The General & The Journalist

H.R. McMaster served as Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser and saw firsthand how he makes decisions about war, peace and American power.

As his former boss is tested by crises from Iran to Ukraine, China, NATO and Venezuela, he explains how the president really thinks. Does Trump have a grand strategy, or is he driven by instincts, deals and the search for a quick win? And will fragile US-Iran peace deal force a lasting peace or end in disaster?

Guest: LTG HR McMaster, former US National Security Advisor (2017-2018)
Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn
Producer: Julia Webster
Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia
Image: Dana Chan and Getty
Clips: PBS, WPLG, Reuters, Getty

What are your thoughts on the US/Iran deal? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk

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Cuba is running out of power, fuel and patience. As blackouts spread and anger grows, Donald Trump is turning up the pressure on Havana, blaming the regime for the island’s collapse while Cuba points to decades of US sanctions.

The historic US indictment of former president Raúl Castro has raised the stakes and a bigger question – is Trump trying to use his Venezuela playbook on Cuba? With US military power visible in the Caribbean, can Washington force change in Havana or would intervention in America’s Caribbean neighbour could end in catastrophe?

Guest:
Stephen Gibbs, Latin America correspondent for The Times & The Sunday Times
William LeoGrande, professor of Government at American University
Hosts: Tom Newton Dunn
Producer: Julia Webster
Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia
Image: Paul Brookbanks and Getty
Clip: USA TODAY, Getty
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Nearly four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine is trying to change the course of the war with drones, AI and battlefield innovation. What began as improvised technology has become central to Kyiv’s strategy, helping Ukraine defend the front line and strike deeper into Russia. But can drones really help Ukraine break the deadlock? And what does this mean for the future of war? Patrick and Tom speak to leading military analyst Dr Jack Watling about the reality on the front line, the rise of AI-enabled warfare and the ethical questions it raises.

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn
Guest: Dr Jack Watling, Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute
Producer: Shabnam Grewal and Julia Webster
Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia
Image: Dinesh Mehta and Getty
Clip: CNN

Can drones and AI help Ukraine break the deadlock or make the war more dangerous? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk
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Two weeks after British paratroopers landed on Tristan da Cunha, one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands, the rescue team are finally heading home.

Their mission was extraordinary – reach a critically ill Briton on a tiny British Overseas Territory with no runway, no quick route by sea, and no easy way in. Within hours, 16 Air Assault Brigade was mobilised, sending paratroopers, military medics and vital supplies into the South Atlantic.

Brigadier Ed Cartwright, who planned the operation, tells General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn how the daring rescue unfolded and what it says about Britain’s duty to protect its citizens and remote territories. But could the UK really defend these far-flung outposts from disaster or attack?

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn
Guest: Brigadier Ed Cartwright, Commander, 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team
Producer: Shabnam Grewal
Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia
Image: Getty

Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk
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Nearly three months after the Iran war began, there is a ceasefire, but no settlement. The Strait of Hormuz remains a global pressure point, Iran’s nuclear programme is unresolved, and Donald Trump is still demanding progress.

But the biggest question may be inside Tehran. After war, assassinations and stalled diplomacy, power appears to be shifting away from the clerics and towards the Revolutionary Guards. Has the West weakened the Islamic Republic or helped make it harder to deal with?

Patrick and Tom speak to Iran analyst Alex Vatanka about the rise of the IRGC, the myth of division inside Tehran, and what comes next.

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn
Guest: Alex Vatanka, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute
Producer: Shabnam Grewal
Executive producer: Fiona Leach, Priyanka Deladia
Image: Getty

Who holds the upper hand in the Iran war? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk
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