Going Underground Hosted by Afshin Rattansi

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Chen Weihua, former China Daily EU Bureau Chief and Washington Correspondent. He discusses how the US’ hegemony and soft power stands after the war on Iran, Gaza genocide, and kidnapping of Venezuela’s President Maduro, whether US allies will continue remaining vassal states and China’s approach to a changing world, the view that the US-Israeli war on Iran is really a part of the war on China, why China hasn’t acted more forcefully to defend its interests as the US continues its campaign against China, how the US drastically underestimated China’s economic power, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Steve Hanke, Professor of Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University. He discusses why Russia continues to be a winner economically as the Strait of Hormuz remains shut after the US-Israeli war on Iran, the looming full ramifications of the energy crisis that will hit in August resulting in skyrocketing energy prices, why Europe must lift sanctions on Russia to escape the dire economic situation, why the US and Israel’s miscalculations in launching a war on Iran mean that Hormuz will remain shut, his predictions for the global economy this year as the economic crisis deepens, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Zhang Weiwei, Director of Fudan University’s China Institute and former Translator for Chinese Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping. He discusses China’s current attitude to the Trump Administration amid the war on Iran, how China acted over decades to lessen the impact of the US’ attempts to control China’s access to energy via the war on Iran and regime change in Venezuela, why China is winning in the tech and trade race against the US, China’s position on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, China’s limitation of rare earth exports to the US for military purposes, China’s decoupling from the US in trade and treasury bill holdings, the low quality of the leadership in Europe and the United States, Russia as a ‘revolutionary’ against the US unipolar order whereas China is a ‘reformer’ of the world order, why tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook joined Trump in visiting Beijing, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Paul Craig Roberts, former US Assistant Treasury Secretary for Economic Policy. He discusses why he believes Iran has prevailed in the US-Israeli war on Iran but made a mistake in agreeing to a ceasefire, why Iran’s ‘restraint’ against the hegemonic powers of the US and Israel is a flaw in their strategy, 9/11 as the US’ Pearl Harbour to wage war in support of the Greater Israel Agenda, why Trump and Netanyahu suffered humiliation by Iran in this war, the need for the Muslim world to confront the Greater Israel plan, why Israel’s Dimona serves as Iran’s nuclear weapon and the possibility of Israel using nukes against Iran, Russia’s strategic blunders in the Ukraine proxy war, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Dmitri Trenin, Member of Russia’s Foreign and Defence Policy Council and former Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center. He discusses the significance of Victory Day amid the NATO-Russia proxy war in Ukraine, what ‘victory’ looks like for Russia in Ukraine and why it is likely to be a long war, whether Russia has failed to seize the opportunities presented by a Trump Presidency and Russia’s reasons for showing restraint, Europe’s increasing involvement in the proxy war, Europe’s use of hostility towards Russia to consolidate itself, why Trump has been powerless to end the war, China’s changing attitude to dealing with the US and why Trump is seeking a pause in the conflict with Beijing, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to David Pyne, Deputy Executive Director of the US Taskforce on National and Homeland Security. He discusses Donald Trump’s war on Iran being a war based of lies for the Greater Israel project, the prospect of thousands of US soldiers dying in a ground invasion of Iran, Trump’s behaviour as an Israeli vassal, why he believes many in the Gulf States are angry at the US for the destabilisation caused by the war on Iran and the prioritisation of defending Israel, the extent of the damage against US bases in the Middle East, the most recent assassination attempt against Donald Trump, why this war shows the necessity for the US to end its security relationship with Israel, the future of the US military’s presence in Western European NATO and the state of the Ukraine proxy war, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Master Sgt. Wes Bryant Pentagon Whistleblower and Former Branch Chief of the Pentagon’s Civilian Protection Center of Excellence. He discusses Pete Hegseth shutting down the department he worked for and the ‘revelling in death and destruction’ as civilians are killed and injured in Iran, the US’ bombing of civilian infrastructure and Trump’s threats to destroy the entire Iranian civilisation, the dramatic departure from targeting assessment protocol under the second Trump Administration, the extreme Christian nationalism and Zionism behind Pete Hegseth’s and Donald Trump’s support to the hilt of Israel, the Pentagon’s conduct during the Gaza genocide under the Biden Administration, the allegation that the civilian protection centre was a PR cover for US war crimes, Israel’s dropping of landmines in Iran, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Victor Gao, President of the Center for China and Globalisation. He discusses the rumours of China providing satellite data and weaponry to Iran as it fights the US and Israel, China’s support for Iran and why it hasn’t provided weaponry, China’s role in mediating between the US and Iran, Donald Trump’s coming state visit to China amid the war crimes committed by his administration, the possibility of a US-China war and the possible catastrophic consequences, why 2026 marks the beginning of the end of Pax Americana, China’s gradual reduction of its holdings of US Treasury Bonds, why oil will be increasingly traded in Chinese Yuan, his advice for Iran and the Gulf States, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Daniel Levy, former Israeli Peace Negotiator at the Oslo & Taba Talks. He discusses the threats of Israel’s Defence Minister Katz threatening to kill the rest of the Khamenei family, the Greater Israel Plan for regional hegemony not just territorial expansion, Israel’s horrifying end goal in Iran, Israel’s deliberate plan to drag the Gulf States into the battlefield of the war on Iran, the next target after Iran for Israel being Türkiye and the plan for total hegemony over the region, Israel being in a ‘use it or lose it’ mentality with its alliance with the USA, how Israeli impunity over Gaza fuelled Israel into dragging Donald Trump into a war on Iran, whether Israel will use nuclear weapons to create its hegemony, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to James Webb, Former Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to Robert F. Kennedy Jr and US Marine Corps veteran. He discusses how the Trump Administration’s war on Iran has harmed the US’ reputation around the