The Fourcast

Is President Trump on the cusp of pulling out of the Iran war or about to double down with boots on the ground? 
He’s lashed out again at his Nato allies threatening to abandon the alliance, raising questions not only about the future of the war, but the future of Western security itself.
On this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei was joined by General Sir Patrick Sanders, who has had a 40 year career in the British Army and rose to Chief of the General staff in 2022, before retiring two years later. He has spent his career thinking about the hard realities of modern conflict, the limits of Western military power and what happens when the United States wavers. Sir Patrick is now the host of ‘The General and the Journalist’ podcast.

Donald Trump has told the UK to “go and get your own oil” from the Strait of Hormuz as Iran continues to block the crucial energy chokepoint and as reports circulate that the UK is to receive its last tanker of jet fuel from the Middle East this week. 
So what are the real risks to the UK economy, energy security, and global position as this conflict rumbles on?
On this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei speaks to the CEO of energy consultancy firm Qamar Energy Robin Mills and money journalist and former Sunday Times deputy money editor Holly Mead.

Welcome to Fourcast Indicators on the Iran War with Matt Frei and defence and intelligence analyst Mark Urban. Fourcast Indicators looks at the signals that analysts watch most closely - the tell-tale signs that suggest imminent and significant change may be coming.
This week we take a deep dive into the intelligence, military logistics, and the geopolitical fallout of the bombardment of Iran. We explore Donald Trump's domestic political struggles and the nervous reactions of the global markets. We also tackle the biggest strategic question of all: where is Iran's 440kg of enriched uranium and were they really just two weeks away from a nuclear bomb?

Social media giants Meta and Google have been found liable for building platforms that are addictive and a court has ordered them to pay millions in damages, but both firms say the case oversimplifies a complex issue and are expected to appeal the ruling.

In this episode of The Fourcast, we break down the case and what it could mean for the future of Big Tech. Is this a genuine turning point - a potential “Big Tobacco moment” for Silicon Valley - or just another legal challenge that tech giants will fight and ultimately move past?

Ciaran Jenkins was joined by tech journalist Chris Stokel-Walker and former Twitter head of news and journalism partnerships Vivianne Schiller.

President Trump is talking about deals to end the war with Iran, but Tehran says it’s “fake news” as they continue to exchange attacks with Israel.
So where does this war go from here, and what does an endgame actually look like?
On this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei was joined by Dr Siavush Randjbar-Daemi, associate professor Modern Middle Eastern History at the University of St Andrews and retired US Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery.