Latest / badlands podcast by borzou daragahi

The Art Of The Steal (S01E68)
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, Istanbul
Diplomacy over Iran remains at an impasse, as Donald Trump heads to Beijing for his big meeting with Xi Jinping without a deal, a victory, or even an open Strait of Hormuz.
Trump also reveals that he US tried to arm Iran’s opposition by handing weapons Kurds, despite his own skepticism, but that they stole the weapons instead.
In today’s podcast I also discuss the freeing of Iranian human rights activist and women’s rights advocate Narges Mohammadi from Tehran’s Evin Prison, the topic of an interview with Austria’s Channel 4 radio.
In a discussion with India’s…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.