world, his disgust at assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei by Israel to drag the US further into the war on Iran, the long-standing desire for a war on Iran secured through Israel lobby donations, the systemic breakdown of the US’ political system shown by the war on Iran, US foreign policy clearly reflecting Israel’s interests rather than the interests of the American people, the coming changing of the guard in the Democratic and Republican Party to replace pro-war politicians, how the war on Iran harms US allies and the threat to the position of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel William J. Astore, Author of ‘American Militarism on Steroids’. He discusses why he asesses that the US is losing its war on Iran, the ballooning US military budget for perpetual war and the decline of US empire, the decline of democracy in America as the US empire’s appetite only continues to grow, Pope Leo XIV’s stance against the war on Iran, why Israel and Netanyahu dragging the US into the war on Iran represents a threat to national security, mainstream media’s coverage of the Ukraine proxy war and Russia’s lack of trust of the US in negotiations, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to former Israeli Acting President Avraham Burg. He discusses why the US’ ceasefire with Iran appears to be a divorce between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu as Iran is the clear winner of the war, why Donald Trump needed the war on Iran to end quickly in contrast to Netanyahu’s needs for the war to be prolonged, Israel’s continuing war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the impact of the Gaza genocide on the future of the Israeli state and politics, the omission of people who share his views in Israel from media coverage, the allegations that Benjamin Netanyahu is using Jeffrey Epstein blackmail material to drag Donald Trump into wars and control his foreign policy, how the US-Israeli war on Iran will accelerate Iran and other states’ pursuit of nuclear weapons and his call for the entire Middle East, including nuclear-armed Israel, to be a nuclear free zone, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to one of the UAE’s most prominent businessmen, Mishal Kanoo, Chairman of the Kanoo Group. He discusses like the headlines of ‘The Dubai Dream is Over’ in the Western press and the motivation for this coverage against the city, the desire among the UAE’s leadership circles for Iran and other neighbours to prosper despite the war, why the Gulf States didn’t retaliate against Iranian strikes against the GCC, his response to Iran’s premise of attacking GCC states for hosting US military bases, Iran’s assertion of control over the Strait of Hormuz and how it affects shipping, the impact of the US-Israeli war on Iran on the real estate sector in Dubai, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Sgt. Brian McGinnis, US Senate Candidate for the Green Party in North Carolina, he had his arm broken while being dragged out of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing while protesting the war on Iran. He discusses how the US military-industrial complex and the Israel lobbyists have bought off US politicians to launch this war for Israel’s interests, the role of the Internet and social media to break through the US government’s propaganda and causing rising anti-war sentiment, Iran’s destruction of US assets in Iraq- a country which he fought in as part of the US invasion and occupation, his personal experience in occupied Palestine seeing the brutality of the Israeli occupation’s settlers and soldiers, his thoughts on War Secretary Pete Hegseth and his conduct in the war on Iran, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Anthony Scaramucci, President Trump’s Former White House Communications Director and Founder of SkyBridge Capital. He discusses whether Donald Trump is losing in his war on Iran and what his likely strategy will be, his belief that the decision-making in the Trump Administration is a ‘council of one’, the Epstein Files and whether the war is a distraction from the damaging revelations, the prospect of US boots on the grounds in Iran, his goals for the war on Iran despite his opposition to the war beginning, Joe Kent’s assertion that the war on Iran is for Israel, whether the war on Iran was part of an effort to save US hegemony, the consequence of de-dollarisation as oil is priced in Chinese yuan, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Joel Rubin, Barack Obama’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. In a heated interview, Afshin Rattansi challenges him on his support for Donald Trump’s and Benjamin Netanyahu’s war on Iran and all of the justifications for it; ranging from Iran’s nuclear program, human rights, ballistic missile program, the failed negotiations with the United States, alleged corruption, and the underlying arguable hypocrisy behind the US’ foreign policy.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, Founder and Chairman of the Gulf Research Center. He discusses the anger of the Gulf States against the US and Israel for starting the war on Iran and Iran’s strikes against Gulf civilian and energy facilities, what President Trump meant by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is ‘fighting with us’, the Gulf’s position on defending their countries’ territory while not joining the war on Iran, the lack of any regional consultation from Washington towards the GCC since the JCPOA, the need for a new security architecture between the GCC and Iran, whether the Gulf States will keep the US bases in the region after the war on Iran, Israel becoming a major threat to Gulf States, how Russia and China can have a bigger role in the region by pursuing deescalation with their close relationship with Iran, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Brandon Weichert, Senior National Security Editor at 19FortyFive and Author of ‘The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy’. What has been Iran’s strategy of escalation against the US and Israel as it faces continued aerial bombardment? What are the risks of the war on Iran escalating to a nuclear third world war with Israel’s nukes? What does Joe Kent’s resignation over the war on Iran mean for the Trump Administration? Will Donald Trump put US boots on the ground in Iran? Why did Donald Trump pursue a war for Israel? All this and more on this episode of Going Underground.