One Decision

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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Everyone is calling it another Iraq. Sir Richard Dearlove disagrees. In this episode of One Decision In Brief, the former MI6 chief makes the case that what's unfolding in Iran may be something different: the final chapter of a decades-long conflict, with a window for the United States to actually close it.

Sir Richard and guest co-host Baroness Ayesha Hazarika break down the military logic — why Kharg Island is the likely first target, what securing the Strait of Hormuz would actually take, and whether a ground operation could stay limited. They also assess Iran's internal fractures, Russia's quiet role, China's conspicuous absence, and what the Gulf States really want from Washington right now.

Is this the moment the West finally resolves the Iran question, or the beginning of something far worse?

In this episode:


07:09 Uranium Extraction Scenario


09:14 Avoiding a Land Quagmire


10:58 Trump’s Legacy Calculus


11:52 Russia Helps; China Absent


13:39 Will Gulf States Choose America?

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and guest co-host Baroness Ayesha Hazarika (House of Lords)

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Cuba is running out of fuel, its economy is in ruins, and 2 million of its citizens have already fled. Is the communist regime finally at its breaking point?

Sir Richard Dearlove and Kate McCann sit down with Brian Latell, PhD, a 35-year CIA veteran and the agency's top Cuba and Latin America analyst. They assess whether the government can survive Trump's fuel embargo, what a transition would actually look like, and why Marco Rubio's approach may be more measured than his rhetoric suggests.

In this episode:

04:19 US-Cuba Relations

10:25 Risks of Squeezing Cuba Too Hard

13:03 Can the Regime Collapse Peacefully

18:03 Who Holds Power in Havana

23:02 Intelligence Files and Biosecurity Fears

27:31 Rebuilding Cuba and Diaspora Role

29:35 What Drives Marco Rubio

31:08 One Decision to Watch Next

Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and Kate McCann (Political Editor at Times Radio).
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