The Rachman Review

What is it like to negotiate with Iran and what are the key issues that need to be resolved if the war is to end? Has the war permanently reshaped the relationship between the US and Europe? Gideon talks to Baroness Catherine Ashton, who was the EU’s high representative for foreign policy from 2009 until 2014 and played a leading role in negotiations with Iran.

More on this topic:
Armageddon is off . . . for now
US and Iran agree 2-week ceasefire that will open Strait of Hormuz
Has Trump officially united Europe
Trump’s threats to pull out of Nato leave alliance exposed

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Nisha Patel. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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Donald Trump has said the US military action against Iran may be coming to an end. If so, what would it have achieved and where does this leave the key question of safe passage for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz? Gideon discusses the consequences of the war for the US and its allies with Philip Gordon of the Brookings Institution. Clip: NBC News

Free links to read more on this topic:
Trump threatened to stop weapons for Ukraine unless Europe joined Hormuz coalition
Shutting Hormuz is a template for China in Taiwan
Iran could emerge from the war stronger and more dangerous
UK to host coalition talks on securing Strait of Hormuz
One battle after another: Netanyahu’s new security doctrine

Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.
Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachman

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Viktor Orbán has been a thorn in the side of the EU and a favourite of Donald Trump. But his party is now behind in the polls ahead of next month’s Hungarian elections. So could this mark the end of the Orbán era? Gideon discusses this with Zsuzsanna Végh, an analyst at the German Marshall Fund. They also discuss Orbán's close relationship with Russia and hostility to Ukraine. Clip: APT

Free links to read more on this topic:
ECB warns Hungary’s seizure of Ukraine cash risks euro credibility
Hungarian opposition groups quit to make way for Orbán challenger
Kremlin backs covert campaign to keep Viktor Orbán in power
The riches of Viktor Orbán’s home village
How Viktor Orbán’s oligarchs reaped billions in public contracts

Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.
Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.
Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachman

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon discusses the Iran war with defence analyst Jack Watling, author of Statecraft - The New Rules of Power in a Divided World. Why did the US fail to foresee the need to protect the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route? What options are there to bring the war to a close?
Clip: NYT

Free links to read more on this topic:
Iran vows retaliation against energy sites across Gulf after largest gasfield hit
Trump ally warns US economy not strong enough to cope with Iran war
Iran still seen capable of escalating attacks on Gulf’s energy
Israel says it has killed Iran’s top security official
Top US counterterrorism official resigns over war against Iran

Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.
Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.
Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachman

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing Opus Dei, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. Host Antonia Cundy uncovers the cultural and political influence of a controversial Catholic organisation in America. Opus Dei exists to help people get closer to God, but some members say they found other agendas – and unexpected harm – entangled in that spiritual mission. The first episode of Untold: Opus Dei launches March 25.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.