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Habib Al Mulla, Founder of Habib Al Mulla and Partners, and one of the UAE’s most respected legal authorities. He discusses NATO-aligned media’s coverage of Dubai as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues and the motives behind the narratives. He examines the state of international law as the US and Israel attack Iran, while Iran continues attacks on GCC states. He also discusses whether the UAE might join the US-Israel coalition, the GCC’s assertions that US bases are not being used for operations against Iran, and why Iran is targeting civilian infrastructure in the Gulf—along with much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to the Former Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), William Fallon. In a heated interview, Afshin Rattansi challenges him on the justifications for the US-Israel War on Iran, the Minab Girls School strike which killed 175+, the parallels between this war of aggression and the 2003 Iraq War, the regional destabilisation unleashed on the Gulf States by the US-Israeli war, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Abdulaziz Alghashian, Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Gulf International Forum. Can the Gulf States trust the US after it, along with Israel, unleashed destructive regional destabilisation with the war on Iran? Is the US using Gulf States’ bases as Iran claims? How big a threat is the Greater Israel plan to the Gulf States? Can the Gulf States maintain neutrality after the genocide and war on Iran? All this and more on this episode of Going Underground.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Mohammed Baharoon, Director General of the Dubai Public Policy Research Center. What is the situation on the ground in Dubai as Iranian missiles and drones continue to target UAE? What is the state of the GCC’s alliance with the US after it plunged the region into its most destabilising war yet? Why has BRICS disappointingly not stepped up to mediate the crisis? What is the state of the Abraham Accords following the Gaza genocide and Israel’s wars on Iran? Are there any chances for peace and negotiations? All this and more on this episode of Going Underground.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Captain James Fanell, the Former Director of Intelligence and Information Operations at the US Navy's Pacific Fleet. Why did Donald Trump start this unpopular war against Iran? Did Israel drag the US into the war? Is America heading for victory or disaster? Why are the US and Israel targeting schools and hospitals in Iran? All this and more on this episode of Going Underground.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Rt. Hon. Norman Baker, former U.K. Home Office Minister for Crime Prevention and Privy Councillor to King Charles III. How has the Epstein Files scandal’s revelations about Peter Mandelson shaken the political establishment’s power in Britain? How morally bankrupt is Sir Keir Starmer and the political establishment? What was the Royal Family’s role in protecting Prince Andrew from the consequences of his crimes? Will the Epstein Files be the end of the British monarchy? All this and more on this episode of Going Underground.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Uri Bar-Joseph, Prof. Emeritus of International Relations at the University of Haifa. Can Israel survive an all-out Iranian retaliation as Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu prepare a second US-Israeli war on Iran? What are Trump’s and Netanyahu’s real motivations behind a war on Iran? Will Hezbollah join the war? How much damage could Israel suffer? All this and much more on this episode.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Cuba's Ambassador to the United Nations Ernesto Soberon Guzman, amid Donald Trump's unprecedented campaign to strangle the Cuban Revolution by intensifying the blockade. Can Cuba survive the maximum pressure? What now for Cuba with Venezuela now under US control? What measures is Cuba taking against the US cutting off fuel imports to the country? Is Cuba ready for a US military attack? All this and more on this episode of Going Underground.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Anatol Lieven, Director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute. He discusses Europe’s self-entrapment over assisting Ukraine as the proxy war against Russia continues, European leaders deliberately lying to their people that Russia will imminently attack Europe and whether their populations believe them, Britain’s unexpected appearance in the Geneva Negotiations to end the Ukraine proxy war, and whether or not Europe is finally returning to a constructive role in international relations. In the second half, he discusses the Western media allegations that Alexei Navalny was poisoned with Ecuadorean dart frog poison, the potential collapse of the Western European ‘Coalition of the Willing’ supporting Ukraine, the collapse of belief in ‘liberal values’ in Western Europe from the Iraq War to Gaza, the farcical claims of the Russian and Chinese threat in the Arctic, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to CIA Veteran Prof. Melvin Goodman. In an at times heated interview, Afshin Rattansi and Prof. Goodman cover the looming US war on Iran and why the focus will be Iranian ballistic missiles, Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, the Ukraine proxy war and one of the causes being NATO expansion to Russia’s borders, the beginning of a new Russia-China-US nuclear arms race after expiry of the START treaty, the Epstein Files and whether Israel is pressuring Donald Trump via blackmail, the US’ ‘takeover’ of Venezuela and regime change campaign against Cuba, the ‘mediocrity’ of Trump’s cabinet team, and much more.

n this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Alan Eyre, Former Senior Advisor for Iran at the US State Department and the First Persian-Language Spokesperson at the US State Department. He discusses the Trump Administration’s strategic ambiguity and inconsistency towards Iran regarding the nuclear program, missiles and regime change, whether China and Russia will come to Iran’s rescue for economic and military aid, the weakening of the Iranian economy by the US and structural economic problems, Iran’s continued deterrence via hypersonic missiles, whether Iran should pursue nuclear weapons as a deterrent against the US and nuclear-armed Israel, the power of the Israel lobby as the war on Iran looms, Israel’s goal being the annihilation of Iran rather than a US-Iran deal, whether he would advise Trump to use or not to use military action against Iran, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Victoria Panova, Head of Russia’s BRICS Expert Council who participated at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, UAE. She discusses the shadow of a US war on Iran hanging over the region, the status of Saudi Arabia’s invitation to join BRICS and Javier Milei’s rejection of BRICS membership for Argentina, the launch of the BRICS New Development Bank as an alternative to the Washington-dominated World Bank and IMF, Brazil’s Lula Da Silva vetoing BRICS membership for Venezuela, the subsequent kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores by Donald Trump and the silence of BRICS and the international community. In the second half, she discusses why Donald Trump believes BRICS is an anti-US bloc, the building of an independent payment system and the use of non-dollar currencies, Trump’s tariff war against BRICS nations, Donald Trump being the ‘best thing’ to happen to BRICS, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Former Israeli Intelligence Officer Ari Ben-Menashe about the Epstein Files. He discusses his belief that Israel is holding sensitive information which they would release if they felt Donald Trump was threatening Israel, Jeffrey Epstein’s history of working as a Mossad agent to attain compromising blackmail on Western politicians, his allegations that MI6 is working with