logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2024
24m 11s

The Intelligence: Iran increases the sta...

The Economist
About this episode

Iran-backed proxies have killed three American soldiers and injured dozens of others in their weekend strike. A response from the Pentagon seems inevitable, but what might it look like? If Britain wants to decarbonise, it is going to need to revamp the grid. The effort will be both pricey and political (10:54). And, making musicals into movies (18:12).  


Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Nov 21
Flee country: Britain seeks to slash migration
<p>Britain’s home secretary Shabana Mahmood proposed a big shift in <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/11/20/will-britain-copy-asylum-policy-from-a-place-with-poor-integration?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discov ... Show More
23m 22s
Nov 20
War graft: scandal engulfs Ukraine
<p>Pentagon officials are meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss a <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/11/19/a-terrible-american-russian-proposal-to-end-the-war-in-ukraine?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_con ... Show More
25m 24s
Nov 19
Crown prince arming: Trump sells jets to MBS
<p>Muhammad bin Salman’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2025/11/18/saudi-arabia-is-in-no-hurry-to-join-the-abraham-accords?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-n ... Show More
21m 55s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
The Intelligence: Iran increases the stakes in the Middle East
<p>Iran-backed proxies have killed three American soldiers and injured dozens of others in their weekend <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/01/28/violence-spirals-as-irans-proxies-kill-american-soldiers?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm ... Show More
24m 11s
Dec 2023
The Intelligence: is America’s media fair?
<p>News outlets are often hounded by the right for being too <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/12/14/american-journalism-sounds-much-more-democratic-than-republican?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery. ... Show More
21m 46s
Oct 2023
The Intelligence: Iran’s dangerous game in Gaza
<p>American airstrikes on Syrian bases linked to Iran are a reminder that Iran’s proxies lie behind many Middle East conflicts. But the ayatollahs’ angling for wider war in Gaza is a <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/10/23/irans-ayatollahs-play-the-middle-easts-mos ... Show More
22m 43s
Sep 2023
Argo the sequel: America and Iran’s hostage deal
<p>This is not the first time the Islamic Republic has taken foreigners <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/09/18/irans-6bn-hostage-deal-is-part-of-a-broader-diplomatic-strategy?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&ut ... Show More
21m 28s
Sep 2023
No end in sight: how Ukraine is being shaped by a long war
<p>Reporting from the ground, our Eastern Europe editor explores how the country is bracing for a <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/09/21/to-endure-a-long-war-ukraine-is-remaking-its-army-economy-and-society?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source= ... Show More
26m 13s
Feb 2024
Checks and Balance: Strike accord
<p>America has launched strikes against Iranian-backed militias in <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/02/07/israel-scorns-americas-unprecedented-peace-plan?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=checksandbalance&utm_content=discovery. ... Show More
51m 46s
Oct 2023
Checks and Balance: War in the Middle East
In recent years the US has facilitated a warming in relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours but, after Hamas attacked Israel, that is under threat. What should America’s Middle East strategy be now? John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re jo ... Show More
45m 41s
Sep 2023
Support systems: allies debate Ukraine’s tactics
<p>As progress on the front line slows, Western countries are divided over how <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2023/09/12/are-ukraines-tactics-working?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous ... Show More
24m 32s
Sep 2023
When politics dictates policy: China’s faltering economy
<p>&nbsp;During past economic downturns, officials have been both swift and bold. This time not so much—because their hands are tied by <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/09/28/politics-hamper-chinas-efforts-to-stimulate-the-economy?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.p ... Show More
25m 11s
Feb 2024
The Intelligence: Out-of-this-world war
<p>This is not science fiction. Space is already a part of modern warfare and as technology advances, it will be an even more crucial sphere. What will <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2024/01/31/america-china-and-russia-are-locked-in-a-new-struggle-over-space?utm ... Show More
27m 19s