Global Faultlines

The Hindu
  • 5.0 (3)
  • POLITICS
  • TWICE MONTHLY

Global Faultlines is a deep-dive international affairs podcast that goes beyond breaking news to uncover the roots of global conflicts. From shifting borders to power struggles, it explores the forces that shape international events. With expert voices and sharp analysis, the show offers depth and clarity on the stories shaping our world.

  1. 18 MAR

    Part 2: From the invasion of Iraq to the war on Iran

    The 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq marked a decisive break in the country’s modern history. It removed the regime of Saddam Hussein, but also dismantled the institutions that had held the state together. In the aftermath, decisions such as the dissolution of the Iraqi army and de-Baathification weakened state authority and contributed to a rapidly deteriorating security environment. Iraq soon descended into insurgency and sectarian violence, with multiple armed groups, including those linked to Al-Qaeda, operating across the country. These conditions enabled the rise of the Islamic State, which seized large parts of Iraqi territory in 2014, bringing the state close to collapse. Although ISIS was eventually defeated territorially, its impact continues to shape Iraq’s political and security landscape. Today, Iraq faces persistent challenges: fragile governance, powerful armed groups, economic strain, and the competing influence of external actors, including Iran and the United States. In this episode of Global Faultlines, we examine Iraq after 2003, the collapse of the state, the rise of ISIS, and the country’s uncertain path forward. Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu  Research, Editing and Production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian  Camera: Shivaraj S Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    46 min

  2. 4 MAR

    Iraq Part 1: How was the modern Iraqi state created?

    Modern Iraq was not born in 2003. Its origins lie in the aftermath of the First World War, when the collapse of the Ottoman Empire led Britain to assemble a new state. The borders were drawn quickly. Building a stable political order proved far harder. Under the British Mandate, Iraq inherited centralised institutions that concentrated power but struggled to accommodate its ethnic and sectarian diversity. Sunni Arab elites dominated the new state, while Shia Arabs and Kurds often remained politically marginalised, patterns that would shape Iraq’s politics for decades. The 1958 revolution ended the monarchy and marked a turn toward military-led republicanism. The rise of the Ba'ath Party deepened authoritarian rule and ideological nationalism, culminating in the regime of Saddam Hussein. By the late 20th century, Iraq had fought a devastating war with Iran, invaded Kuwait, and endured years of sanctions. The state remained intact, but it was weakened, centralised, and heavily securitised. To understand why Iraq became the focal point of the 2003 invasion, it is essential to examine how the modern state was constructed, and how the fault lines embedded in its early formation continued to shape its trajectory. In this episode of Global Faultlines, we trace the creation of modern Iraq and the foundations of its long instability. Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu  Research, Editing and Production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian  Camera: Shivaraj S Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    46 min

  3. 18 FEB

    Iran Crisis Explained: Will the Islamic Republic survive U.S. pressure and regional escalation?

    In late December 2025, Iran was hit by a nationwide uprising triggered by the collapse of the Rial and deepening economic distress. What began as anger over inflation and currency instability quickly broadened into political demands, with protesters challenging the authority of the Islamic Republic. The state’s response was swift and forceful with mass arrests, reported fatalities, and a near-total internet blackout that has limited independent reporting. The scale of unrest across provinces suggests a moment of significant internal strain. The crisis unfolds against mounting external pressure. The United States has revived elements of its “maximum pressure” policy while pursuing nuclear talks in Oman. Israel is recalibrating its regional strategy after the post–October 7 escalation. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz remains a critical energy chokepoint, with any disruption carrying global consequences, including for India. In this episode of Global Faultlines, we examine whether Iran’s current unrest marks a turning point for the regime, or another chapter in its long history of survival under pressure. Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu  Research, Editing and Production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian  Camera: Shivaraj S Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    51 min

  4. 4 FEB

    Saudi Arabia explained: Why is the kingdom changing its strategy in West Asia?

    Saudi Arabia is recalibrating its role in a region defined by protracted wars, shifting alliances, and declining faith in military solutions. After years of assertive intervention, Riyadh has begun to pull back from direct confrontation, opting instead for diplomacy, de-escalation, and strategic hedging. The Yemen war exposed the costs of prolonged conflict, while attacks on Saudi oil facilities underscored the kingdom’s vulnerability to asymmetric threats. At the same time, the reliability of U.S. security guarantees has come under question, even as China’s diplomatic footprint in West Asia has expanded. These pressures have pushed Saudi Arabia to reopen channels with rivals, including Iran, and to position itself as a mediator rather than a belligerent. This shift is unfolding as wars in Gaza and Ukraine reshape global alignments and energy politics, forcing Riyadh to balance its security interests with economic ambitions at home. Whether this marks a durable strategic reset or a tactical pause remains an open question. In this episode of Global Faultlines, we examine why Saudi Arabia is changing its regional strategy, how its relationships with rivals and partners are evolving, and what this shift means for the future balance of power in West Asia. Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu  Research, Editing and Production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian  Camera: Shivaraj S  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    52 min

  5. 21 JAN

    Saudi Arabia explained: How did the country become a regional power in West Asia?