Israel amid the revelations about Peter Mandelson in the Epstein Files, the Western media’s claims that Jeffrey Epstein is a Russian agent and Israel being behind the cover-up, his belief that Benjamin Netanyahu would sabotage a US-Iran deal with damaging Epstein material against Trump and other US officials, the previous Israeli policy of supporting Hamas and the turn to destroying Palestinians, his belief that Donald Trump wants Benjamin Netanyahu out of power, the possibility of Israel using nuclear weapons against Iran, former British Prince Andrew’s role as Jeffrey Epstein’s useful idiot, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s Minister of Business, Mineral Resources & Energy. She discusses the US’ betrayal of Greenland following Donald Trump’s plans to annex Greenland, her policies on banning uranium mining and natural resource extraction, Greenland’s membership of NATO and the accusation that it makes Greenland a target for Russia and China, her view of China as a competitor rather than a potential partner, whether Greenlanders see Trump’s annexation plan as leverage against Denmark to gain full independence, the lower rates of poverty rates in Denmark compared to Greenland and the lack of sovereignty over US bases, Trump’s offer of $100,000 to every Greenlander in exchange for annexation, Denmark’s arming of Israel for the genocide in Gaza, whether the US’ threats over Greenland signal the beginning of the end of NATO, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to CMSGT. Dennis Fritz, Former Advisor to the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Richard Myers. He discusses the Trump Administration’s crackdown against anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota and how it’s a training ground for repression against the American population, Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland and what the motivations are behind his threats, the looming threat of a US-led regime change war against Iran, the US’ failed use of unrest in Iran to bring down the Iranian government which makes war more likely, whether Saudi Arabia and the UAE can dissuade Trump from attacking Iran while the Israel lobby and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are persuading Trump into going to war, whether China will imminently move to reintegrate Taiwan by force, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Tuomas Malinen, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Helsinki and CEO of GnS Economics. He discusses why it is likely President Donald Trump will fail to broker peace in the Ukraine proxy war thanks to the neoconservatives in his administration, the neocon faction’s priority shifting to stopping an alliance between China, Russia, and Europe, the Greenland crisis and whether NATO could actually break up over the crisis, the construction of 15 US bases in Finland since it became a full NATO member, how Georgia was a test for pushing Russia’s red lines in Ukraine, the catastrophic state of the Western European banking sector, the structural fragility of the European Union and the vulnerability of the Euro, the potential re-igniting of the Israel-Iran War and the fears of a Strait of Hormuz closure, the facade being presented of the US’ and Israel’s military power over Venezuela and Iran, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Renowned Writer, Filmmaker and Activist Tariq Ali. He discusses the mainstream media’s obsession with the World Economic Forum in Davos and why we may be closer to the end of the organisation than we imagine, Donald Trump’s regime change kidnapping of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro to start 2026, his thoughts on the new Acting President Delcy Rodriguez and the deals being made with Washington over Venezuelan oil, the worsening relationship between Brazil’s President Lula Da Silva and Nicolas Maduro which aided the US’ regime change campaign, the effects of the economic strangulation by the US, UK, and EU on Venezuela’s democracy, Donald Trump’s motivations for setting his sights on Greenland, the state of the Ukraine proxy war following the assassination attempt on Russian President Vladimir Putin, the looming reaction of the Ukrainian far-right groups to a negotiated end of the war, the scale of repression against pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Germany, France and Starmer’s UK, the protests in Iran which have sparked a renewed effort by the US and Israel for a regime change campaign, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago for our final episode of the year and season. He discusses Donald Trump’s foreign policy failures of 2025, the 12-day Israeli war on Iran, the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and how his former defence lawyer Alan Dershowitz attacked him for exposing the Israel lobby, the threat the Israel lobby poses to freedom of speech in the United States, the damage the Gaza genocide has done to Israel’s image abroad, whether a second US-Israel war on Iran is likely, Donald Trump’s growing disdain for Europe and the likely reduction of the US military presence in Europe, the European strategy of trying to prolong the proxy war on Russia through Ukraine, the likely conclusion of the Ukraine proxy war being a frozen conflict, the fate of the global nuclear arms control infrastructure, and much more.

NewsPolitics On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Philip Pilkington, Senior Research Fellow at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs and Author of ‘The Collapse of Global Liberalism’. He discusses how the Ukraine proxy war has completely upended the Western economic and geostrategic calculus, the failure of the West’s logic in military procurement as proven in Ukraine and the Israel-Iran war, the collapse and dysfunction in Western European cities, the failure of markets and capitalism to solve the West’s problems, the origins of liberal capitalism and the evolution of imperialism, the rediscovery of civilisational roots among the non-Western powers, the dark future Europe faces as it sits in the chaos of the collapse of liberalism.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Richard Spence, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Idaho. He discusses what is and what defines a society and the importance they have on elite decision making, the origins of the infamous Bohemian Grove and the influence it has had over Western politics, the Bilderberg Group and the who’s who of important members and the vetting of future holders of political office, the Trilateral Commission and its role as the elite foreign policy secret society, the Western hostility against Russia dating back to the Middle Ages and the role of secret societies in enforcing it, the efforts to bring back in some form the Roman Empire, the origins of Jeffrey Epstein and how he rose into the highest circles of elite power, the risk to Donald Trump’s life for going against these elite circles, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Max Blumenthal, Editor in Chief of The Grayzone. He discusses the Trump Administrations’ fabrications of left-wing terror plots to justify further repression, the Bondi Beach massacre in Australia and how Israel is exploiting it for furthering