Geopolitical Dispatch

Geopolitical Dispatch

The madman is the message

Iran, Israel, Palestine, Ukraine, Russia, the UK, and Venezuela.

Michael Feller's avatar
Michael Feller
Sep 23, 2026
∙ Paid
Red Scare, James Ivey, c. 1959, San Francisco Examiner, private collection.

Hello,

Here are the five things you need to know today:

  • IRAN. A speech to several audiences gets lost in translation.

  • ISRAEL. PALESTINE. In his final weeks, few want to help Netanyahu.

  • UKRAINE. RUSSIA. Cash flow says more than news flow.

  • BRITAIN. Burnham faces the decoloniser-in-chief.

  • VENEZUELA. Rodriguez visits Trump as trouble stirs at home.


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IRAN. Jaw-jaw and war-war

A speech to several audiences gets lost in translation.

Donald Trump told the UN he faced a choice between a deal, after the midterms, or to "annihilate the Islamic Republic". US and Iranian officials held three hours of indirect talks on the sidelines of the general assembly. Oil briefly fell to $97.

INTELLIGENCE. Without a decision on next steps, Trump has reverted to jawboning the market. Yet the multiple and inconsistent messages in his 37-minute speech and beyond cannot calm investors, reassure voters, pressure allies, and coerce the Iranians forever. Trump may instinctively want to buy time, but his dilemma will only get worse as he gets closer to the midterms. A CNN/SSRS poll Tuesday suggests 64% of Americans believe the US is losing in Iran.

FOR BUSINESS. There’s a chance of an October surprise, but unless that’s to be a nuclear strike on Pickaxe Mountain (hinted at again during a summit of Arab leaders), a lot will need to go right for Trump. Saudi Arabia is reportedly close to restoring East-West pipeline flows, but these remain at the mercy of the Houthis, which shot down a second Saudi F-15. A diesel export ban would help local business, but lead to a global recession. Strikes continue in Hormuz.


ISRAEL. PALESTINE. Last month vs last year

In his final weeks, few want to help Netanyahu.

Benjamin Netanyahu said he would defend Israel at the UN on Thursday as he hit back at Zohran Mamdani, who again accused the prime minister of “genocide”. The Palestinian Authority’s Mahmoud Abbas will speak by video Thursday.

INTELLIGENCE. Last year's UN leaders' week saw ten Western countries, including

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