In this episode, we’re joined by Associate Professor Hussein Banai, a leading scholar of international relations, for an in-depth journey through the shifting landscape of American foreign policy under Donald Trump.

Together, we travel across critical regions—from the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East to Europe, Russia, China, and Latin America—to scrutinise the core principles guiding U.S. actions on the global stage.

We discuss the most recent and dramatic development: the 2025 Israel-Iran conflict, during which the U.S. carried out major strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

👤 About the Guest

Dr Hussein Banai is an Associate Professor of International Studies at the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, Indiana University, also a Research Affiliate at the Center for International Studies, MIT, and currently a visiting fellow at the Perry World House, University of Pennsylvania. In fall 2024, he was the Zahedi Family Fellow at the Program in Iranian Studies at Stanford University.

Dr Banai is widely recognised for his interdisciplinary approach, international relations and political theory, with particular focus on topics in political ideologies, conflict, diplomatic history and practice, and modern Iran.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

02:17 - From Disruption to Consolidation: Trump's Second Term Strategy

07:45 - Trump's Confident Unilateralism in Foreign Policy

10:54 - American Political Culture and the Think Tank Ecosystem

15:18 - America First Policy: Domestic Appeal and Implementation

22:16 - The Strategic Use of "America First" Despite International Concerns

24:29 - Inside the National Security Council: Roles and Functions

30:23 - Personnel Quality in US Foreign Policy Decision-Making

35:01 - Decoding US Foreign Policy Statements: Research Challenges

38:56 - North Korea Diplomacy: Prospects for a Second Trump-Kim Summit

41:38 - Middle East Triangulation: US-Israel-Iran Relations and Trump-Netanyahu Dynamics

50:11 - Steve Witkoff's Contrasting Negotiation Mandates

53:16 - Trump's Scepticism Toward Multilateral Institutions and Frameworks

57:27 - Neighbours First - Trump's Approach to Canada, Mexico, and Latin America

01:04:03 - Understanding Trump's Foreign Policy Through IR Theories

01:09:12 – EU vs. Member States: Trump’s Fragmented View of Europe

01:14:37 – Trump’s Geopolitical Take on the EU: Weakness, Irrelevance, or Rival?

01:20:28 – China Policy: Strategic Rivalry Meets Economic Interdependence

01:25:33 – Taiwan’s Role in Trump’s China Strategy

01:29:23 – Trump and Putin: Personal Chemistry and Strategic Ambiguity

01:37:20 – U.S. Sanctions on Russia: Tools of Pressure or Leverage for a Deal?

01:42:25 – Why Trump Believes Iran Must Never Go Nuclear

01:47:32 – Iran in Trump’s First Term: Maximum Pressure, Minimal Results?

01:57:58 – 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict - U.S Strike on Iran’s Nuclear Infrastructure

Official Website

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