The UN Has a Plan to Open Hormuz (Two of Them, Actually.)
The UN Secretary‑General announced a new task force to design technical mechanisms that would allow fertilizer and humanitarian goods to flow through the Strait of Hormuz amid the third Persian Gulf war. Oil shortages are already rattling South Asian economies, and soaring fertilizer prices threaten planting seasons across Asia. Bahrain is lobbying the Security Council for a robust resolution that could compel Iran to reopen the strait, even under threat of force. The podcast episode also touches on recent Indonesian peacekeeper deaths in Lebanon and the evolving UN Secretary‑General race.
How To Prevent Weapons of Mass Destruction in a Changing Geopolitical and Military Landscape
The Global Dispatches podcast, in partnership with the Global Challenges Foundation, examines rising threats from weapons of mass destruction amid a fragmented geopolitical climate and evolving military domains. Guests Wilfred Wan of SIPRI and Michael Wernstedt of the Foundation highlight...
How the US Is Justifying the Iran War to the UN
The Trump administration presented a self‑defence argument at the United Nations to justify its bombing campaign against Iran, a justification many member states deem retroactive and legally tenuous. The episode also explores a proposed UN‑led diplomatic intervention in the Strait...
The United Nations Has a Blueprint for Opening the Strait of Hormuz
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been halted, driving oil prices above $100 per barrel and threatening global food security. The United Nations, recalling its 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative that enabled safe Ukrainian grain shipments, could apply a...
The War in Iran Comes to the United Nations
The latest Global Dispatches episode examines how the unfolding war in Iran is reshaping diplomatic activity at the United Nations. It also notes two fresh contenders entering the race to replace António Guterres as UN Secretary‑General. Cindy McCain’s departure from the...
Ethiopia Is Sliding Fast Toward Major War
In this episode of Global Dispatches, host Mark Leon Goldberg talks with Ethiopian‑Canadian journalist Zacharias Zelalem about Ethiopia’s rapid slide toward a new, potentially regional war. Zelalem outlines recent flashpoints: mass troop deployments northward, the Ethiopian government’s revocation of Tigray’s...