CONFLICTED

My Road to Conflicted (with Jake Warren) 02.06.2026 1h 3min

Because Aimen is still away, we’re taking this opportunity to introduce you all to our executive producer Jake Warren. A journalist and programme-maker, Jake not only had the idea for Conflicted, he is also the founder of Message Heard, the company that produces the show. Jake and Thomas discuss: Conflicted’s origin story Jake’s Hungarian-Jewish grandfather who escaped on the Kindertransport His early work for Vice Media in North Korea, Rwanda, and Lebanon How he won the trust of notorious Islamist preacher and organiser Anjem Choudary while covering his story Visiting the family of murdered soldier Lee Rigby How Jake first came across Aimen’s story How Thomas and Aimen became friends Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ Find Jake on X: https://x.com/TheJakeWarren Find us on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod And YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConflictedYoutube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeremy Hunt: Democracy’s Defeat Is Not Inevitable 28.05.2026 1h 11min

In this latest Conflicted Conversation, Thomas talks with Tory MP Sir Jeremy Hunt. Over fourteen years of Conservative government, Hunt served as Culture Secretary, Health Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer. But in this discussion, Jeremy draws especially on his eventful year running the Foreign Office to argue against Western defeatism and to make the case for liberal democracy. Sir Jeremy discusses: The view from inside power during Britain’s 2010–2024 crisis years Britain’s imperial inheritance, post-Brexit identity, and the “Global Britain” problem Trump’s 2018 NATO shock and Hunt’s case for higher European defence spending China, Russia and Iran as the new autocratic challenge to liberal democracy Yemen and the Stockholm Agreement as a tragic test of humanitarian diplomacy Iran, hostage diplomacy, the JCPOA and the limits of Western coercive power Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm Find us on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced by Thomas Small and Ross Field and edited by Mariana Ramirez-Zablah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Madman Theory from Nixon to Trump 21.05.2026 1h 13min

Is Donald Trump mad? Or is he a practitioner of the Madman Theory — and therefore not mad at all? James D. Boys, author of ⁠⁠U.S. Grand Strategy and the Madman Theory: From Nixon to Trump⁠⁠, argues that the Madman Theory is not madness, but the performance of madness: a tactic by which a sane leader feigns irrationality to make an adversary believe there is even a one percent chance of overwhelming, disproportionate force. In this new Conflicted Conversation, Boys explains: What the Madman Theory means Donald Trump, unpredictability and Trump Derangement Syndrome Nuclear strategy, Eisenhower, and Cold War brinkmanship Barry Goldwater, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the politics of nuclear fear Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger and the Madman Theory in Vietnam Trump’s use of Madman tactics against North Korea, Iran, NATO and trade partners Whether Trump’s second-term grand strategy is chaos, coercion or calculated geopolitical pressure Follow James on X: ⁠https://x.com/jamesdboys⁠ Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm⁠ Find us on X: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. ⁠⁠Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The UAE’s OPEC Withdrawal & Trump’s Wartime Dilemma 20.05.2026 1h 9min

Aimen is back with a huge amount of behind-the-scenes information on what’s been happening in the Middle East in the past three weeks—especially on the real reasons the UAE withdrew from OPEC, and what’s been going on inside Donald Trump’s head as he tries to chart a course to victory in the Iran War. Aimen and Thomas discuss: The recent discovery of HUGE shale oil reserves in the UAE The Mar-a-Lago deal the UAE struck with Trump Why the recent OPEC shake-up had NOTHING to do with Saudi Arabia The truth about UAE and Saudi attacks on Iran Did the UAE, Saudi, and Qatar really beg Trump not to resume the war? How Iran’s military capability remains STRONGER than people think The corruption behind Pakistan’s mediation efforts in the Iran War The benefits and liability of Trump as a War Leader Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Utopia or Dystopia? The Truth About Jewish-Muslim History 14.05.2026 1h 1min

In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas talks to Marc David Baer, Professor of International History at the London School of Economics, about his new book Children of Abraham: The Story of Jewish-Muslim Relations. Marc discusses: The recent stabbing in Golders Green, North London The myth of utopian co-existence and the counter-myth of total antagonism The earliest encounters of Jews and Muslims in Arabia The Qur'an's mixed messaging about Jews The reality of Sharia dhimmitude laws Jewish-Muslim relations in the Khazar Kingdom, in Al-Andalus, and in the Ottoman Empire Colonialism and the rupture of Jewish-Muslim relations Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Jewish-Muslim solidarity today Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm⁠⁠⁠ Find Marc on X: https://x.com/MarcDavidBaer1 Find Conflicted on X: ⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠ And YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdlF1mY5t4⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mali’s Crisis is Not What it Seems 12.05.2026 59min