its aims of cracking down on anti-Zionist activism and pursuing a second war on Iran, how Israel’s campaign to portray itself as the global voice of Judaism has fuelled anti-Semitism as the Gaza genocide continues, the Epstein Files scandal and its damage to Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and the neocon wing trapping Donald Trump in escalation in Venezuela and Syria, President Nicolas Maduro strategy of defying the US media and Trump Administration, why Russia and China are not taking more action to stop the looming US regime change war on Venezuela, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to CIA Whistleblower John Kiriakou. He discusses why the CIA is involved in drug trafficking and the purposes it serves, how the CIA works with Hollywood and the media to ensure the CIA is portrayed in a positive light, the mass control of the media by just 5 corporations and its effects on the American people, why there is no Gaza Peace Deal or even peace in the Middle East with Israel continuing its region-wide warfare, why US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee needs to be urgently fired, the CIA’s program of torture which he exposed and the outsourcing of torture and abuse, the fact that the CIA does not spy on Israel and everything the US does in Israel having to be approved by Mossad, the lack of arrests or indictments of any deep state officials under Donald Trump such as John Brennan, the looming war on Venezuela and the war in the Republican Party between neoconservatives and America First Republicans, the US’ warped view of Latin America which leads to continuous foreign policy failures, Venezuela’s military still being on the side of President Nicolas Maduro and the obstacles this poses, the CIA’s bases in Ukraine and whether there is a risk of escalation as Russia advances, why we may never see a full release of the Epstein Files, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Carlos Ron, Former Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister for North America. He discusses the mood in Venezuela as the threat of regime change attack from the US looms over the country, the new type of warfare being used against Venezuela by Washington, the lies being told by the Trump Administration and the media about Nicolas Maduro being the head of a narco-trafficking cartel, the exclusion of Venezuela from BRICS reportedly by Brazil’s President Lula Da Silva, the right-wing governments of Latin America being sustained by the US’ financing and repression, the prevailing strength of the Bolivarian Revolution and unification of the country behind defiance of Donald Trump’s threats, the treatment of Venezuelan migrants by the Trump Administration and the possible refugee wave that would come from a US attack on Venezuela, the brave history of resistance in Latin America and why the US will be surprised by the level of resistance shown by Venezuela, CIA Asset Maria Corina Machado’s close ties and links to Israel in contrast to the Bolivarian Revolution’s solidarity with Palestine, Corina Machado’s history of sabotaging Venezuela and representing the system of exclusion that impoverished most Venezuelans, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Ahmed Alnaouq, Co-Founder of We Are Not Numbers and Co-Editor of the We Are Not Numbers anthology. He discusses the purpose of the organisation to fight against the dehumanisation of Palestinians by the mainstream media, US-UK-EU-armed Israel’s slaughter of much of his family during the Gaza genocide, the mass destruction of Palestinian centres of culture and knowledge by Israel, why Israel killed Co-Founder of We Are Not Numbers Refaat Alareer, the lack of sympathy or empathy from mainstream media when interviewing him, whether ‘peaceful’ resistance against a genocidal Israel has failed, whether the Palestinian bourgeoisie is to blame for the fragmentation of the resistance, how the Gaza genocide proved the West’s values as hypocritical, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Steven Simon, NSC Senior Director for Transnational Threats under President Bill Clinton and NSC Senior Director for Middle East and North Africa under President Barack Obama. He discusses his reaction to US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee meeting convicted Israeli spy Jonathon Pollard responsible for the biggest breach of US intelligence in history, the lack of any real set compass for Donald Trump as regards foreign policy with constant u-turns, Russia’s standing in the Middle East following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad in Syria, and Trump’s welcoming of Al-Sharaa/Al-Jolani to the White House. In the second half of the interview Afshin Rattansi challenges him on why the US had been meddling in Syria leading to more bloodshed and the infamous admission by Jake Sullivan that the US was on Al Qaeda’s side in Syria. The conversation then moved into Iran realising that negotiations with the US over its nuclear program are pointless and the threat of attack by the US and Israel again, how long Jolani/Al-Sharaa can remain in power, and more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Dmitri Trenin, Member of Russia’s Foreign and Defence Policy Council and Former Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center. He discusses why the Ukraine proxy war is far more dangerous than the Cuban Missile Crisis with the world at the precipice of nuclear war, the possibility of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons should current negotiations with the US fail, whether there are splits in the approach to negotiations in the Russian and US leadership, the leak of the Ushakov-Witkoff phone call and who could be behind it, why Donald Trump keeps caving to demands from the European countries on Ukraine, Trump’s approach to pressuring both Russia and Ukraine into agreeing to a peace deal, Vladimir Putin’s aim to help the US distance itself from Ukraine, the tenets of the ‘28-point-plan’ and whether Russia is likely to accept it, the potential of Russian strikes against European targets in the event of Western provocations and false flags to torpedo a future peace agreement, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Susan Miller, Former Chief of the CIA’s Station in Tel Aviv. Afshin Rattansi asks her about the close relationship between the CIA, Mossad and Shin Bet, Israel’s level of influence over US foreign policy, Israel and the CIA’s involvement with ISIS and Al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria, Syria’s Al-Sharaa/Al-Jolani being welcomed to the White House by Donald Trump, the CIA’s role in the assassination of Iran’s Qassem Soleimani, whether the CIA’s policy of assassinations are actually successful in furthering US foreign policy objectives, the Trump Administration’s bogus pretext of narco-trafficking for pushing regime change against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, the CIA’s own history of being involved in drug trafficking, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Steve Keeen, Distinguished Fellow at UCL’s Institute for Strategy Resilience and Security. He discusses the ‘failed sideshow’ of the G20 and the non-attendance of the leaders of the big powers, the high