UNAPOLOGETIC with Ashfaaq Carim

Gulf security expert Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at King’s College London, joined the UNAPOLOGETIC podcast to discuss Iran’s response to the US-Israel war against it and the potential ramifications of it.

In this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC, we speak to writer, historian, and lifelong anti-imperialist Tariq Ali about the state of the US empire in an increasingly unstable world.
From Trump’s erratic posture on Iran to the long arc of American imperial power, Ali places today’s crises in a deep historical context—stretching from Iran in 1953 to Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Gaza.
The conversation examines how US power has adapted rather than declined, how Trump differs from previous presidents in style rather than substance, and why imperial violence is now increasingly exposed rather than hidden.
We explore the limits of American dominance, the rise of China as an economic counterweight, and whether the global balance of power is truly shifting.
Ali also reflects on Gaza, Western complicity, Arab state paralysis, and what he describes as a process of recolonisation in the Middle East—alongside the dangers and possibilities that lie ahead.

In this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC, retired UK major general Charlie Herbert reflects on 34 years of military service, including Iraq and Afghanistan, and explains how those experiences shaped his views on Israel, Western power, and why he now calls Israel’s actions in Gaza genocide.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:30 Military Silence Explained
11:30 Gaza And Genocide
22:00 Strategic Failure Israel
33:00 Iraq And Afghanistan
44:30 Western Intervention Hubris
55:30 Power Hypocrisy West
1:06:30 Why Wars Fail
1:17:30 What Justice Requires

Andreas Krieg - a leading Gulf security expert - joined the UNAPOLOGETIC episode once again.
This time, Andreas tried to unpack for us just how impactful the Saudi-UAE cold war is, why it is occurring and what and where are the fault lines of their differences. And what this cold war means for the USA, Israel, Iran and other actors in the region.
UNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq Carim
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:00 Iran Pressure Politics
11:00 Trump And Iran
21:00 Israel Chaos Strategy
30:00 Emirati Iran Calculus
39:00 Emirati Regional Project
49:00 Saudi Strategic Pushback
59:00 Cold War Fault lines
1:09:00 Israel Strategic Exposure
1:20:00 Regional Order Ahead

Brazilian activist and one of the organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla Thiago Avila joins UNAPOLOGETIC.
He recounts his detention by Israeli forces after being aboard one of the flotilla boats intercepted by Israel in international waters while en route to break the siege of Gaza.
Avila describes the moments leading up to the interception at sea and his arrest, and details the conditions he and other activists faced while held in Israeli detention.
He reflects on nightly raids inside prison cells, the use of intimidation and fear, and the psychological tactics used against the activists.
UNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq Carim.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:10 The Gaza flotilla mission
06:45 Interception at sea and arrest
13:30 First hours in Israeli detention
20:10 Prison conditions & interrogations
28:40 Shotguns, lasers & psychological warfare
34:20 The moment fear broke
38:50 Solidarity & resistance inside prison
43:30 Chanting “Free Palestine” after raids
48:40 'Nothing compared to what Palestinians endure'