Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters

Will the ceasefire between Israel and Iran actually hold? How might Iran respond to the unprecedented American attacks on its nuclear program? And more broadly, how have events over the last two weeks  changed the entire security dynamic of the Middle East? I’m privileged to bring you a conversation with one of the foremost experts on these questions. Dalia Dassa Kaye is a senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations and author of the forthcoming book Enduring Hostility: The Making of America’s Iran Policy, which will be published in December. We kick off by discussing the events of the last few days before having a deeper conversation about Israel’s strategic calculus moving forward, Iran’s options for retaliating against the United States, and whether the American bombing of Iran may have traded short-term gains for a long-term disaster. https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff Or, support the show at full price:  https://www.globaldispatches.org/ 

Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran lays bare a major rift within Republican foreign policy. Until recently, the more isolationist “America First” wing seemed ascendant, sidelining the hawks. But that dynamic decisively shifted on Saturday when Trump ordered American strikes on several targets in Iran My guest today is Andrew Prokop of Vox, who recently wrote a deep dive into the GOP’s foreign policy divide. In our conversation, we explore the history of these two Republican camps—and how the debate over Iran is playing out now. We also discuss the potential domestic fallout of dragging the U.S. into another Middle East war. https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff 

From June 9th to 13th, some 15,000 participants—including more than 60 Heads of State and Government—convened in Nice, on France's Mediterranean coast, for a major UN-sponsored conference on oceans. So what happened at the UN Oceans Summit, and why does it matter? Joining me to answer these questions and more is Bruna Campos of the Center for International Environmental Law. We caught up last week as the conference was coming to a close, and in our conversation, Bruna Campos explains why this summit was convened in the first place, which governments are pushing for more robust protections of our oceans, and which countries are standing in the way. https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff https://www.globaldispatches.org/20PercentOff Support the show at full price here: https://www.globaldispatches.org/ 

After years of threats, the Israeli government launched a major attack overnight, targeting both Iran’s nuclear program and several senior Iranian military and political leaders. At the time of writing, Iran had yet to respond in a major way, though the expectation is that the regime will hit back—and much harder than it did last year after a previous (and more limited) Israeli strike on Iran. The key question now, according to my interview guest Barbara Slavin, is whether this inspires Iran to gather the nuclear material it has and make a sprint toward weaponizing its stockpiles of enriched uranium and becoming a nuclear weapons state. Barbara Slavin is a longtime journalist and think tank expert focusing on Iran and U.S.-Iran relations. She is a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center and the editor of Middle East Perspectives. We kick off by discussing what Israel’s target list suggests about its intentions behind these major strikes, before having a longer conversation about what Iran’s response may entail and what role the United States might play in a widening conflict in the Middle East. https://www.globaldispatches.org/  https://www.globaldispatches.org/20PercentOff  https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff

There are nearly 70,000 UN peacekeeping personnel serving in 11 missions around the world. My guest today, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, is in charge of them all. He has served as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations for the last eight years, giving him deep visibility into the unique role that UN Peacekeeping plays in maintaining international peace and security. In our conversation, he describes the work of UN Peacekeeping in places like Cyprus, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Lebanon, and the work peacekeepers do to prevent conflict and protect civilians.  However, today UN Peacekeeping faces profound financial strain. While the United States contributes very few personnel to peacekeeping, it has historically provided about 25% of the cost of these missions. But the Trump administration is now seeking to eliminate American financial contributions to UN Peacekeeping. In our conversation, Under-Secretary-General Lacroix explains how he is preparing for potential cuts, and what impact such a massive budget shortfall would have on the operations of peacekeeping around the world. This is a pivotal moment for UN Peacekeeping, and Jean-Pierre Lacroix explains what is at stake in terms of the ability of blue helmets to protect civilians in conflict and prevent crises from spilling out of control.     

