The General & the Journalist

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

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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: [email protected]
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As President Trump lands in Beijing for his summit with Xi, Patrick and Tom are joined by China analyst, Sam Olsen, to discuss whether Iran has flipped the balance of power between the rivals.

Sam argues the war has degraded America's weapons stockpile, recast China as the reliable global partner, and given Beijing a ringside seat on the US military playbook - gifting China with the strategic edge.

And, if Trump needs Xi's help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, will he be willing to sell-out Taiwan in return, with potentially even greater consequences for the balance of power?

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn
Guest: Sam Olsen
Producer: Shabnam Grewal
Executive producer: Fiona Leach
Image: Getty

Get in touch: [email protected]
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Estonia's foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, says Putin will flood Europe with the criminals he recruited to fight in Ukraine once the war ends.

With Russia unable to reintegrate thousands of 'psychologically crazy' ex-combatants, they will be used for Wagner-style sabotage operations on a scale European governments have yet to grapple with.

In Patrick's words, 'the moment of maximum danger could be when the fighting ends.'

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn
Guest: Foreign Minister of Estonia, Margus Tsahkna
Producer: Shabnam Grewal
Executive producer: Fiona Leach
Image: Getty

Get in touch: [email protected]

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General Christopher Cavoli was NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) until July 2025. He was responsible for the defence and security of 981 million people across 32 countries. Ooph.

While on a flying visit to London, he dropped into the General and the Journalist studio to see his old friend Patrick and get grilled by Tom on the UK's parlous defence expenditure.

But, mostly, he was here to talk about NATO and why, as a proud and patriotic American, he sees the Alliance as critical to America's own defence and security.

Hosts: General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn
Guest: General Christopher Cavoli
Producer: Shabnam Grewal
Executive producer: Fiona Leach
Image: Getty
Clips: Fox news

Get in touch: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.