As we eagerly await Aimen’s return to Conflicted next week, today Wassim Nasr returns to the show. As only Wassim can, he draws on his expertise of the Sahel to explain the remarkable events in Mali over the past several weeks — events which Aimen forecast on the show back in January. Wassim explains: France’s failed counterterrorism strategy in Mali JNIM’s emergence from AQIM and local insurgencies Iyad Ag Ghaly’s political and jihadist leadership The junta’s repression and strategic miscalculations The JNIM–FLA alliance in northern Mali The 25 April 2026 coordinated attacks Negotiating with Islamists after the War on Terror Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Wassim on X: https://x.com/SimNasr Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sir Vince Cable: The Crisis of Liberal Democracy 07.05.2026 55min

In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas talks to Sir Vince Cable, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats in the UK, about his new book Eclipsing the West: China, India and the forging of a new world. Sir Vince discusses: Postcolonial state-building, development economics, and his formative experiences in Kenya Globalisation, financialisation, and the legacy of the 2008 financial crisis The rise of China and India as “superstates” in a new tripolar world Geo-economics, US–China rivalry, and the breakdown of the liberal international order Democracy versus authoritarianism and the crisis of liberal governance Ideology, nationalism, and the limits of rationality in geopolitics Multipolarity, global disorder, climate crisis, and the future of world order Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm⁠⁠ Find Conflicted on X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠ And YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdlF1mY5t4⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced by Thomas Small & Ross Field and edited by Lizzy Andrews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Iraq: Anatomy of a Broken State 05.05.2026 1h 14min

Aimen's in the thick of it this week so isn't able to appear on the show. Sitting in for him is Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Russian-Israeli researcher and analyst, and a doctoral student at Princeton University. During field research in Iraq in 2023, she was kidnapped by Kata'ib Hezbollah and held in captivity for over two years, suffering torture and solitary confinement. In what we hope will be the first of many appearances on Conflicted, Elizabeth discusses: Saddam Hussein’s faith campaign and the rise of Shia religious politics in Iraq The Sadrist movement in Iraq and Muqtada al-Sadr The politicisation of sectarian identity in post-2003 Iraq Iraqi militias as criminal-political enterprises engaged in in theft, extortion, oil smuggling, and dollar smuggling The difference between Iraqi militias and Lebanese Hezbollah The impact of militia rule on ordinary civilian life Iraq’s extreme inequality despite its oil and gas wealth The 2003 Iraq War and the debate over American responsibility Iraqi elite agency and the failures of Iraq’s political class The 2010 Iraqi election crisis and Nouri al-Maliki’s return to power The Iraqi constitution and the failure of constitutional democracy Iraq’s dependence on oil revenues and the Strait of Hormuz The impact of the current Iran war on Iraq’s economy Iranian attacks on Iraqi oil exports and oil tankers The U.S. military presence in Iraq after ISIS American influence over Iraqi prime ministerial politics Nouri al-Maliki, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and Ali al-Zaidi Fa’iq Zaidan and the power of Iraq’s judiciary Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Elizabeth's personal website: https://elizabeth-tsurkov.net/en/ Find Elizabeth on X: https://x.com/LizHurra Find Elizabeth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-tsurkov-79491b15/ Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The CIA: What is It For? 01.05.2026 1h 12min

