Episodes

  • What Washington Gets Wrong About Iran w/ Narges Bajoghli

    What Washington Gets Wrong About Iran w/ Narges Bajoghli
    Feb 18 2026
    The United States largely misunderstands Iran. Historic anti-government protests rattled Iran this winter—and were met with lethal state repression and intensifying calls for regime change in Washington. Now, President Trump is again considering military strikes on the country, even as his envoys have sought to negotiate with Iranian leaders. Throughout, Iran has long been one of the most heavily sanctioned countries in the world, causing immense hardship for its people. In this episode, the Institute for Global Affairs' Jonathan Guyer is joined by Narges Bajoghli, an anthropologist and co-director of the Rethinking Iran Initiative at Johns Hopkins University, to challenge American assumptions about Iran. They discuss the impact of Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign, how the current protests unfolded, and those pushing for war in Washington. Narges also explains how the war would be damaging for the interests of Americans and Iranians. Find Narges on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@nargesbajoghli Check out the Rethinking Iran Initiative: https://www.rethinkingiran.com/
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    51 mins
  • Making Sense of MAGA Foreign Policy w/ Curt Mills

    Making Sense of MAGA Foreign Policy w/ Curt Mills
    Feb 4 2026

    President Trump campaigned on promises of peace and putting America first, and heavily criticized past involvement in foreign wars. But one year into his second term, the United States has bombed Iran, kidnapped Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, and threatened NATO allies. So, what exactly are his foreign policy goals? And who is shaping those decisions?

    In this episode, the Institute for Global Affairs' Jonathan Guyer is joined by Curt Mills, the executive director of The American Conservative, to break down the state of foreign policy on the right. They discuss the major players, from Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Vice President JD Vance, emerging rifts in the coalition, and whether Trump is fulfilling his America First promise.

    Find Curt on X: https://x.com/CurtMills

    Check out Curt's work at The American Conservative: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/author/curt-mills/

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    51 mins
  • Trump's Brazen Power Politics in Venezuela w/ Alejandro Velasco

    Trump's Brazen Power Politics in Venezuela w/ Alejandro Velasco
    Jan 21 2026
    On January 3rd, 2026, the United States seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — and shocked the world. The Trump administration has made no bones about its intent to dominate the Western Hemisphere, and the raid was a brazen show of force. But with the same regime still in place, it is unclear what exactly will change in Venezuela. In this episode, the Institute for Global Affairs' Jonathan Guyer is joined by Alejandro Velasco, a historian and professor at New York University, to discuss the recent invention. Amid claims about drug trafficking and oil, they analyze what might really be behind Trump's actions. They also touch on the legacy of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's economic crisis, and what the broader implications of Trump's aggressive posturing might be for the region and the world.
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    58 mins
  • What the Future Holds for Gaza w/ Mohammed Mhawish

    What the Future Holds for Gaza w/ Mohammed Mhawish
    Jan 7 2026

    Mohammed Mhawish did not set out to be a journalist. But studying Shakespeare while enduring Gaza's wars, he was moved to convey the stories all around him. Mohammed fled the strip with his family in 2024, after receiving death threats and surviving Israel's bombing of their apartment building. Now based in the United States, he continues to report on Palestine.

    In this episode, Mohammed joins the Institute for Global Affairs' Jonathan Guyer to discuss life under Israeli surveillance, the threats faced by journalists, President Trump's Gaza plan, and the future of Palestinian governance. They touch on many of the topics Mohammed has covered in recent articles for New York Magazine and The New Yorker.

    Find Mohammed on X: https://x.com/mrmhawish

    Find Mohammed on Substack: https://www.mohammedmhawish.com/
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    46 mins
  • American Power in a Multipolar World w/ Emma Ashford

    American Power in a Multipolar World w/ Emma Ashford
    Dec 17 2025
    American foreign policy is in crisis. The bipartisan consensus that emerged after the Cold War has collapsed after a string of American failures, like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, with the rise of China and the new ascendance of middle powers, the United States must rethink its engagement with the world. But where to start? In this episode, the Institute for Global Affairs' Jonathan Guyer is joined by Emma Ashford, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, to discuss her new book First Among Equals. In the book, Emma offers a realist vision for how the United States can adapt its foreign policy to a multipolar world. Together they explore the necessity of restraining American power, how the Trump administration has upended the status quo, and more. Find Emma on X: https://x.com/EmmaMAshford Check out Emma's writing at Foreign Policy: https://foreignpolicy.com/author/emma-ashford/ Check out First Among Equals: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300279542/first-among-equals/
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    40 mins
  • How Foreign Influence Works in Washington w/ Nick Cleveland-Stout

    How Foreign Influence Works in Washington w/ Nick Cleveland-Stout
    Nov 26 2025
    The United States is wealthy, powerful, and a democracy. That means there are many avenues for foreign countries vying to influence its politics and policy. Though many forms of foreign lobbying are legal and totally above-board, those efforts are largely misunderstood and all too understudied. But understanding the geopolitics of influence can help us understand how Washington really works. In this episode, the Institute for Global Affairs' Jonathan Guyer is joined by Nick Cleveland-Stout, a research associate at the Quincy Institute, to discuss all things transparency. Nick explains how he digs through documents to discover the foreign influence campaigns of countries like Israel and Qatar — and why Americans should care. Check out Nick's reporting: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/author/ncstout/ Find Nick on X: https://x.com/nick_clevelands Check out Kenneth P. Vogel's book, Devils' Advocates: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/devils-advocates-kenneth-p-vogel
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    52 mins
  • What Americans Really Think of Trump's Foreign Policy w/ Andrew Payne

    What Americans Really Think of Trump's Foreign Policy w/ Andrew Payne
    Nov 13 2025
    Trump embodies many contradictions when it comes to foreign policy. IGA's newly released study, "Reckless Peacemaker? How Americans See Trump's Foreign Policy," tries to make sense of these contradictions by polling Americans on the biggest geopolitical challenges of today. We found that Americans think Trump is performing poorly overall, but there are wide partisan splits on almost every issue. In this episode, the Institute for Global Affairs' Jonathan Guyer, new host of None Of The Above, is joined by Andrew Payne, a research director at Chatham House, to break down some key findings. They also discuss how foreign policy plays into presidential elections, the geopolitical meaning of Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani, and more. Check out IGA's report "Reckless Peacemaker? How Americans See Trump's Foreign Policy": https://instituteforglobalaffairs.org/2025/11/reckless-peacemaker-american-views-trump-foreign-policy/ Read Andrew's Foreign Affairs article: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/americans-love-tough-guy
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    56 mins
  • Episode 10: Why The '90s Matter

    Episode 10: Why The '90s Matter
    Jun 26 2025

    The 1990s were a pivotal decade for the United States and the world. This season on None Of The Above, we rewinded to the '90s to cover the breakup of the Soviet Union, America's unipolar moment, and the rise of China. We explored civil war in Afghanistan, the spread of nuclear weapons, South Africa's transition to democracy, and much more. The '90s also gave rise to free trade, globalization, and the growth of the internet – all of which profoundly shaped the world we live in today.

    In the final episode of our '90s Rewind miniseries, we asked Ian Bremmer to wrap it all up. He joins the Institute for Global Affairs' Mark Hannah to revisit some of these key moments and walk us through how he was thinking about them at the time, and how he looks back on them now with the benefit of hindsight. Ian also happens to be our board president here at IGA.
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    31 mins