One Decision

As Pakistan steps into its role as peace broker, is India being left in the cold? Former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove and international journalist Rosanna Lockwood are joined by lecturer in South Asian Studies at Yale, Sushant Singh, to unpack this dramatic shift in South Asian and Middle Eastern geopolitics. Starting with In Brief, Sir Richard and Rosanna look at how the Iran and US blockades of the Strait of Hormuz are putting the global energy economy in peril. They also discuss the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire in relation to the stability of Lebanon’s government, as well as whether secret US talks with Cuba will lead to military or economic intervention in the country. Then, Singh explains the unexpected rise of Pakistan as mediator for peace talks between Washington and Tehran, the diminishing influence of India Prime Minister Narendra Modi globally and at home, and how balancing its relationships with China and Russia may come at the cost of eroding India’s alliance with the US.

In this episode:

03:36 – Standoff in the Strait of Hormuz

08:00 – Latest on the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire

13:53 – Cuba is back on Washington’s radar

18:43 – Sushant Singh introduction

19:30 – Pakistan’s surprise mediator role

23:00 – Explaining India’s ‘dalal’ remark

25:42 – Modi’s weakening at home

27:59 – Muslim-Hindu divide in India

28:56 – Modi’s Pakistan dilemma

30:18 – Pakistan’s Middle East reclassification

32:04 – The growing irrelevance of the Quad

34:08 – India’s dependence on Russia

39:39 – Erosion of US-India relationship

44:04 – India’s Israeli ties

48:19 – Risks for Pakistan as a mediator 

51:21 – One Decision: Can India and Pakistan start talking again?

53:01 – Sir Richard and Rosanna discussion

Read more: Pakistan’s Peacemaking Is a Setback for India

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and Rosanna Lockwood (International Journalist).
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The US has moved critical missile defenses and troops from East Asia to the Middle East. With America’s resources stretched thin, is this the ultimate strategic opportunity for China? Former UK Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace and Times Radio political editor Kate McCann sit down with former advisor to President Obama and Georgetown University Director of Asia Studies Evan Medeiros to explore what he calls China’s strategy of “calculated neutrality” – protecting Beijing’s economic interests while avoiding direct conflict with the United States. First, for In Brief, Sir Ben and Kate discuss the US’s thinking behind blocking the Strait of Hormuz, Lord George Robertson’s scathing critique of UK foreign policy, and whether Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s defeat signals the beginning of the end of “strong man” populist politics. Later, Medeiros examines China’s balancing of its economic interests in both Iran and the Gulf countries, China’s Iranian oil “loophole” via the UAE, and if the Iran war is deepening fractures in Western alliances, potentially upending the global rules-based order.

In this episode:

02:05 – US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz

04:59 – Frustration amongst Gulf states

06:45 – UK Role, and Lord George Robertson’s warning to the UK

12:16 – Does Orban’s defeat signal the end of “strong man” politics?

15:39 – Evan Medeiros introduction

17:04 – Defining China’s “calculated neutrality”

18:28 – Is China above the fray of war?

19:32 – Balancing leverage with Iran and the Gulf states

24:03 – Is Beijing arming Iran?

27:45 – China’s Iranian oil loophole

28:54 – China: Displacing vs. replacing the US

32:25 – Why China avoids regional wars

36:54 – One Decision: China’s vision for a post-American world order

42:08 – Sir Ben and Kate discussion

Hosted by Sir Ben Wallace (former UK Defence Secretary) and Kate McCann (Political Editor at Times Radio).
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Russia may be issuing verbal condemnations from the sidelines of the conflict in Iran, but behind the scenes, it’s leveraging its relationship with Iran to give the US a “taste of its own medicine.” Former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove and Times Radio political editor Kate McCann sit down with Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, to discuss Russia’s calculated role in the escalating war in Iran. Gabuev explains why the US being preoccupied in fighting another Middle Eastern conflict is a “gift” to Putin, including how temporary sanctions relief and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz boosts Russian oil revenues. Together, they also analyze the impact of the war on Ukraine’s security and energy infrastructure, as well as how continued economic strain and repression in Russia may limit its involvement in the conflict.

In this episode:


01:35 – Why the Iran War helps Russia


04:17 – Oil shock and Russian windfall


16:48 – The Iran-Russia alliance


23:11 – Limits of Kremlin support


28:24 – Iran War knock-on effects for Ukraine


32:58 – Ukraine’s Gulf alliance strategy


38:05 – Russian public mood and repression


42:47 – One Decision: What’s Trump’s next move?


44:00 – Sir Richard and Kate discussion

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and Kate McCann (Political Editor at Times Radio).
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After Iran shot down two US warplanes, President Trump shot back with a scathing ultimatum. But are Trump’s words pushing the world towards a point of no return? Former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove and international journalist Rosanna Lockwood examine a weekend of high-stakes escalation in the Middle East. They discuss the thinking and implications behind President Trump’s explosive online rhetoric, as well as the global fallout of the war on energy markets in Asia and Oceania. Plus, they preview Hungary’s upcoming election, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán faces a significant challenge by Péter Magyar in an election that could remove a major "thorn in the side" of the European Union and unlock billions in aid for Ukraine.

In this episode:


00:22 – The war in Iran drags on


01:56 – IRGC assassinations and the strategy of regime implosion


06:15 – Trump’s ever-changing deadlines for Iran


07:37 – The rescue of the American weapons specialist


10:07 – The Truth Social ultimatum


11:04 – A US ground invasion scenario


13:23 – The global energy squeeze


15:53 – Hungary’s pivotal election


20:37 – Show announcement

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and Rosanna Lockwood (International Journalist).
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This isn’t just another Middle Eastern conflict—it’s a fundamental restructuring of global power. Sir Richard Dearlove and guest co-host Baroness Ayesha Hazarika with Fareed Zakaria, veteran journalist, author, and host of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS. Together, they examine Israel’s war strategy, and whether or not the war aims of President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are misaligned. They also discuss the entry of the Houthis into the conflict on Iran’s behalf, as well as why the war in Iran could prove far more consequential to daily life across the globe than the Iraq War ever was. 

In this episode:


01:43 – Israel’s Campaign in Lebanon


08:06 – Does Israel’s “Buffer Zone” Have an Ulterior Motive? 


11:29 – Do Netanyahu and Trump Have Different War Aims? 


15:10 – Will America Put Boots on the Ground in Iran?


17:14 – End of a Strategic Conflict, or a Massive Gamble?


22:22 – The Houthi Strategy 


28:35 – Why Russia Wins and Europe Loses


32:20 – Geopolitics in a Post-Trump World


36:28 – Can the UK Still Rely on the US?


41:47 – Why the Iran War Hurts Ukraine


46:24 – What’s Trump’s Next Move?


48:40 – Sir Richard and Baroness Hazarika Discussion  

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and Baroness Ayesha Hazarika (Member of House of Lords).
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