Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group. As Iran and the US seek an end to the war, an agreement so far remains elusive. Vaez challenges Donald Trump's claims that a deal is imminent, arguing that Trump is trapped between "an unwinnable war and an unpresentable deal".

Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Simon Chadwick, Professor of AfroEurasian Sport and Specialist of 21st century global sport. On the eve of the FIFA World Cup, Chadwick offers a sobering assessment of the political realities surrounding the world's biggest sporting event amid the convergence of hard-line immigration policies, conflict, diplomatic tensions, security concerns, and civil unrest. From the exclusion of a Somali referee to uncertainty surrounding Iranian football staff and supporters, Chadwick suggests that sport and geopolitics have become inseparable.