Hungary chose to be a member of the EU. And Hungarian voters overwhelmingly rejected Orban’s anti-EU stance. MAGA can’t get its head around this.

Incredible result. An amazing achievement for Magyar and also for the people of Hungary. All is not lost!

Listening to this podcast I was left wondering why Baroness Cathy Ashton isn’t either our Foreign Sec, a senior Minister or a Special Envoy with all her EU and global foreign policy experience. Another great podcast episode. @gideonrachman.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

"Armageddon is off . . . for now" - @gideonrachman.bsky.social here on the ceasefire and how peace talks might play out www.ft.com/content/1843...

Philip Gordon of @brookings.edu, interviewed by @gideonrachman.bsky.social, sums up total failure of Trump admin to think strategically: "US military presence did deter the closure of the Strait of Hormuz because we said 'we're going to use massive military force against you if you close it'..." 1/2

"Neither Britain nor Europe has decades to get it right." @gideonrachman.bsky.social rightly spurring @10dowingstreet.bsky.social and @ec.europa.eu @eucouncil.bsky.social to speed up rapprochement between #UK and #EU, or #rejoining giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

'I notice he has barely touched his prosecco, while I’ve guzzled most of mine.' I had lunch with Jay McInerney as.ft.com/r/3a99aa58-2...

Escaping through literature was not the escape I had hoped for.

Quite the numbers… “In the first 16 days, the US, together with coalition forces, burned through more than 11,200 munitions, according to RUSI. Among these were more than 1,200 RTX Patriot missile-defence systems, hundreds of its long-range Tomahawk missiles and more than 300 Thaad interceptors.”

Great @financialtimes.com interview of @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social by @gideonrachman.bsky.social about the Hungarian elections. www.ft.com/content/7309...

Indeed. It was worth listening to him yesrday evening live on Al Jazeera spelling out the chapter and rhe verse. A calamitous US defeat if Trump follows through

I hope all those people who said the US had done no planning for war in Iran will now apologise. www.ft.com/content/744e...

Two more weeks until the Hungarian election! We discussed with @gideonrachman.bsky.social @financialtimes.com if this will bring the end of Orban's rule, why the opposition is on the rise, what Fidesz's close ties with Russia means for Europe and what may be different. 🎧 www.ft.com/content/ef9b...

#Podcastvandedag Viktor Orbán has been a thorn for the EU and a favourite of Donald Trump. But his party is now behind in the polls ahead of next month’s Hungarian elections.  But this is not a done deal! @gideonrachman.bsky.social @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/t...

Analysts like Citrinowicz believe that the biggest long-term strategic threat to Israel is not Iran — but the potential loss of the American support on which Israel relies. The erosion of that support is now well under way, schrijft @gideonrachman.bsky.social giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Yet another excellent episode from @gideonrachman.bsky.social and it sounds like Statecraft the New Rules by @Jack Watling will be a good read. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

There seem to be two possible outcomes for Hungary’s election: - Orban loses, refuses to accept defeat, and Trump backs him, threatening retaliation if he does not stay in power - Orban wins thanks to Russian and US interference I hope the EU is prepared www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...

One thing struck me in chats in Bxl today on EU not helping Trump over Iran One senior EU official noted EU leaders had become somewhat “immune” to Trump's threats. They've been so many (tariffs, NATO, Ukraine, Greenland, against Starmer etc) that the impact has sort of worn of

Transcript of a podcast b/w @gideonrachman.bsky.social and Jack Watling, author of ‘Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World’, is very illuminating. - Trump admin ignored risk of Strait of Hormuz being closed - Threat to shipping won't go away any time soon www.ft.com/content/a530...

Greenland was no joke. Believe what he says.

This podcast from @gideonrachman.bsky.social is good - clearly explained and very informative on Iran, Hormuz, Israel and the rest www.ft.com/content/acd8...

Coincidentally she talked about this in a Dutch TV programme last Sunday about the Iran war. Basically it is as @gideonrachman.bsky.social said: joined the Executive Council expressly in order to add actual expertise on Palestine. If she can't contribute anything meaningful she will leave

This is really very good on Iran - @gideonrachman.bsky.social's podcast talk with Sir Simon Gass, a former UK ambassador to Iran and former chair of Britain’s Joint Intelligence Committee www.ft.com/content/acd8...

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Financial Times, Why Hormuz will haunt us long after this war ends @gideonrachman.bsky.social

Insightful, comprehensive, and chilling conversation between @gideonrachman.bsky.social and Sir Simon Gass. I highly recommend it for a clear-eyed, comprehensive perspective with several unique insights. podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/t...

The FT's @gideonrachman.bsky.social on Sigrid Kaag's hard to swallow presence on Trump's vanity board. I have a great deal of respect for her, and this is indeed the only calculation I can think of that would explain it. But by Jove, it's getting harder and harder to get the same outcome

Weitere sehr hörenswerte Ausgabe @gideonrachman.bsky.social Simon Gass, ehem. Botschafter in Teheran, bringt seine Verachtung für diesen Krieg spektakulär höflich zum Ausdruck. Can you be more polite than Sir Simon in expressing what an utter bollocks this war is? podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/t...

Rabobank on the unfolding worst case scenario:

New video footage shows a US Tomahawk missile hitting an IRGC facility in Minab, Iran, on Feb 28, showing for the first time that the US struck the area. The footage also shows smoke already rising from the vicinity of the girls’ school, where 175 people were reportedly killed, including children.

Die beste, nüchternste und sehr deprimierende Analyse der Lage, die ich diese Woche gehört habe, kommt von @emile-hokayem.bsky.social bei @gideonrachman.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/t...

Multiple news outlets are reporting a US attack on an Iranian #desalination plant. If verified, this violates international law protecting #water systems during wars, and it sets a dangerous precedent, given intense dependence of Gulf countries on desalination. timesofoman.com/article/1691...

Delighted to have Emile on. Nobody better to discuss all the implications of this war.

RACHMAN: “.. Trump is now committed to a process for which there is no real precedent: regime change brought about by air power alone.” @gideonrachman.bsky.social @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/4371...

Boris Johnson very articulate here on why we need really increase pressure on Putin if we want peace in Ukraine and how to do it - podcast interview with @gideonrachman.bsky.social. www.ft.com/content/996c...

What an incredibly cool FT article and WWI story! The FT contest that challenged readers to redraw Europe’s borders (🎁🔗) giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...