War Fears Spike As Iran And Israel Trade Strikes

Monday, June 8, 2026, IstanbulI’ve warned for weeks that neither side in the conflict is quite tired of war yet, and that only the fear of plunging the world into a global depression has kept the brakes on escalation in the Middle East.Over the weekend we got a lesson on just how easily the war may flare up again, especially when you have Israel, Iran, and the US all poking and prodding each other in attempts to test red lines and bolster negotiation positions. In today’s podcast I discuss the overlapping layers of diplomacy, domestic politics, and the logic of warfare ahead of latest trading of bombs between Iran and Israel over Lebanon, as well as Yemen’s intervention on behalf of Hezbollah. Watch or listen to several interviews with India’s NewsX World in which I describe the steady escalation that led to the outbreak of open warfare on Sunday and heading into Monday morning.badlands is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe