Claim OwnershipGoing Underground Hosted by Afshin Rattansi
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We ask the questions mainstream media avoid. Current affairs and geopolitics. Produced independently from Dubai, UAE. Hosted by award-winning journalist Afshin Rattansi.
https://linktr.ee/goingundergroundtv
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291 Episodes
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On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to John Mearsheimer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. He discusses Israel’s bombing of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus and Israel’s attempts to drag the US into a war with Iran, how US protection allows Israel to ‘get away with anything’ in international politics, how the Gaza genocide is paving the way for a Donald Trump victory in November, the Israel lobby’s grip on US foreign policy, the deliberate failure of the Minsk Agreements in Ukraine leading to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch the Special Military Operation, why the US and Europe have lost the proxy war against Russia and the risk of direct conflict between NATO and Russia, and much more.
FOLLOW ALL OF OUR PLATFORMS: https://linktr.ee/goingundergroundtv
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Israel’s former Justice Minister Yossi Beilin. In a heated exchange, Afshin Rattansi challenges him on Gaza’s mass-slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, the parallels between Palestinian resistance and Nelson Mandela’s ANC resistance, dubious evidence surrounding October 7th and evidence of Israeli friendly fire, and Israel’s support for jihadists in Syria. Furious at the direction of the interview, Yossi Beilin would abruptly end the interview. Finally, in tribute to the award-winning writer, poet, and celebrated anti-racist and anti-colonial trailblazer Benjamin Zephaniah who passed away this Thursday, we play for our audience our last interview with Benjamin Zephaniah which first aired on the 27th of May 2019.
1On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Anatol Lieven, Director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute. He discusses Europe’s self-entrapment over assisting Ukraine as the proxy war against Russia continues, European leaders deliberately lying to their people that Russia will imminently attack Europe and whether their populations believe them, Britain’s unexpected appearance in the Geneva Negotiations to end the Ukraine proxy war, and whether or not Europe is finally returning to a constructive role in international relations. In the second half, he discusses the Western media allegations that Alexei Navalny was poisoned with Ecuadorean dart frog poison, the potential collapse of the Western European ‘Coalition of the Willing’ supporting Ukraine, the collapse of belief in ‘liberal values’ in Western Europe from the Iraq War to Gaza, the farcical claims of the Russian and Chinese threat in the Arctic, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Brandon Weichert, Senior National Security Editor at 19FortyFive and Author of ‘The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy’. What has been Iran’s strategy of escalation against the US and Israel as it faces continued aerial bombardment? What are the risks of the war on Iran escalating to a nuclear third world war with Israel’s nukes? What does Joe Kent’s resignation over the war on Iran mean for the Trump Administration? Will Donald Trump put US boots on the ground in Iran? Why did Donald Trump pursue a war for Israel? All this and more on this episode of Going Underground.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Habib Al Mulla, Founder of Habib Al Mulla and Partners, and one of the UAE’s most respected legal authorities. He discusses NATO-aligned media’s coverage of Dubai as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues and the motives behind the narratives. He examines the state of international law as the US and Israel attack Iran, while Iran continues attacks on GCC states. He also discusses whether the UAE might join the US-Israel coalition, the GCC’s assertions that US bases are not being used for operations against Iran, and why Iran is targeting civilian infrastructure in the Gulf—along with much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to the Former Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), William Fallon. In a heated interview, Afshin Rattansi challenges him on the justifications for the US-Israel War on Iran, the Minab Girls School strike which killed 175+, the parallels between this war of aggression and the 2003 Iraq War, the regional destabilisation unleashed on the Gulf States by the US-Israeli war, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Abdulaziz Alghashian, Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Gulf International Forum. Can the Gulf States trust the US after it, along with Israel, unleashed destructive regional destabilisation with the war on Iran? Is the US using Gulf States’ bases as Iran claims? How big a threat is the Greater Israel plan to the Gulf States? Can the Gulf States maintain neutrality after the genocide and war on Iran? All this and more on this episode of Going Underground.