Going Underground Hosted by Afshin Rattansi

Episódios

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  Significant Possibility of NUCLEAR WEAPONS Being Used Against Iran— Ex-State Dept. Official Matthew Hoh 03.10.2026 28min

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to former State Department & Defense Department official Matthew Hoh, who resigned over the Afghanistan war. He discusses the significance of the 20th anniversary of Julian Assange founding WikiLeaks, increasing censorship of journalism in the United States and NATO nations, the possibility of the US or Israel using nuclear weapons against Iran, Benjamin Netanyahu’s increasing political desperation, Pete Hegseth’s overhaul of the US military, why we don’t see more resignations from the US government over the US’ atrocities abroad, and much more.
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  Americans Pay $2 BILLION A DAY for Iran War: Afshin Rattansi Challenges Ex-Deputy CENTCOM Commander 28.09.2026 28min

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Vice Admiral Robert Harward, former Deputy Commander of US CENTCOM and Executive Vice President of Shield AI. Afshin Rattansi challenges him on his support for the US regime change war on Iran, Iran’s de facto alliance with the US against ISIS & Al Qaeda, the economic cost of the war on Iran at $2 billion a day for Americans, the level of the Iranian threat against the United States before the war on Iran began, the fate of the US’ bases in the GCC after the war on Iran ends, the US’ sanctions on Iran and the 38 million deaths caused by US sanctions up until 2021, the state of the Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine and Kiev being unable to ‘win’ the war, Ukraine’s strikes on Russian refineries fuelling the global energy crisis, the Maidan Coup and the NATO provocations that caused Russia’s invasion in 2022, and much more.
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  Joe Kent: How Netanyahu & The Israel Lobby TRAPPED Trump in the War on Iran Quagmire 26.09.2026 28min

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Joe Kent, former Director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, who resigned from the Trump Administration after the US-Israeli war on Iran was launched. He discusses the effects of the war on Iran domestically in the United States and how Israel marched the US to war on Iran, who the individual access points are for the Israel lobby in the Trump Administration, what was behind Israel’s calculation to assassinate Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war to keep Trump stuck in the Iran War, why Donald Trump has decided not to aid Saudi Arabia militarily in the campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, the association of Nicolas Maduro with Tren de Aragua—the pretext for regime change in Venezuela, why nothing has been done about the perpetrators about the Russiagate hoax, the ongoing cover-up of 9/11, the anniversary of the Nordstream attacks and whether the US was behind the attack, why no one resigned from the Biden Administration over the Gaza genocide, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and much more.
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  Prof. Steve Hanke: ‘Trump is TRAPPED in Inflation Crisis’ Warns to STAY AWAY from US Bond Market 21.09.2026 27min

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Steve Hanke, Professor of Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University. He discusses the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates by 25 basis points last Wednesday, the real reason behind the US bond market being in a slump and why inflation will be around for a while, why he recommends private investors to stay away from the US bond market, why Donald Trump has no good options to escape the current inflation and bond market crisis, the war on Iran’s impact on the US government’s budget deficit, increased energy prices in the US being a ‘war tax’ on the American people, and how Donald Trump has put oxygen into the BRICS thanks to his actions, and why Xi Jinping holds all the cards against the United States. Prof. Hanke and Afshin Rattansi also debate the legacy of Hugo Chavez’ Bolivarian Revolution, with Hanke calling Chavez an economic disaster for Venezuela and calling for the adoption of the dollar for Venezuela, while Afshin Rattansi points out the achievements of Chavez in improving the lives of ordinary Venezuelans.
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  Tucker Carlson: We Are on the Brink of a WORLD WAR That Ends With The Use of NUCLEAR WEAPONS 11.09.2026 1h 20min

  On this special episode of Going Underground, we speak to Tucker Carlson, Host of The Tucker Carlson Show, and one of the most famous journalists on the planet. He discusses the Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine and the risk of nuclear war, the disastrous US-Israeli war on Iran, eroding political freedoms in the United States as censorship of dissent and anti-Israel voices becomes more prevalent, the rise of BRICS and China’s ever-growing superpower status, and much more.
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  The Trump Assassination Plots: What You Haven’t Been Told (Ken Silva) 25.08.2026 27min

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Ken Silva, Author of ‘The Trump Assassination Plots’ to discuss everything from the Ukrainian and Israeli connection to the assassination attempts, Israel’s alleged role in cooking up fake assassination plots to make Trump more hawkish on Iran, unexplained coincidences, and whether a cover-up is taking place.
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  Afshin Rattansi CHALLENGES Ex-CIA Advisor on the Legacy of America’s Wars: Success or Failure? 23.08.2026 28min

  On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Michael O’Hanlon, former Pentagon Defense Policy Board member, former CIA External Advisory Board member, and Author of ‘To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution’. He discusses the role of asymmetric warfare from the American Revolution to the wars of today, the paradox of the US’ superpower status despite many military defeats and stalemates since Korea and Vietnam, the myth of American isolationism, the legacy of the US invasion of Afghanistan, the US’ role in the rise of ISIS & Al Qaeda, his view of the root causes of the Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine, the risk of direct NATO-Russia conflict as NATO continues to build up on Russia’s borders, and much more.
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  Iran War: Trump’s Oil Market Manipulation & The Breakdown of US Dollar Hegemony (Philip Pilkington) 18.08.2026 28min

  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 28min

  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 28min

  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 27min

  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 27min

  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 28min

  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 28min

  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 28min

  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 26min

  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 28min

  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 28min

  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 28min

  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 28min

  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.