Going Underground Hosted by Afshin Rattansi

Episode

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  Iran War: Trump’s Oil Market Manipulation & The Breakdown of US Dollar Hegemony (Philip Pilkington) 18.08.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Philip Pilkington, Author of 'The Collapse of Global Liberalism’ and Host of the ‘Multipolarity’ Podcast. He discusses how Donald Trump has manipulated markets to keep oil prices artificially low using Truth Social & mainstream media, how China & the United States likely struck a deal for China to reduce its oil imports to stave off an oil shock while the US signed the Memorandum of Understanding, why there is no plan at all for the US’ war on Iran, oil market manipulation since the beginning of the Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine, why he predicts the Strategic Petroleum Reserve will likely creak before the midterms, why this could be the end of the US dollar global financial system, and much more.
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  Ex-World Bank Lead Economist Says WW3 is Being Made More Likely by Current State of Capitalism 15.08.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Branko Milanovic, former Lead Economist at the World Bank’s Research Department for almost 20 years and Author of The Great Global Transformation. He discusses the looming danger of World War 3 and the similarities of the world today with the world prior to WW1, why more globalisation actually increases the risk of World War 3, how the Ukraine proxy war specifically is putting us at risk of WW3, and the rise of military-Keynesianism in the US & Europe. Afshin Rattansi challenges him on the record of the World Bank’s destruction of the economies of so many countries, whether BRICS institutions will be able to replace the IMF & World Bank, the success of China’s economic model and whether China is trying to export Chinese communism, and whether this is the end of neoliberal economics.
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  Prof. John Mearsheimer Explains Why Iran War MUST END & why US Will Reduce Middle East Presence 10.08.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago. He discusses the reports of the depletion of US critical munitions in the war on Iran including THAAD and Patriot missiles and inability of the US to escalate against Iran now, the influence of Rupert Murdoch and the role of his media outlets in manufacturing consent for the war on Iran, the future of US bases in the Gulf states after Iran’s barrages of missiles and drones, Zelensky’s apology for attacking Iranian vessels in the Caspian Sea, why drones have averted complete collapse for Ukraine but sped up the end of the war with Russia’s severe response to Ukraine’s long-range drone attacks, why sanctions have failed against Russia & Iran and only made their population more militant than their leaders, Türkiye’s understanding that it is next for Israel after Iran, and much more.
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  Professor Hasan Ünal: Iran’s Victory Marked a STRATEGIC DEFEAT for Israel and the United States 08.08.2026 27mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Hasan Ünal, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Ankara’s Başkent University and Host of the Strategic Compass podcast. He discusses Türkiye’s position on the US-Israeli war on Iran and the anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiment of the Turkish public, Türkiye’s intelligence sharing with Iran to combat US-backed Kurdish groups who would have been Trump’s regime change ground troops, the US’ use of Incirlik Air Base and the presence of US troops in the country, Türkiye’s ultimatum to the US over the war on Iran, the view in Israel that the next target after Iran will be Türkiye, why Türkiye helped overthrow Bashar Al-Assad in Syria despite him being a leader against Israel, Türkiye’s supplying of Ukraine with weaponry while calling Russia a partner, why he believes NATO will crumble in the multipolar world, and much more.
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  Gabor Maté: Netanyahu is the Most EGREGIOUS Expression of Zionist Dehumanisation of Palestinians 03.08.2026 27mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Gabor Maté, Holocaust Survivor and renowned Trauma Specialist. He discusses why the last few years have been particularly tough to watch with the Gaza genocide, Israeli war on Lebanon, and war on Iran, how the era of social media has changed people’s responses to the horrors happening in the world, the increasing opposition of young Jews to Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu’s premiership being the culmination of Zionism’s dehumanisation of Palestinians, the segment of the Iranian diaspora that opposes the US-Israeli war on Iran and why diaspora populations from Cuba and Iran support the US’ wars against their home countries, the dehumanisation of the victims of American and Israeli wars and selective empathy, his advice for the survivors of the US’ and Israel’s wars, and much more.