levels of private debt crushing the poor and reducing demand across the West, the zero-sum games of FDI-led growth and war-led growth that the US is trying to pursue under Donald Trump, the short-sighted and ludicrous economic aims of our contemporary leaders, the elite increasing their wealth and power through war while ignoring growing private debt, the IMF being a major destabilising force causing economic misery in Africa, the US’ weaponisation of the US dollar and international commerce system against Russia, Iran, and others, the catastrophic economic impact of Europe cutting itself off from cheap Russian energy, the need for BRICS to create an alternative international financial system to replace the US’ authoritarian and flawed system, some of Donald Trump’s good economic instincts which are in tune with the demands of the working class, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Colonel Roxane Towner-Watkins, US Air Force Veteran and Host of the Colonel’s Corner podcast. She discusses the history of NATO’s Operation Gladio and the use of terrorism and false flags to suppress and keep socialist and communist movements out of power not just in Western Europe but all around the world, the real objective being to suppress and attack labour movements and strengthen oligarch power, how Gladio networks are still attacking anti-imperial leaders in the modern era from Gaddafi to Maduro now in Venezuela, Israel and Taiwan as a ‘strategy of tension’ for control of the Middle East and Asia’s resources, how Operation Gladio today uses student movements against designated enemy governments, the assassination of Charlie Kirk and how it fits into the historical pattern of assassinations of mass movement leaders, the Jeffrey Epstein blackmail campaign and how it fits into the Operation Gladio strategy, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Ruthie Blum, Former Advisor to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. She discusses Syria’s Ahmed Al-Sharaa's visit to the White House and the resignation of Netanyahu’s Strategic Affairs Minister, Ron Dermer. Afshin Rattansi challenges her on Israel’s arming and supporting of Hamas, Ron Dermer advocating the use of economics to lower Palestinian birth rates and preserve an Israeli majority, the assassination of Charlie Kirk and his turn against Israel before his death, J.D. Vance’s embrace of the anti-Israel MAGA base, Donald Trump’s admission of Miriam Adelson’s significant influence over his administration, the exodus of Jews from Israel as the Gaza genocide continues despite the ceasefire, a potential second Israeli war on Iran, whether it’s time to wrap up the Zionist project, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Nick Maynard, a Volunteer Surgeon at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital. The failure of UK medical institutions to call out the Gaza genocide, why he decided to speak out in media interviews with the horrors of what he’s seen in Gaza, the media’s role in covering up the genocide and parroting Israeli propaganda, Israel’s systematic targeting of Palestinian children, British officials ignoring the clear photographic evidence he presented and choosing to believe Israeli propaganda instead, Israel’s blocking the entry of most doctors and medicine into Gaza despite the ceasefire, how he watched a baby named Zainab pass away from malnutrition after Israel blocked the entry of baby formula, the attempts by medical and academic institutions in the US and UK to silence him and others providing evidence of the horrors in Gaza, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Alastair Crooke, Former Middle East Advisor to the EU Foreign Policy Chief. He discusses Donald Trump’s resumption of nuclear tests after accusing Russia and China of covert tests, the US’ move towards a regime change war against Venezuela to topple Nicolas Maduro, the US financial crisis being the real reason for targeting Venezuela, the potential for the Supreme Court to declare Donald Trump’s tariffs as unconstitutional, the European Union’s and Britain’s push to keep funding the Ukrainian proxy war despite not having the money, China’s domination of trade talks with the US, Israel’s reliance on US hegemony to survive, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Arab Barghouti, son of Palestinian Leader Marwan Barghouti who has been imprisoned by Israel for over 23 years. He discusses the terror attacks against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the illegally occupied West Bank and what life is like under Israeli occupation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed requests for an update on the potential release of his father, why Marwan Barghouti is a trusted and revered figure in the eyes of Palestinians who could lead a future Palestinian state, Israeli refusing to even allow him to hug his father for 23 years, the recent torture and vicious beating of Marwan Barghouti by Israeli prison guards under the orders of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the efforts of his father to educate Palestinian prisoners despite the horrific conditions he faces, his disappointment with the international community over the double standards over the Gaza genocide, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Jason Hickel, Co-Creator of the Global Inequality Project. He discusses the US’ historical and contemporary real motivations for supporting Israel to crush Arab national liberation movements and protect Western economic interests, the Gaza genocide being a mask-off moment for Western liberalism, the global apartheid of international law only applying to the global majority and not the West, the destruction of Gaza’s environment and the silence of the environmental lobbies and NGOs, the challenges the grassroots environmental movement faces, the need to rebuild institutions such as the UN Security Council to give the global majority more power, the profound anti-democratic nature of capitalism and it being the root of the major problems we face today, why the capitalist system does not address the threat of climate change, why China has been able to make huge strides in the development of renewable energy, the high level of trust of the Chinese people in their government compared to Western countries, the Trump Administration’s push for a regime change war on Venezuela and the devastating effect of sanctions, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Former US State Department Officer and Former Pentagon Official Matthew Hoh. He discusses how neocon officials appointed by Donald Trump such as Marco Rubio have sabotaged his plans for brokering peace with Russia in Ukraine, Marco Rubio’s push for war on Venezuela and his obsession with Latin America, the sidelining of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in favour of CIA Director John Ratcliffe, the lack of progress since the Trump-Putin Summit in Alaska, Trump’s threat to give Zelensky Tomahawk missiles, the need for a mechanism by China and Russia to punish the US if it goes ahead with a regime change war in Venezuela, the Trump Administration’s belief that regime change won’t be a disaster despite historical examples, the likelihood of a US-Israeli war on Iran, and much more.

