The Most Toxic, Politicized World Cup Ever? (S01E86)

JD Vance Discloses Trump’s Real Plan On Iran (S01E100)

Thursday, July 2, 2026, Istanbul In an interview with Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire network, Vice President JD Vance strongly suggested that the US was playing Iran, replenishing world energy stockpiles ahead of a possible future kinetic action. Needless to say, such talk will not help ongoing negotiations, only feeding into Iranian suspicions that the memorandum of understanding the US signed was a ruse to build up leverage for a future attack against the country. In the latest edition of the badlands, discuss I discuss Vance’s comments. Plus, in an appearance on France 24’s The Debate [https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-debate/20260701-iran-after-khamenei-what-direction-after-supreme-leader-s-funeral], I discuss the significance of the funeral for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the role of the Revolutionary Guard, and the impact of sanctions. badlands is a reader-supported podcst. 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]

Armenia Rejects Israel's ‘Weaponization’ of Genocide (S01E99)

Wednesday, July 1, 2026, Istanbul Israel recently began taking steps to recognize the Armenian Genocide, the horrific massacre of Armenian people at the hands of Ottoman Turks some 110 years ago. The move is meant in large part to provoke Israel rival Turkey. Problem is, even the Armenians are telling Israel to bugger off. On the latest edition of the badlands podcast, I explain how Israel’s ill-timed move to piss off Turkey interferes with Armenia’s historic breakthrough in relations with its Turkic neighbors to the east and west. Plus, in a conversation with India’s NewsX World, I discuss what the recent rulings by the US mean for the Trump administration. Thanks for watching or listening to badlands! This post is public so feel free to share it. 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]

Offside in Seattle, And In The Strait Of Hormuz (S01E97)

Monday, June 29, 2026, Istanbul Iran was booted from the World Cup, failing to advance to the knockout round after a controversial referee call and a heartbreaking game for Iranian football fans. Meanwhile in Strait of Hormuz, Iran and the US traded strikes after Iran attacked ships that were using a path Tehran considers forbidden. Ambiguity and misunderstandings led to confusion in both cases. In the free section of today’s edition of badlands, I explain in interviews why the latest round of strikes between the US and Iran won’t spell the end of the ceasefire or the collapse of the negotiations based on the memorandum of understanding between the two countries. Then, football journalist and friend of badlands Nima Tavallaey Roodsari [https://substack.com/profile/21851019-nima-tavallaey-roodsari] offers his unwavering take on the referees’ call, and then in the section for paying subscribers, his picks for the final four in the World Cup. In today’s jam-packed podcast, I also discuss: * The economic dimensions of the conflict for the world, Iran, and the US. * The internal political dynamics in each of the countries and how do they clash * Trump’s comments on the 2020 killing of Qassem Suleimani * How does the Gulf countries see any peace deal * Why Iran cannot be excluded from Gulf security matters * Whether the World Cup can impact diplomacy Today’s edition was in part a collaboration between badlands and India’s NewsX World and Algeria’s Al24 News. please consider supporting badlands by becoming a paid subscriber or sharing it with someone who might like it. 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]

Lebanon Peace Deal Fuels War (S01E98)

The US managed to get Lebanon and Israel to sign on to a peace deal that key constituencies reject. The country’s parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri along with Hezbollah have rejected terms that seem to force the Lebanese Army and state to disarm Hezbollah without any guarantee that Israel will vacate Lebanese territory in now occupies. In the latest edition of the badlands podcast, Sciences Po scholar Karim Bitar [https://substack.com/profile/18836098-karim-bitar] offers a nuanced take on the deal, as well as Lebanons’s current crisis. “There is a risk of fragmentation,” he tells me. “This is why I think it would have been preferable to wait to get some leverage, Arab support, Gulf support, European support, and negotiate a more appropriate deal because this one is unlikely to lead to Hezbollah disarmament and unlikely to lead to Israeli withdrawal.” Plus, Karim and I talk about US President Donald Trump’s “crazy” plan to have Syrian forces under the command of former Al Qaeda figure Ahmad al-Sharaa move into Lebanon and disarm Hezbollah. badlands is a reader-supported podcast. 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]

Spoiler Alert: Many Ways Iran Deal Could Be Derailed (S01E96)

Friday, June 26, 2026, Istanbul On Thursday, Iran attacked a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, violating a provision of the memorandum of understanding it signed with Iran. Meanwhile, Israel continued its attacks on Lebanon, killing more civilians, also in violation of the memorandum which requires the US to leash Benjamin Netanyahu. So many things could go wrong in the ongoing talks with Iran, and so many players have an interest in making sure it’s derailed. In today’s edition of the badlands podcast, I speak with the Crisis Group’s Ali Vaez about the spoilers, the many actors that could undermine the the agreement between the US and Iran and prompt a return to war. They include hardliners in or close to government in Tehran, Washington, and Israel, as well as the monarchist activists Ali Vaez is one of the sharpest and most well-informed observers of the Iran crisis, serving as an interlocutor as well as an analyst. Please excuse the poor audio quality of the podcast today, which is sometimes tough to hear because of technical difficulties. The video version is captioned. badlands is a reader-supported podcast. To receive new episodes 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]