The Foreign Report

As an Iranian-American, Seena shares his emotional exhaustion and fear for what lies ahead. Seena answers questions posted to the TFR YouTube page. This episode features insightful interviews with experts like Ambassador Joseph Manso and writer, activists, and comedian Dean Obeidallah, providing a comprehensive analysis of the conflict.  Follow The Show:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The...

*Note - this podcast was recorded before Israel’s attack on Iran This week Seena and Travis walk through the timeline of Trump’s decision to send the National Guard, and later the Marines, to Los Angeles, in response to localized protests against his immigration policies, a decision that knocks the US another step down the empire in decline ladder. Always a fun moment. They also discuss recent dev...

This week Ukraine goes big and blasts open the door to a whole new type of warfare. Not generally something we'd celebrate but the Baba Yaga demands respect. Seena and Travis go deep and break down why this drone attack is a huge deal and what it will mean for Ukraine, Russia, and the rest of the world. They also talk Elon's beef with Trump's big, beautiful bill--did he send his latest texts from...

This week Seena welcomes Michael Albertus, professor at the University of Chicago and author of Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn't, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies to discuss how land ownership infiltrates society in surprising ways. They also dig into Trump's obsession with the South African “genocide,” how the US is falling behind, compared to other countries, in its planning for...

This week we had to bring Marcus Parks back to help us wrap our brains around the unthinkable. Could Trump’s upsetting of the Middle East apple cart, reordering alliances, and embracing autocracies somehow be a good thing? We run through the litany of deals made since the start of his second term, consider our recent about-face on Syria and the Houthis, and listen to a Hamas official express his b...

The world just refuses to slow down, so TFR is back from Spring Break with a doozy of an episode. This week, Seena and Travis break down the “free” $400 million “palace in the sky” Trump seems intent on accepting from Qatar. It’s hard to believe anyone needs to do this, but we break down why this is a bad idea. We also take a look at the India/Pakistan ceasefire and why India isn’t too thrilled wi...

This week TFR welcomes former Ambassador Joseph Manso to the show to help us figure out what the hell is going on out there. We discuss his career in foreign service, his thoughts on the shifting global order, cuts to the State Department, the war in Ukraine, the potential for a new Iranian nuclear deal, and much more. More on our guest: https://diplomacyspeaker.com/ The Undo List link: bit.ly/the...

So much to cover this week! The Trump administration crosses the 100 day mark, so Seena and Travis take stock of their self-proclaimed "achievements" and check in on some recent polling that suggests Americans aren’t buying it. As tension rises in Kashmir, they provide some historical context for the long-standing conflict between India and Pakistan. And a little surprise about Seena's last name s...

The hits just keep coming with SignalGate 2.0. This week Seena and Travis cringe-watch Pete Hegseth’s children cringe-watching their father’s Easter Day rant. They dig into the legitimacy of the supposed “leak investigation” that resulted in the dismissal of three former Hegseth loyalists and review Trump’s proposal to end the war in Ukraine, which surprising to no one is a big win for Putin. They...

Happy Spring Break! What better time to stage a showdown with the Supreme Court and trip us further down the Constitutional Crisis path? This week, we dig into the nightmare that is the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case and the hypocrisies in the government's argument to keep him in El Salvador. Then, with Steve Witkoff extolling the hardline of the “Trump Deal” for Iran, we compare the state of Iran’s nu...

This week Seena and Travis try their darnedest to recount the week’s events as the Trump tariffs continue to wreak havoc. Is the rationale for an escalated trade war to be found in the machinations of the mysterious Ron Vara? Is it Trump’s distorted view of economics? Or, are we all just living in Fozzie Bear’s finger? It’s all on the table. As are Trump's threats to bomb Iran ahead of this weeken...

This week, the man, the myth, the legend Marcus Parks joins Seena and Travis to roast the Dems for their haphazard response to Trump's “flood the zone” strategy. From Gavin Newsom cozying up to Steve Bannon to Cory Booker’s talk-a-thon to Schumer’s wait and see strategy, the Dems are disappointing from all directions. SignalGate continues to confound but everyone is clear on one thing - JD Vance s...

Travis Irvine is back to help us plumb the depths of stupidity that is the SignalGate fiasco. Matt Kelly, editor of Radical Compliance, also joins to help us understand how far outside the norm it is to text war plans on a personal phone. Spoiler alert, it’s pretty far. Deportations of legal residents are on the rise despite legal challenges in the Mahmoud Khalil case and others. In other fun news...

Travis Irvine is back with us this week to talk continuing resolutions, slush funds, and Chuck Schumer. Sure Schumer’s rationale might have been correct but the approach and lack of unified strategy from the dems is alarming. Israel has ended the ceasefire in Gaza with what they’re calling “Operation Strength and Sword” which has already killed over 500 people. Speaking of ceasefires, Russia and U...

In this episode of The Foreign Report, host Seena Ghaznavi is joined by constitutional law professor Corey Brettschneider to discuss the alarming case of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student detained by ICE. They delve into the implications of this incident for free speech rights, the fragility of democracy, and the historical context of authoritarianism in America. The conversation also ex...

We deep dive into Ukraine’s nuclear past—how it once held the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal and whether its 1994 decision to disarm was a historic mistake, given Russia’s repeated betrayals. Then, we break down Trump’s latest trade war moves, as new tariffs on Mexico and Canada spark retaliation and a potential escalation with China. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel has cut off critical humanita...

Comedian, professor, and co-host of Fraudsters Dr. Justin Williams joins us this week as we dive into Ukraine’s high-stakes economic deal with the U.S., which gives America access to rare earth minerals while Kyiv hopes it secures more military aid. Plus, Germany’s elections shake things up, with the far-right AfD making historic gains. Then, Trump’s executive order freezing aid to South Africa—wh...

An update on the TikTok ban, the U.S. labels Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, and Trump and Putin have left Zelenskyy out of any peace talks. We dive into the secret CIA drone operations over Mexico and the potential military action that could follow. Major shifts in the Russia-Ukraine war negotiations—Trump is making moves with Putin while sidelining Europe, fueling tensions at the Mun...

Big announcement on the show this week: we’ve bid adieu to Saman, and we’ll miss him terribly. Guest host Travis Irvine joins us as we break down Trump’s latest tariff moves, his controversial proposal to “redevelop” Gaza, and the broader implications for U.S. foreign policy. Plus, we take a deep dive into the soft power of USAID—how America’s top aid agency shapes global politics, where billions...

There's a lot happening in the world, but Seena is ready to grab every third rail in geopolitics. What a terrible idea. Follow The Show:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheForeignReport Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreignreportshow/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foreignreportlpn Threads: https://www.threads.net/@foreignreportshow Website: https://www.foreignreportshow.com/   Follow...