In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas speaks to journalist Tim Weiner about his new history of the CIA in the 21st century, The Mission, and about the enduring tension between intelligence gathering and covert action. Drawing on four decades of reporting, Weiner argues that the CIA’s greatest failures arise when it abandons its core purpose of understanding the world in favour of trying to change it. Weiner explains: How he began covering the CIA during the Reagan era and what drew him into intelligence reporting Why the CIA is best understood as an instrument of presidential power, not an independent actor The agency’s post–Cold War collapse and its loss of mission before 9/11 How the War on Terror transformed the CIA into a global counterterrorism and paramilitary force The origins, logic, and consequences of torture, black sites, and the failure of interrogation The intelligence failures behind the Iraq War and how ‘facts were fitted around the policy’ The rise of drone warfare under Obama and the normalization of targeted killing Covert operations from Peru to Syria, including the limits and dangers of programs like TIMBER SYCAMORE The difference between espionage and covert action—and why only the former can prevent war and save lives Why the greatest danger today is a president who ignores intelligence while using the CIA’s coercive power Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm⁠⁠ Find Conflicted on X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠ And YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdlF1mY5t4⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced and edited by Thomas Small . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Problem of President Trump 28.04.2026 1h 2min

Thomas expresses his growing conviction that President Trump has utterly mishandled the Iran War, while Aimen describes: how the final, fatal phase of the Islamabad peace talks was a utter humiliation for Trump; what's going on inside the heads of GCC leaders regarding the White House's leadership; and the Islamic Republic's new delay tactics. Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack Carr: My Journey Through America’s Long War 23.04.2026 1h 5min

In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas speaks to bestselling novelist and historian Jack Carr. A former Navy SEAL sniper, Carr talks about his phenomenal book Targeted: Beirut: The 1983 Marine Barracks Bombing and the Untold Origin Story of the War on Terror as well as his upcoming novel The Fourth Option. Jack describes: His path from childhood fascination with war to becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper SEAL training: Hell Week, mental fortitude, and what separates those who quit from those who don’t Boarding Iraqi oil tankers: enforcing sanctions at sea and policing the post–Gulf War international order His experience as a sniper in Iraq and Afghanistan The 1983 Beirut barracks bombing and its role in shaping modern terrorism and U.S. foreign policy The mistakes in US counter-terrorism policy: how limited responses can shape enemy strategy over time From warfighter to writer: how Carr’s military experience informs his novels and nonfiction on the War on Terror Jack Carr's official website: https://www.officialjackcarr.com/ Find Jack on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackcarrusa/ Find Jack on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackcarrusa/ Find Jack on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JackCarrUSA Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm⁠ Find Conflicted on X: ⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠ And Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠ And Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠ And YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdlF1mY5t4⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced by Thomas Small and edited by Alan Leer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Power Struggle Inside Iran 21.04.2026 55min

Aimen describes the counter-coup which has taken place inside the Islamic Republic against Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, the key to understanding the failure of the Islamabad peace talks. Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The True Origins of Modern Terrorism 16.04.2026 1h 17min

In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas speaks to journalist Jason Burke about his new book The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s. Jason explains: Why the origins of modern terrorism lie earlier than the Afghan jihad of the 1980s The global revolutionary ferment of the 1960s and 70s Why early terrorist attacks were often designed to attract attention rather than cause mass casualties The role of Palestinian militant groups in pioneering modern tactics like hijacking Connections between European radicals, Japanese militants, and Middle Eastern groups How states adapted to terrorism through new counterterrorism measures The shift from theatrical violence to mass-casualty and suicide attacks The relationship between secular revolutionary movements and later Islamist militancy The Iranian Revolution as a turning point in the evolution of political violence Why many common narratives about the origins of jihadism are incomplete Find Jason on X: https://x.com/burke_jason Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm Find Conflicted on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod And YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdlF1mY5t4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America Blockades Iran 14.04.2026 54min

After the peace talks in Islamabad fail as expected, the United States adopts Plan B: a complete blockade of all Iranian maritime trade. Aimen explains this latest move in the Iran War. Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Iran War: Will the Ceasefire Hold? 10.04.2026 1h 22min

Aimen does his best to explain the sudden and somewhat unexpected ceasefire between the United States and Iran which was announced early on Tuesday. Aimen and Thomas discuss: Pakistan's role: what game are they playing? Russia's delicate balancing act between Iran and the GCC How GCC leaders cope with President Trump's erratic shifts in messaging and policy Did Netanyahu know about the ceasefire in advance? The potential coup in Lebanon which Israel's intervention stopped Whether Lebanon is included in the ceasefire or not What U.S. military hardware is on its way to the region Why European politicians and diplomats still support containment when it comes to Iran while being gung-ho against Russia How energy dependence helps explain the posture of Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey How the Islamabad talks between Vance and Ghalibaf are likely to go down Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How Money Laundering Took Over the World 07.04.2026 59min