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Mohammed Baharoon, Director General of the Dubai Public Policy Research Center. What is the situation on the ground in Dubai as Iranian missiles and drones continue to target UAE? What is the state of the GCC’s alliance with the US after it plunged the region into its most destabilising war yet? Why has BRICS disappointingly not stepped up to mediate the crisis? What is the state of the Abraham Accords following the Gaza genocide and Israel’s wars on Iran? Are there any chances for peace and negotiations? All this and more on this episode of Going Underground.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Captain James Fanell, the Former Director of Intelligence and Information Operations at the US Navy's Pacific Fleet. Why did Donald Trump start this unpopular war against Iran? Did Israel drag the US into the war? Is America heading for victory or disaster? Why are the US and Israel targeting schools and hospitals in Iran? All this and more on this episode of Going Underground.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Rt. Hon. Norman Baker, former U.K. Home Office Minister for Crime Prevention and Privy Councillor to King Charles III. How has the Epstein Files scandal’s revelations about Peter Mandelson shaken the political establishment’s power in Britain? How morally bankrupt is Sir Keir Starmer and the political establishment? What was the Royal Family’s role in protecting Prince Andrew from the consequences of his crimes? Will the Epstein Files be the end of the British monarchy? All this and more on this episode of Going Underground.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to CIA Veteran Prof. Melvin Goodman. In an at times heated interview, Afshin Rattansi and Prof. Goodman cover the looming US war on Iran and why the focus will be Iranian ballistic missiles, Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, the Ukraine proxy war and one of the causes being NATO expansion to Russia’s borders, the beginning of a new Russia-China-US nuclear arms race after expiry of the START treaty, the Epstein Files and whether Israel is pressuring Donald Trump via blackmail, the US’ ‘takeover’ of Venezuela and regime change campaign against Cuba, the ‘mediocrity’ of Trump’s cabinet team, and much more.
n this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Alan Eyre, Former Senior Advisor for Iran at the US State Department and the First Persian-Language Spokesperson at the US State Department. He discusses the Trump Administration’s strategic ambiguity and inconsistency towards Iran regarding the nuclear program, missiles and regime change, whether China and Russia will come to Iran’s rescue for economic and military aid, the weakening of the Iranian economy by the US and structural economic problems, Iran’s continued deterrence via hypersonic missiles, whether Iran should pursue nuclear weapons as a deterrent against the US and nuclear-armed Israel, the power of the Israel lobby as the war on Iran looms, Israel’s goal being the annihilation of Iran rather than a US-Iran deal, whether he would advise Trump to use or not to use military action against Iran, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Victoria Panova, Head of Russia’s BRICS Expert Council who participated at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, UAE. She discusses the shadow of a US war on Iran hanging over the region, the status of Saudi Arabia’s invitation to join BRICS and Javier Milei’s rejection of BRICS membership for Argentina, the launch of the BRICS New Development Bank as an alternative to the Washington-dominated World Bank and IMF, Brazil’s Lula Da Silva vetoing BRICS membership for Venezuela, the subsequent kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores by Donald Trump and the silence of BRICS and the international community. In the second half, she discusses why Donald Trump believes BRICS is an anti-US bloc, the building of an independent payment system and the use of non-dollar currencies, Trump’s tariff war against BRICS nations, Donald Trump being the ‘best thing’ to happen to BRICS, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Former Israeli Intelligence Officer Ari Ben-Menashe about the Epstein Files. He discusses his belief that Israel is holding sensitive information which they would release if they felt Donald Trump was threatening Israel, Jeffrey Epstein’s history of working as a Mossad agent to attain compromising blackmail on Western politicians, his allegations that MI6 is working with Israel amid the revelations about Peter Mandelson in the Epstein Files, the Western media’s claims that Jeffrey Epstein is a Russian agent and Israel being behind the cover-up, his belief that Benjamin Netanyahu would sabotage a US-Iran deal with damaging Epstein material against Trump and other US officials, the previous Israeli policy of supporting Hamas and the turn to destroying Palestinians, his belief that Donald Trump wants Benjamin Netanyahu out of power, the possibility of Israel using nuclear weapons against Iran, former British Prince Andrew’s role as Jeffrey Epstein’s useful idiot, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s Minister of Business, Mineral Resources & Energy. She discusses the US’ betrayal of Greenland following Donald Trump’s plans to annex Greenland, her policies on banning uranium mining and natural resource extraction, Greenland’s membership of NATO and the accusation that it makes Greenland a target for Russia and China, her view of China as a competitor rather than a potential partner, whether Greenlanders see Trump’s annexation plan as leverage against Denmark to gain full independence, the lower rates of poverty rates in Denmark compared to Greenland and the lack of sovereignty over US bases, Trump’s offer of $100,000 to every Greenlander in exchange for annexation, Denmark’s arming of Israel for the genocide in Gaza, whether the US’ threats over Greenland signal the beginning of the end of NATO, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to CMSGT. Dennis Fritz, Former Advisor to the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Richard Myers. He discusses the Trump Administration’s crackdown against anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota and how it’s a training ground for repression against the American population, Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland and what the motivations are behind his threats, the looming threat of a US-led regime change war against Iran, the US’ failed use of unrest in Iran to bring down the Iranian government which makes war more likely, whether Saudi Arabia and the UAE can dissuade Trump from attacking Iran while the Israel lobby and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are persuading Trump into going to war, whether China will imminently move to reintegrate Taiwan by force, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Tuomas Malinen, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Helsinki and CEO of GnS Economics. He discusses why it is likely President Donald Trump will fail to broker peace in the Ukraine proxy war thanks to the neoconservatives in his administration, the neocon faction’s priority shifting to stopping an alliance between China, Russia, and Europe, the Greenland crisis and whether NATO could actually break up over the crisis, the construction of 15 US bases in Finland since it became a full NATO member, how Georgia was a test for pushing Russia’s red lines in Ukraine, the catastrophic state of the Western European banking sector, the structural fragility of the European Union and the vulnerability of the Euro, the potential re-igniting of the Israel-Iran War and the fears of a Strait of Hormuz closure, the facade being presented of the US’ and Israel’s military power over Venezuela and Iran, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Renowned Writer, Filmmaker and Activist Tariq Ali. He discusses the mainstream media’s obsession with the World Economic Forum in Davos and why we may be closer to the end of the organisation than we imagine, Donald Trump’s regime change kidnapping of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro to start 2026, his thoughts on the new Acting President Delcy Rodriguez and the deals being made with Washington over Venezuelan oil, the worsening relationship between Brazil’s President Lula Da Silva and Nicolas Maduro which aided the US’ regime change campaign, the effects of the economic strangulation by the US, UK, and EU on Venezuela’s democracy, Donald Trump’s motivations for setting his sights on Greenland, the state of the Ukraine proxy war following the assassination attempt on Russian President Vladimir Putin, the looming reaction of the Ukrainian far-right groups to a negotiated end of the war, the scale of repression against pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Germany, France and Starmer’s UK, the protests in Iran which have sparked a renewed effort by the US and Israel for a regime change campaign, and much more.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Cuba's Ambassador to the United Nations Ernesto Soberon Guzman, amid Donald Trump's unprecedented campaign to strangle the Cuban Revolution by intensifying the blockade. Can Cuba survive the maximum pressure? What now for Cuba with Venezuela now under US control? What measures is Cuba taking against the US cutting off fuel imports to the country? Is Cuba ready for a US military attack? All this and more on this episode of Going Underground.
On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago for our final episode of the year and season. He discusses Donald Trump’s foreign policy failures of 2025, the 12-day Israeli war on Iran, the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and how his former defence lawyer Alan Dershowitz attacked him for exposing the Israel lobby, the threat the Israel lobby poses to freedom of speech in the United States, the damage the Gaza genocide has done to Israel’s image abroad, whether a second US-Israel war on Iran is likely, Donald Trump’s growing disdain for Europe and the likely reduction of the US military presence in Europe, the European strategy of trying to prolong the proxy war on Russia through Ukraine, the likely conclusion of the Ukraine proxy war being a frozen conflict, the fate of the global nuclear arms control infrastructure, and much more.
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What an obnoxious ahole