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  Iran Disaster: ‘Trump Sees Israel as a TOOL to CONQUER THE WORLD’— Trump’s Ex-Lawyer Robert Barnes 01.08.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Robert Barnes, Donald Trump’s former lawyer and host of the Viva and Barnes podcast. He discusses Anthony Fauci’s testimony in Congress and the allegations against him, the lack of prosecution against Biden Administration officials as was promised in Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign over Russiagate, how the deep state is intertwined with the Israel lobby as the US war on Iran rages on, how Donald Trump is trapped in an escalation cycle against Iran, Russia, and China, Trump’s irritation at J.D. Vance since everything Vance had predicted about the Iran war was proven right, why Trump has ‘lost his mind across the board’, the Trump Administration’s delusions about Russia in the Ukraine proxy war and Iran, how Ukrainians have become the US deep state’s grey army, the Trump family’s ‘oligarch island’ plans from Albania and Gaza, and much more.
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  ‘War on Iran is Bringing Iran Closer to a NUCLEAR BOMB— Ex-Chief of Israel’s Shin Bet Ami Ayalon 27.07.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to former Director of Shin Bet Admiral Ami Ayalon. He discusses why Israel’s wars against Palestinians and the Arabs are wars that Israel wants, why the perpetual war will hasten the end of the Zionist project, why he supposed the JCPOA nuclear deal in opposition to Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli government, the failures and shameful actions of Benjamin Netanyahu from Gaza to Lebanon to Iran, Israel’s financial support for Hamas prior to 2023, why he feels Israel does not understand its enemy: the Palestinian people, why the US-Israeli war on Iran has brought Iran closer to making the decision to build a nuclear weapon, Israel’s treatment of whistleblower of Mordechai Vanunu who exposed Israel’s nuclear weapons programme, why Israel has never been attacked by Al Qaeda or ISIS, and much more.
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  Iran: Israel is USING UP US Power as the Unipolar World Ends— Ex-Israeli Negotiator Daniel Levy 25.07.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to former Israeli negotiator Daniel Levy. He discusses the state of the Trump-Netanyahu relationship as the Iran quagmire deepens and why the frustrations haven’t made a difference to US foreign policy, the Israel-Lebanon deal and how it overwhelmingly favours of Israel, the reasons for the failures of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, why Israel has not gotten involved in the resumed war on the Iran so far, J.D. Vance’s political calculations behind his recent comments against Israel, how Israel is trying to strengthening its regional ambitions using up American power as the unipolar world ends, the unpopularity of the war on Iran in the United States, and much more.
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  Donald Trump KNOWS Iran Has WON the War and is Risking a GLOBAL DEPRESSION—Doug Bandow 21.07.2026 26mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Doug Bandow. Former Special Assistant to Ronald Reagan and Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. He discusses the risk of a global Great Depression following the resumption of the war on Iran and the looming prospect of a catastrophic energy shock in the US, why Donald Trump knows he must end the war on Iran quickly, whether the echo chamber of neocons around Trump can tell Trump he made a mistake by starting the war, the Gulf States’ view of the war on Iran and their defence against Iranian capabilities, whether Iran could already have a nuclear weapon, Trump’s potential pivot to Ukraine as the NATO-Russia proxy war continues to escalate, and much more.
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  Col. Larry Wilkerson: The World Is SLEEPWALKING Into Potential NUCLEAR WAR Over Iran 18.07.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Col. Lawrence Wilkerson. He discusses Trump’s war on Iran being part of Washington’s conflict against China, the transformation of the US military into a mercenary military as most armed forces service people don’t know why they are fighting Iran, the propaganda for US military-industrial complex companies and their ineffective weaponry, Iran’s ultimate leverage being the Strait of Hormuz and their nuclear program, the world sleepwalking into a potential nuclear war over Iran, the psychological warfare campaign in the Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine, the US’ flagrant violations of international law and the possibility of either a civil war or coup d’état in the United States leading up to the midterms, China’s concern over a direct war against the US as Washington’s empire continues to decline, the sidelining of the Palestinian issue and the Gaza genocide as the world focuses on the US-Israeli war on Iran, and much more.
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  CMSGT. Dennis Fritz: Israel’s Influence Over Trump’s Pentagon Is EVEN WORSE Than Under Bush! 13.07.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to CMSGT. Dennis Fritz, Former Principal Advisor to Richard Myers, who became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He discusses why he believes the US-Iran MoU will be torpedoed by Donald Trump’s negotiation tactics and the influence of Israel, the possibility of an Israeli false flag to drag the US back into the unpopular war against Iran, why he believes some of the attacks on GCC countries were carried out by Israel as false flags to frame Iran, the amount of influence Israel has over the Pentagon now under Pete Hegseth and the Trump Administration, whether there is a risk of Israel assassinating Donald Trump in the ultimate false flag attack, Donald Trump’s potential pivot to Ukraine and whether he would be successful in negotiating a peace deal, his surprise at Vladimir Putin allowing the Ukraine proxy war to go on for so long without a decisive victory, and much more.
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  Ukraine Proxy War: Europe’s Elites & US Neocons Want the DISSOLUTION of Russia —James Carden 11.07.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to James Carden, Ex-Asvisor to the US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission at the US State Department. He discusses Trump’s remarks at an increasingly fractured NATO Summit and the continuing war on Iran, why he believes that the Trump Administration isn’t serious about ending the Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine, why Ukraine’s drone attacks against Russia don’t change the balance of power in the war, the goal of Europe’s leaders and American neocons being the dissolution of Russia and regime change, Russia’s mistakes since the 2014 Maidan Coup, the team surrounding Trump believing the Ukraine proxy war should be continued, the window of opportunity for the Ukraine proxy war to be ended closing by the day, why the US must use NATO as leverage to force Europe to abandon its hawkishness towards Russia, why he believes Trump’s threats to leave NATO are an act, the US-Israeli war on Iran being intrinsically linked to the Greater Israel project, and much more.
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  Ex-UK Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood Says Trump Won NOTHING in Iran, SLAMS Netanyahu's Endless Wars 06.07.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Former UK Defence Secretary Rt. Hon. Tobias Ellwood. He discusses the resignation of UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who became the 7th UK Prime Minister to resign in 10 years, his belief that Trump had no strategy in the war on Iran, Donald Trump’s disengagement from its European allies and why Trump won nothing in Iran, why Iran may now logically seek a nuclear deterrent, his perspective on the UK’s role in the Gaza genocide and the use of RAF Akrotiri, how Netanyahu has fuelled regional insecurity with ‘war for the sake of war’, the UAE’s close relations with Russia and Vladimir Putin which goes against the UK’s view that Russia is a ‘pariah nation’, and whether Western Europe is isolated as BRICS+ continues building a multipolar world.
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  Dennis Kucinich SLAMS Integration of US & Israeli Military, Says it INCREASES RISK OF WAR 04.07.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dennis Kucinich, former veteran Congressman and former Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. He discusses the significance of the 250th Anniversary of the US’ independence, why the Democrats may not seek Donald Trump’s impeachment after the midterms, the integration of the US & Israeli military in terms of cooperation and technology and the increased risk of war, his heartbreak over the Minab Girls School bombing by the US and the disastrous war on Iran, J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio’s positioning on the Iran war heading into the midterms and 2028, Trump’s strategy of negotiations with Iran and Russia and the use of continuous threats, the risk of a wider war in Europe as the Ukraine proxy war escalates, the state of the American economy for the US’ working classes, and much more.
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  Max Blumenthal Reveals Why Trump’s MoU with Iran Will FAIL and What Israel Will Do Next 29.06.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Max Blumenthal, Editor in Chief of The Grayzone. He discusses how Mossad will seek to sabotage the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, Israel’s failures in Iran proving that Israel cannot achieve its objectives without US firepower, how the liberal NGOs manufactured the consent for Trump’s ‘Operation Epic Fury’ against Iran and how Israel & the US manufactured the conditions for the January protests, why he believes the Memorandum of Understanding will fail and the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open, why more repression is coming both at home in the USA and abroad, the fight against AIPAC-sponsored politicians and the Israel lobby, why Donald Trump increasingly feels used by Israel, the prospect of a new third-party rising from the MAGA civil war, whether Donald Trump will pivot back to the Ukraine proxy war, and much more.