In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas speaks to journalist Oliver Bollough about his illuminating new book ⁠Everybody Loves Our Dollars: How Money Laundering Won⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Oliver and Thomas discuss: Iranian oil money flowing into London property Russian oligarch wealth parked in Western banks Al Capone to Miami: evolution of money laundering Jeffrey Epstein and elite financial fixers network $100 bills fuelling global criminal cash economy White House insiders profiting from crypto and stablecoins Chinese gangs laundering cartel money worldwide Hawala and ancient trade-based money transfer systems Find Oliver on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/olbullough/⁠ Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find Conflicted on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ And YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdlF1mY5t4⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why Freedom Failed in Syria 02.04.2026 1h 6min

In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas speaks to journalist and author Anand Gopal about his wonderful new book Days of Love and Rage, a profoundly moving and intellectually stimulating history of the Syrian revolution told from the perspective of the northern town of Manbij. Anand and Thomas discuss: Anand's first-hand witnessing of 9/11 How Anand embedded with the Taliban Revolution as a crisis of faith and collapse of social reality Manbij as a microcosm of the tensions of Syrian modernity The failure of Manbij's democratic experiment and the limits of liberalism How ISIS exploited both material grievances and liberal norms Baathism: egalitarian ethos vs authoritarian reality Find Gopal on X: https://x.com/Anand_Gopal Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm⁠ Find Conflicted on X: ⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠ And Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠ And Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠ And YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdlF1mY5t4⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

IRGC Sleeper Cells: The Inside Story 31.03.2026 1h 17min

As all sides in the Iran War escalate their attacks, another spectre looms on the horizon: Iran-backed sleeper cell agents across the world launching terrorist attacks against strategic assets — including in the West. Aimen opens the lid on this little-known dimension of the IRGC's activity. Aimen and Thomas discuss: How the U.S. will deal with the problem of Bandar Abbas before launching an amphibious assault on islands in the Gulf The recent escalation: the Houthis join the war, an AWACS plane destroyed in Saudi Arabia, a desalination plant attacked in Kuwait The history of the sleeper cell as a tool of revolutionary subversion The five types of Iranian sleeper cell Aimen's experience embedded in sleeper cells as a double agent How Iranian sleeper cells launder money The prevalence of sleeper cells in South America Aimen's work investigating the finances of sleeper cells How London restaurants are secret IRGC fronts Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can Lebanon Ever Be Free of Hezbollah? 27.03.2026 1h 17min

Aimen's back after a few days away uncovering the secret info and true motivations behind the Iran War. Today he and Thomas focus on the Lebanon front in the war, telling the story of how the Lebanese state was progressively undermined over several decades, as non-state actors acted like a cancer on the body politic — with the largest tumour being, of course, Hezbollah. Aimen and Thomas discuss: The method behind the madness of Pres. Trump's chaotic messaging. The likelihood of a U.S. assault on Iran's islands in the Gulf. Whether Gulf leaders are really egging the U.S. on to bring an end to the regime. The U.S.'s objective of 'regime destruction' and how that differs from 'regime change'. The failure of energy traders to price risk properly. Abdul Malik al-Houthi's speech on 26 March and what it reveals about his intentions The long history of Lebanon's experience of militant non-state actors and foreign intervention How Hezbollah was able to re-arm and re-build after the catastrophe of autumn 2024. How deep corruption within the Lebanese government and military is preventing the state from disbanding Hezbollah. What to think about all those seasoned analysts who are convinced that America will lose this war. Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Will Iran Play the Houthi Card? 24.03.2026 1h 23min

Aimen has been called away for important last-minute insider meetings, so sitting in for him on today's episode is Nadwa Al-Dawsari, veteran researcher, conflict analyst, and policy advisor with 20 years of field experience in Yemen and the broader Middle East. Nadwa and Thomas discuss: How Yemeni tribalism really works The IRGC agents who are in control of Houthi war policy Houthi eschatological beliefs When the Houthis are likely to join the Iran War in force What the military capabilities of the Houthis really are The long shadow of the Stockholm Agreement Houthi techniques of indoctrination and control The growing Houthi presence in the Horn of Africa How the Houthis and Al Qaeda are now effectively allies Why Western decision-makers get the Middle East so disastrously wrong Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find Nadwa on X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/Ndawsari⁠⁠ Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices