Turkey's Democracy Under Dire Threat

Investigating Jared And Ivanka’s ‘Bond Villain Lair’ In Albania

Tuesday, June 9, 2026, Istanbul Tiny Albania has upended Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner’s multi-billionaire scheme to use Gulf money to buy an island and an environmentally sensitive stretch of mainland for resort projects. For now it looks like EU-empowered anticorruption prosecutors, emboldened by continued mass protests against the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama, have put the projects on ice. In today’s podcast, I speak with Albania-based investigative journalist Mitch Prothero [https://x.com/mitchprothero], who has been covering the protests and the scandal surrounding the project for The Nation [https://www.thenation.com/article/world/jared-kushner-albania-protests-corruption/] and other publications. “It’s got a lot to do with just the general lack of trust with the government, corruption, just rampant development all over the country,” said Prothero, who has visited the rugged, heavily mined island where Ivanka and Jared supposedly want to build a luxury retreat for their fellow Epstein class members. “People, I think, really started to freak out over this specific deal. And then because of its international connotations involving like Trump’s son-in-law, Saudi-backed investment-funds, shell companies that make it nearly impossible to find the investors., there’s been sort of a nexus of interest in the story,” he added. “It’s really allowed it to take off. “I think the Albanians are pretty shocked to find themselves on CNN, though,” he said. “They didn’t see this one coming. It’s really like an environmental dispute over a wetlands and regulatory permitting.” Also on today’s podcast, I speak about the aftermath of the weekend round of escalation between Israel and the US on France 24’s flagship show The Debate. You can also watch the whole program [https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-debate/20260608-who-calls-the-shots-trump-tries-to-rein-in-netanyahu-salvage-iran-deal?utm_slink=f24.my%2FByYf]. Finally check out my interview last night with Edgar Mannheimer [https://substack.com/profile/112520528-edgar-mannheimer] on the Kalam podcast badlands is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe [https://borzou.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

All The Ways The US Lost The War To Iran

Monday, June 15, 2026 Istanbul A memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran has been agreed to, with a signing ceremony in Geneva expected on Friday. A lot could happen in the next few days, to derail or delay the finalization of the deal, supposedly extending the ongoing “truce” by 60 days while opening up the Persian Gulf to commercial traffic. More could happen in the coming two months. But regardless, the Trump administration appears to have come to terms with the very discomfiting reality that it has lost the war. Not only have none of the main aims of the war been achieved, even the negotiations center on matters that favor Iran rather than the nuclear program, ballistic missiles, proxy forces, and human rights matters that were on the table the day before the conflict began. Just look at the reaction in Israel to see how badly the war has gone for the US and its ally. On today’s podcast I discuss all of these matters and more, as well as the Handala collective’s claimed hack of FBI surveillance drones in an interview with India’s NewsX World. Please listen, watch, enjoy, comment, share, and subscribe! please consider becoming a paid subscriber to give me the ability to spend more of my time reporting on and bolstering the podcast. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe [https://borzou.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

America Unleashed: Why the US Can’t Kick Its Addiction To Empire

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit borzou.substack.com [https://borzou.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7] Friday, June 12, 2026, Istanbul It’s not just Iran. The US is kicking up chaos in a wide swath of the world, including in Latin America, where it has toppled the government in Venezuela, besieged the nation of Cuba, meddled in Columbian elections, and harassed the president of Mexico. Foreign policy analyst Dan DePetris [https://substack.com/profile/561449-dan-depetris], of Defense Priorities [https://www.defensepriorities.org/], joins me in a discussion as to whether those advocates of restraint in Washington are winning or losing ground in an effort to reign back a US seemingly hellbent on maintaining the trappings of empire. DePetris and I discuss events in Iran, as well as Latin America, which is his focus. Please listen or watch, share, comment, and subscribe. badlands is a reader-supported podcast and newsleter. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

So, The US Ain't Gonna Bomb The Sh*t Out of Iran?

Thursday, June 11, 2026, Istanbul If you look at social media you might be forgiven for being confused. One day Donald Trump says the US is within days of a durable peace deal with Iran. The next moment he’s threatening to bomb the country. Then he declares the US controls the Strait of Hormuz. Then he demands that Iran open it up to traffic. He then threatens to “bomb the s**t” of Iran. And then hours later, starts threatening that he’s about to take over Iran’s Khark island. But then suddenly, at around 1:30 pm Eastern time, he says that there’s a deal! In today’s episode of badlands, I discuss Trump’s gyrations and the week warfare that preceded it in a pair of interviews with India’s NewsX World. I am joined for a brief interview with Daniel DePetris [https://x.com/DanDePetris] of Defense Priorities, a Washington think tank. Plus, I discuss the growing tensions between Turkey and Israel. if you like the content please consider subscribing or becoming a paid subscriber. if i get enough subscribers i will be able to seriously upgrade production values, and provide more podcasts as well as in-depth articles. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe [https://borzou.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

The Most Toxic, Politicized World Cup Ever?

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit borzou.substack.com [https://borzou.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7] Wednesday, June 10, 2026, Istanbul The 2026 World Cup gets underway this week in North America and already the pre-tournament shenanigans threaten to upstate the actual game-play. The US, under President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, appear to have made it their mission to harass the teams, staff, and fans of countries they don’t like. That includes Iraq and Somalia, whose celebrated referee was denied entry into the country. With Iran, the situation is super awkward, to say the least. This World Cup appears to the first in which a host country of the games is technically at war with one of the countries fielding a team. Iran’s beloved Team Melli has already been stiffed on tickets for fans, and opted to relocate its base to Mexico after the US delayed issuing the team visas. Members of Iran Team Melli’s support staff has also been denied visas. In today’s special World Cup edition of badlands, I speak with Sweden-based sports journalist and pundit Nima Tavallaey Roodsari [https://substack.com/profile/21851019-nima-tavallaey-roodsari] about the tournament and the irregularities that have been imposed by the US on Iran’s team. I also gave a brief interview to Austrian’s ORF FM4 radio [https://fm4.orf.at/beitrag/30815866/krieg-zwischen-iran-und-israel-eskaliert] about the fighting that took place between Israel and Iran during the weekend. You can listen to it here [https://fm4.orf.at/beitrag/30815866/krieg-zwischen-iran-und-israel-eskaliert]. become a paid subscriber to badlands and help me improve its quality, content, and frequency.