Global Dispatches is entering a new era—and I need your help to keep it going. For years, I’ve been able to produce this show thanks to institutional support, especially from the UN Foundation, which has backed my work for two decades. But due to recent funding cuts, that support is ending, and I now need to raise $140,000 to keep the show going at current levels. If this podcast has helped you make sense of the world, informed your work, or simply earned your trust, please consider becoming a paying subscriber. Most episodes are free, but they’re not free to make. You can support at full price—or with a 20% or 40% discount. All subscribers get access to our sister podcast To Save Us From Hell, my essays, and the full 13-year archive. And if you join based on this pitch, I’ll mail you a Global Dispatches sticker as a thank-you. https://www.globaldispatches.org/  https://www.globaldispatches.org/20PercentOff  https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff  

After an 80-day total blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza, a new scheme to distribute food to desperate Gazans began operations this week. The “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” is an Israeli-American creation, designed by consultants, backed by American security contractors, and headed by an evangelical Christian supporter of Donald Trump who has little experience in humanitarian aid. They have set up four aid distribution sites, mostly in remote locations in southern Gaza, where thousands of Gazans have scrambled to access the limited food that Israel is permitting into the territory. Independent humanitarian agencies and the United Nations are not participating in this scheme because it is clearly designed to advance Israeli political and military aims, rather than meet Gazans’ increasingly desperate humanitarian needs. Ciarán Donnelly, Senior Vice President for international programs at the International Rescue Committee, explains why this aid scheme is deeply flawed, what we know about this “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation,” and what needs to be done to get food and aid to people in Gaza before a widespread famine takes hold.

The General Assembly selected five new members of the Security Council and one new President of the General Assembly this week in not-so-hotly contested elections. These new Security Council members will take their seats in January, and former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will assume the PGA gavel at UNGA in September. So what can we expect from these new faces in the UN’s two key bodies? Anjali and Mark break down the implications of a reshaped Security Council and the fact that a longtime German Green Party politician will helm the General Assembly as the UN enters its 80th year. But first: The Trump administration throws down the gauntlet in an effort to block Mongolia’s attempt to celebrate the unique contributions of horses in today’s world. Seriously, that happened. And it’s actually a way bigger deal than you’d expect! Get the full episode here: https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/new-faces-at-the-unand-a-horse-fight

On May 20th, after years of negotiation, World Health Organization member states adopted the Pandemic Agreement — the first international treaty focused on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Developed in response to the shortcomings revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the agreement emphasizes equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments, and promotes international cooperation in disease surveillance and health system strengthening. But will this brand-new agreement live up to its potential? And what role might the United States' decision to remain on the sidelines — and not become a party to the agreement — play in how it is adopted and implemented? Joining me to discuss these questions and more is Alexandra Phelan, Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. We begin by examining how the deficiencies in the global response to COVID-19 revealed the need for such a treaty in the first place, before having a longer conversation about what the agreement actually obliges of its signatories — and what factors will determine whether or not it works as intended.   This episode is produced in partnership with Lex International Fund, a philanthropic fund dedicated to strengthening international law to solve global challenges. It is part of a series that demonstrates the impact of Treaties on state behavior that we are calling "when treaties work"

The Pope is not just a religious leader—he's also a Head of State. The Holy See maintains formal diplomatic relations with most countries on Earth and holds the status of a permanent observer at the United Nations. In recent years, the Pope has leveraged his dual role as the leader of the Catholic Church and a head of state to pursue a purposeful foreign policy vision and play a key diplomatic role. Indeed, Pope Francis was instrumental in brokering a major détente between the United States and Cuba during the Obama administration. So, what is Pope Leo’s foreign policy vision? How does it differ from that of his predecessors? And how might the fact that he is an American and a native English speaker influence the kind of impact he can have on the world stage? Joining me to explore these questions and more is Tom Reese, a Jesuit priest and senior analyst for Religion News Service. In our conversation, Tom Reese unpacks the key takeaways from Pope Leo’s first foreign policy address to foreign diplomats at the Vatican and offers insights into the role the first American pope might play on the global stage as he assumes leadership of the Vatican.