FOLLOW US ON ALL PLATFORMS: linktree.com/goingundergroundtv On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Mouin Rabbani, Co-Editor of Jadaliyya. He discusses Donald Trump forcing Israel to accept the Gaza ceasefire plan unlike the approach of the Biden Administration, the plutocratic system of the US and Miriam Adelson buying Trump’s policy towards Israel, why the US isn’t a colony of Israel as has been asserted over the course of the genocide, Israel waiting for the US to change foreign policy priority to sabotage the Gaza peace deal, the Palestinian Authority’s increasing irrelevance and shocking dereliction of duty, the future of Arab-Israeli normalisation efforts, the high likelihood of a second Israeli war on Iran, the MAGA movement’s increasing opposition towards Israel, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Craig Mokhiber, Former New York Director of the UN High Commissioner’s Office for Human Rights. He discusses the cowardice of United Nations officials who have refused to call Israel’s slaughter in Gaza a genocide, UN officials’ fear over powerful Western states and Israeli proxies, the UN’s failure to prevent the genocide as demanded by the UN Charter, how the UN General Assembly could take action against Israel bypassing the US veto at the Security Council, why UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres should step down from his role, the smearing of UN officials such as Francesca Albanese for revealing Israel’s crimes of apartheid and genocide, Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Omar Awadallah, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority. He discusses Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan and the last-minute alterations to the plan, the absence of the founding of a Palestinian State in the plan and the level of involvement of the PA in formulating the plan, Donald Trump being unsure of a one-state or two-state solution, Donald Trump’s refusal to allow an Israeli annexation of the West Bank after pressure from UAE and Saudi Arabia, the future of Mahmoud Abbas as leader of the Palestinian Authority, war criminal Tony Blair’s involvement in the post-genocide governance of Gaza, the PA’s plan for governing Gaza and the West Bank as the occupation continues, the need to disarm Israeli settlers, the fate of Marwan Barghouti, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to James Carden, Ex-Adviser to the US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission and Editor of The Realist Review. He discusses Donald Trump’s neoconservative foreign policy shift and the Republican establishment firmly controlling his foreign policy, the fake Ukraine proxy war casualty numbers being published in the Western press and the shocking real casualty numbers and ratio, why its ’mission impossible’ for Tulsi Gabbard to reform US foreign policy from within the Trump Administration, why Russia has largely ignored Washington’s and Brussels’ escalations in Ukraine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio being poised to turn Latin America and the Caribbean into a war zone after threats against Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua, how the US has turned Ukraine into a ‘supersized Kosovo’ as a black market arms bazaar, the US population’s shift against Israel after the Gaza genocide, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Mika Almog, Content Director of the It’s Time Coalition and granddaughter of the late President of Israel, Shimon Peres. She discusses how the It’s Time Coalition has been working to promote the voices of the Israeli peace camp against the Gaza genocide, the polls showing the overwhelming majority of Israelis expressing genocidal sentiment towards Palestinians, why Israel’s concept of ‘total victory’ in Gaza is ‘childish’ and unrealistic, why Israel has still not recovered from the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the elimination of discussion about a political peace process in Israel, Donald Trump tipping Tony Blair to be part of the leadership of the Gaza Peace Plan, what her message would be to Israelis who want a genocidal ‘total victory’, whether Benjamin Netanyahu will use a war with Iran and potentially use Israel’s nuclear weapons to evade elections, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Jim Rickards, Author of ‘Aftermath: Seven Secrets of Wealth Preservation in the Coming Chaos’ and Lecturer of Financial Warfare at the US Army War College. He discusses the historic significance of the Mar-a-Lago Accord and the plan behind Donald Trump’s trade and foreign policy plan, the plan for introducing century bonds and why it might hit US treasury bonds, the urgency to bring down the US’ debt-to-GDP ratio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s plan to do it, why the US Treasury has been engineering the dollar’s declining valuation, Europe’s self-destructive sanctions against Russia and its consequences, Ukraine being a ‘money laundering machine’ for US progressive politicians while Russia wins the war, why oil prices haven’t been weaponised to force an end to the Ukraine proxy war, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Matt Kennard, Author of The Racket: A Rogue Reporter vs The American Empire, and former Head of Investigations at Declassified UK. He discusses the crackdown on free speech in the UK on Palestine and the weaponisation of the Terrorism Act to silence critics of British foreign policy, the detention of George Galloway at a UK airport, the proscription of Palestine Action and the arrest of over 1000 activists, Britain’s RAF spy flights over Gaza giving real-time intelligence sharing to Israel and the cover-up of the UK’s role in the Gaza genocide, the consideration of Tony Blair to be a de facto viceroy in post-war Gaza, why it’s likely Israel will attack Iran again, why the US-Israeli proposal for Gaza is a ploy to the further the Gaza genocide, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Steve Hanke, Co-Author of ‘Making Money Work’. He discusses how commercial banks create money ‘out of thin air’, his three solutions to rewrite the rules of our financial system, the extreme wealth inequality in the United States and how it has been fuelled by monetary policy, why contemporary monetary policy places too much importance on interest rates as not the money supply, the weaponisation of the US dollar via sanctions and whether ‘King Dollar’ will be toppled, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Kehinde Andrews, author of Nobody Can Give You Freedom: The Political Life of Malcolm X. He discusses how Malcolm X would have viewed the Gaza genocide and Israel’s crimes, the crucial differences between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and their views on the American project, why Malcolm X was not a Marxist despite his alliance with Marxist revolutionaries and the difference in their philosophies, his critiques of Marxism, Donald Trump and his massively overstated with black Americans, why the Posthumous Autobiography of Malcolm X is a pack of lies, what Critical Race Theory actually is, and much more

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff of former Secretary of State Colin Powell. He discusses his work with Randy Credico to publicise the horror of the Gaza genocide in Washington D.C., Israeli PM Netanyahu being intent on fulfilling the Greater Israel plan, the high likelihood of a second war with Iran before the end of the year, Netanyahu’s plan to drag the US into World War 3 and why we are already in a World War, why Israel may use nuclear weapons in the upcoming second war on Iran, the US empire now facing down over 2 billion people in its confrontation with the multipolar world, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Andrey Kortunov, former Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council. He discusses the understated role and sacrifice China made for victory in World War 2, European countries’ plan to send troops to Ukraine and why security guarantees are essential for Russia, whether these negotiations are a ploy to trick Russia into another Minsk Agreement trap, whether the powers of the multipolar world such as China and Iran should act preemptively before the US moves against them, whether the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation can withstand the pressure from the US and its military-industrial complex, whether the SCO can be a united front for the multipolar world against US hegemony, whether Israel will use its nuclear weapons against Iran in the next war, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Michael O’Hanlon, Senior Fellow and Director of Foreign Policy Research at the Brookings Institution, former member of the Defense Policy Board of the US Department of Defense, and former CIA Advisor. He discusses the legacy of the US’ disastrous invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, the importance of ending the Ukraine proxy war for Trump’s agenda and the MAGA base, his desire for US military trainers to be sent to Ukraine as part of a peace deal between Washington and Moscow, why Russia’s reaction to NATO expansion was predictable, and more. In the second half, Afshin Rattansi challenges him on his claims that Russia tried to use ‘shock and awe’ against Ukraine, why Russia can’t trust an agreement with the United States, the US’ hypocrisy of condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with its own history of illegal invasions, the state of the International Relations scholarly field in the US, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to the former Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert. He discusses his opposition the continuation of Israel’s war on Gaza, the arrogance and complacency of the Israeli leadership which allowed October 7th to occur, Benjamin Netanyahu’s failed approach of flirting with Hamas and ignoring all warnings of an upcoming Hamas operation, Israel’s plan for Palestinians which could become ethnic cleansing, the extreme polarisation of Israeli society and the potential for civil war, the unforgivable and intolerable amount of innocent Palestinians killed in Gaza, his message to Arabs and Muslims that there are Israelis opposed to Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, what he says really happened in the failed negotiations between him and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for a two-state solution, and much more.