    Saudi Arabia emerged from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire not as a colonial creation, but through conquest and consolidation, anchored in an alliance between political power and religious authority. This distinct origin shaped how the kingdom understood sovereignty, security, and its role in the regional order. Oil transformed Saudi Arabia into a global energy power and, during the Cold War, tied it closely to Western interests, particularly the United States. The 1979 Iranian Revolution marked a decisive shift, sharpening Saudi threat perceptions and entrenching a rivalry with Iran driven as much by power and influence as by sectarian divides. In the decades that followed, Riyadh became involved—directly and indirectly—in conflicts across Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, even as proxy wars and non-state actors complicated its security strategy. By the end of the 2010s, Saudi Arabia faced a more fragmented and volatile region. The war in Yemen exposed the limits of military power, while attacks on its oil infrastructure revealed new vulnerabilities. In this episode of Global Faultlines, we examine how Saudi Arabia became a regional power, how it has waged conflict, and what its trajectory reveals about power and insecurity in West Asia. Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu  Research, Editing and Production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian  Camera: Shivaraj S  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    54 min

  6. 7 JAN

    ISIS explained: How the Islamic State rose, ruled, and evolved

    The Islamic State emerged from years of war, political collapse, and sectarian violence in Iraq and Syria. Shaped by the aftermath of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the chaos of the Syrian civil war, the group evolved from a local insurgency into the most powerful jihadist organisation of its time.  By 2014, ISIS controlled major cities, erased borders, and declared a caliphate. It governed territory, raised revenue, and enforced its rule through extreme violence and sophisticated propaganda, attracting fighters from across the world and reshaping global perceptions of terrorism.  That territorial project collapsed by 2019 under sustained pressure from local forces backed by international air power. But the defeat of the caliphate did not end ISIS. The group adapted, shifting to insurgency, underground networks, and ideological influence beyond the Middle East.  Today, ISIS remains active in parts of Africa and Asia and continues to inspire attacks far from its former strongholds. Recent incidents labelled “ISIS-inspired” have highlighted the challenge of distinguishing between organisational links and ideological influence.  In this episode of Global Faultlines, we examine how ISIS rose, ruled, and survived — and what its evolution reveals about unresolved conflicts and the enduring consequences of war.    Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu  Research, Editing and Production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian  Camera: Shivaraj S  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    58 min

  7. 24/12/2025

    Syria after the war: How the civil war redrew power in the Country

    By 2015, Syria’s civil war had reached a turning point. Russian military intervention reversed the regime’s fortunes, Iran entrenched itself through militias and economic networks, and the armed opposition steadily lost ground. ISIS was eventually defeated territorially, but its presence — and the conditions that enabled it — did not disappear. As active frontlines stabilised, Syria entered a new and uneasy phase. Large parts of the country remained fragmented, millions of refugees were unable to return, and sanctions deepened an already collapsing economy. Regional powers that once backed rival sides began recalibrating, reopening diplomatic channels with Damascus and adjusting to a war that had no clear end. At the same time, Syria witnessed a dramatic political shift. The fall of the Ba’athist order and the rise of a new leadership — shaped by years of jihadist conflict and international isolation — raised urgent questions about legitimacy, governance, and the country’s future. Who holds power in Syria today? And what kind of state has emerged from more than a decade of war? In this second part of our Syria series, Global Faultlines examines the post-2015 phase of the conflict — from foreign intervention and the defeat of ISIS to economic collapse and a profound reordering of political power. Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The HinduResearch, Script & Production: Sharmada VenkatasubramanianCamera: Shivaraj S Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    54 min

  8. 10/12/2025

    Understanding the Syrian crisis: What led the country into civil war?

    On March 15, 2011, a small protest in Daraa ignited what would become one of the 21st century’s deadliest conflicts. But Syria’s crisis didn’t start overnight. Decades of authoritarian rule, sectarian tensions, and political repression had already set the stage. The Assad family’s iron grip on power, combined with economic stagnation and deep social divides, left the country fragile. When peaceful protests erupted during the Arab Spring, a brutal regime crackdown and a divided opposition quickly turned unrest into full-scale civil war. Regional powers, foreign fighters, and jihadist groups like Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS exploited the chaos, further splintering the nation. By 2015, Syria was a patchwork of contested territories, millions were displaced, and entire cities lay in ruins. In this first part of our two-episode series on Syria, Global Faultlines traces the country’s path from the early 20th century to 2015, examining the political, social, and regional forces that transformed a once-peaceful nation into a global crisis zone. Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu Research: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Camera: Shivaraj S Edited and Produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    57 min
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5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Global Faultlines is a deep-dive international affairs podcast that goes beyond breaking news to uncover the roots of global conflicts. From shifting borders to power struggles, it explores the forces that shape international events. With expert voices and sharp analysis, the show offers depth and clarity on the stories shaping our world.

Information

  • Creator
    The Hindu
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Copyright
    © The Hindu
  • Show Website
    Global Faultlines

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