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  ‘The US LACKS THE POWER TO DEFEAT IRAN’ Afshin Rattansi Challenges Ex-Deputy CENTCOM Commander 27.06.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Vice Admiral Robert Harward, Former Deputy Commander of US CENTCOM. He discusses President Trump’s axing of the National Security Adviser job and the power of the National Security Council, whether he believes Iran will comply with the conditions of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the USA, whether the Iranian population increasingly believe that Iran must have nuclear weapons to deter Israel, his response to Afshin Rattansi’s challenge that Israel maintains it was behind the protests in Iran in January, why the GCC countries are beginning talks for their own new agreements with Iran, whether the US’ inability to carry out regime change in Iran is due to Iran’s military power or the US’ lack of political will, his response to Afshin Rattansi’s challenge on how the US would act if Russia interfered the same way in Mexico as the US did in Ukraine since 2014, and much more.
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  Trump’s LIFE is in DANGER from Israel After Deal with Iran—Ex Israeli Intel Officer Ari Ben-Menashe 22.06.2026 27mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to former Israeli Intelligence Officer Ari Ben-Menashe. He discusses the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding signed by Donald Trump and the history of Israeli leaders sabotaging US deals with Iran, why Israel urgently needs its own deal with Iran, his belief that Donald Trump is in danger from Israel and elements in the US after making a deal with Iran to remove the US from the war, why he believes Trump has done the right thing for the US by correcting his mistake of starting the war in the first place, why Netanyahu’s next war may be with Ansar Allah in Yemen and the prospect of another USS Liberty-style event, the future for Lebanon as Israel continues its occupation despite the deal, and much more.
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  Ex-Israeli PM Ehud Olmert SLAMS Israeli Govt-Sponsored JEWISH TERRORISM in Occupied Palestine 20.06.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to former Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert. He discusses Benjamin Netanyahu’s failures resulting from his persuasion of Trump to start the war on Iran which resulted in a US-Iran deal weaker than the JCPOA, his assertion that Israel committed war crimes in Iran but not genocide, Jewish terrorism by Israeli settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Israeli government being to blame, why Israel’s actions in Lebanon do not serve Israel’s interests, Trump’s plan for Syria’s President Al-Sharaa to deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Benjamin Netanyahu’s ‘total failures’ ranging from Gaza to Iran and why he believes Netanyahu will resign, his own record in presiding over Operation Cast Lead which saw the deaths of 300 children, and much more.
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  Iran: FAMINE & Financial Crisis UNAVOIDABLE From Strait of Hormuz Closure (Prof. Steve Keen) 15.06.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Steve Keen, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategy Resilience and Security at UCL. He discusses the severe risk of a global famine as a result of the Strait of Hormuz being shut creating a shortage of petroleum-based fertilisers, Epstein blackmail being one of the reasons for this war despite the disastrous consequences, the financial sector’s ignorance on the true consequences of this war, why a serious financial crisis is now looming for most of the world, the combination of stupidity and blackmail behind Trump launching the war on Iran, the insider trading and corruption leading to massive profits for those close to Trump, why nuclear deterrence remains the only deterrence to attack by the US, the risk of Israel’s Samson Option, why the U.K. and Europe have doubled down on the proxy war against Russia through Ukraine, and much more.
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  Prof. Theodore Postol Explains Why Israel Could Use NUCLEAR WEAPONS in the War on Iran 13.06.2026 28mnt

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Theodore Postol, Professor Emeritus of Science, Technology and National Security Policy at MIT and former Chief of Naval Operations Adviser at the Pentagon. He discusses the state of Donald Trump’s war on Iran and the pressure on him from the Israel lobby, why this is a war of existential survival for Iran and not a defensive war on the part of the US, the prospect of Donald Trump using nuclear weapons against Iran and why it is impossible for the US and Israel to fully destroy Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s strategy of remaining on the brink of obtaining nuclear weapons but not crossing the threshold, why Israel is the real nuclear danger in the region as Israel’s military is on the ropes, the prospect of Iran striking Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility, and much more.