FOLLOW US ON ALL PLATFORMS: https://linktr.ee/goingundergroundtv On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Anatol Lieven, Director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute. He discusses why European countries have been so hostile towards direct negotiations with Russia and why the Ukraine proxy war must keep going, the idea of NATO nations contributing to a ‘reassurance force’ in Ukraine, the failed policy of excluding Russia from European security and giving Eastern European NATO members a veto on European security affairs, European leaders grovelling before Trump as a consequence of outsourcing their own security to Washington, European countries’ refusal to see Russia’s point of views and compromise for decades, why a European peacekeeping force may actually encourage Ukraine to escalate against Russia, and much more.

FOLLOW US ON ALL PLATFORMS: https://linktr.ee/goingundergroundtv On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Omer Bartov, Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University. He discusses why he concludes that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and the exact moment that conclusion became apparent to him, the weaponisation of the Holocaust to eradicate Israel’s enemies and equating all criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, the mainstream media’s soaring coverage of the Gaza genocide, the deliberate targeting of journalists and medical professionals by Israel, why the US, UK, and EU so far have refused to acknowledge the Gaza genocide, why we must not give up on international law even if it has so far been ineffective in stopping genocide, the hero status of OUN Leader and Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera in Ukraine, the rise of the far right in Ukraine, and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Guy Shalev, Executive Director of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. He discusses the Israeli public’s ’wall of denial’ about the suffering and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza as the Gaza genocide continues, the draconian media censorship in Israel which omitted his organisation’s report that concluded Israel is committing genocide, why the US, UK and EU refusing to recognise that it is a genocide, Israel’s systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare and essential infrastructure for life, the targeting of 22 hospitals by Day 5 of the Gaza genocide, the weaponisation of anti-Semitism to facilitate the genocide of Palestinians, his organisation’s early reporting on false claims of sexual violence on October 7th, the extent of the torture inside the Sde Teiman camp, the medical community in Israel starting to speak out against the genocide in Gaza, the role of the weaponisation of anaesthesia as a weapon of war, and much more.

FOLLOW US ON ALL PLATFORMS: https://linktr.ee/goingundergroundtv On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development. He discusses the upcoming Trump-Putin meeting and the chances of success or failure at ending the Ukraine proxy war, Donald Trump’s behaviour as a ‘King’ and why it harms global security, the contradiction of the US government wanting security while the US military attacks Russia in the Ukraine proxy war, how Trump’s ultimatums and threats against major powers are bringing us closer to nuclear war, Washington’s campaign since the fall of the Soviet Union to bring Russia to its knees, the European Union’s complete vassalage to Washington, the US-Israeli attack on Iran and the damage Iran’s retaliation caused to Israel, how the US still could end the Ukraine proxy war quickly, the US’ continuing support of Israel genocide in Gaza despite overwhelming public opinion against Israel, and much more.

FOLLOW US ON ALL PLATFORMS: https://linktr.ee/goingundergroundtv On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dennis Kucinich, former Congressman and former Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. He discusses the efforts for negotiations between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin with the danger of nuclear war hanging over us all, the deep state’s continuing grip on the Trump Administration in foreign policy, Vladimir Putin’s restraint in avoiding escalation with Washington amid the Ukraine proxy war, why the nuclear powers must get rid of their nuclear weapons, the Commanding General of US Forces in Europe threatening an invasion of Russia’s Kaliningrad, why NATO should be dissolved, Russia’s ‘Dead Hand’ nuclear response system, the Gaza genocide and why the US must change its relationship with Israel, and much more.

FOLLOW US ON ALL PLATFORMS: https://linktree.com/goingundergroundtv On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Ari Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli intelligence officer who alleges Jeffrey Epstein was an asset of Israel’s Mossad. He discusses why he believes the US is trapped by Israel to do nothing about the Gaza genocide, Jeffrey Epstein’s blackmailing of Ehud Barak and Bill Clinton to stop an agreement with Yasser Arafat for a two-state solution, how a number of US Presidents had been blackmailed by Israel using Jeffrey Epstein, how Rupert Murdoch’s first newspaper was funded for him by Israel, Trump wanting to bring peace to the Middle East but being held back by Israel via blackmail over Jeffrey Epstein, the brainwashing of Israelis during the Gaza genocide, the bombing of his house in Canada in 2012, how the UK got most of its military technology from Israel, Israel committing harakiri on itself over the Gaza genocide, why Donald Trump must end the Gaza genocide despite the blackmail, and much more.