Frontlines and Backrooms

Vladimir Bobetic
  • 0.0 (0)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Frontlines & Backrooms is a documentary-style podcast about the world’s most complex conflicts — told with context, precision, and humanity. Hosted by journalist Vladimir Bobetić, the series blends lived experience, deep research, and unfiltered conversations with historians, activists, diplomats, and eyewitnesses. From conflict zones to corridors of power around the world — this is a space for nuance in a world drowning in noise. No shouting. No spin. No propaganda. Just conversations that matter.

  1. Dr. Abdullah Fahimi | Climate Wars, Migration, and the Future of Global Conflict

    1 DAY AGO

    Dr. Abdullah Fahimi | Climate Wars, Migration, and the Future of Global Conflict

    Climate change is no longer a future crisis. It is already reshaping conflict, migration, borders, and global stability. In this episode of Climate Wars: The Conflicts of the Future, Dr. Abdullah Fahimi joins Frontlines & Backrooms to examine how droughts, water scarcity, sea level rise, and collapsing agricultural systems are becoming drivers of instability and displacement across the world. From Afghanistan and the Sahel to the Pacific Islands and South Asia, we discuss climate migration, fragile states, future resource conflicts, China and India’s energy strategies, the politics of development, and the growing pressure on the international system. This episode is also dedicated to Sir David Attenborough on the occasion of his 100th birthday. Further reading: — Dr. Abdullah Fahimi at DGAP:Abdullah Fahimi | DGAPSubscribe on Substack to follow full conversations and analysis:

    57 min
  2. Peter Schwartzstein | Climate Change, Migration, and the Wars of the Future

    2 DAYS AGO

    Peter Schwartzstein | Climate Change, Migration, and the Wars of the Future

    Climate change is no longer only an environmental issue. It is becoming a geopolitical, economic, and security crisis capable of reshaping migration, conflict, and political stability across entire regions. In Part I of our special two-part series “Climate Wars: The Conflicts of the Future,” environmental journalist and researcher Peter Schwartzstein explains how drought, water scarcity, collapsing agricultural systems, and weak governance are already fueling instability from the Middle East to the Sahel. From Syria and Afghanistan to resource competition and mass displacement, this conversation examines what happens when environmental stress collides with fragile political systems. Peter Schwartzstein is an environmental journalist, researcher, and advisor focused on environmental peacebuilding and climate conflict. He has reported from more than thirty countries for National Geographic and is the author of “The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence.” Further reading: — Peter Schwartzstein’s official website:www.pschwartzstein.com “The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence”by Peter Schwartzstein:The Heat and the Fury | Princeton University Press

    1hr 1min
  3. Kristin Diwan | Gulf States After the Iran War — Is Stability Just an Illusion?

    3 MAY

    Kristin Diwan | Gulf States After the Iran War — Is Stability Just an Illusion?

    The Gulf is no longer stable — but it hasn’t collapsed either. In this conversation with Kristin Diwan, we examine how Gulf states are recalculating their position between the United States, Iran, and Israel, and what that means for the future of the region. We discuss the transformation of the Abraham Accords, the growing fragmentation inside the Gulf, and the competing strategies shaping regional politics today. At the center of the episode is a simple question:are we looking at a new regional order — or the slow collapse of the old one? Subscribe on Substack to follow full conversations and analysis: Frontlines & Backrooms | Substack

    1hr 1min
  4. Hussein Banai | This Is Not Just a War With Iran — It’s About Power Inside the United States

    24 APR

    Hussein Banai | This Is Not Just a War With Iran — It’s About Power Inside the United States

    The ongoing war between the United States and Iran is not just a conflict between two states. In this conversation with Hussein Banai, we examine how political leaders justify escalation without ever naming it, why deterrence can become a self-fulfilling logic of war, and what this conflict reveals about power and decision-making inside the United States. From the limits of the “madman theory” to the role of narrative dominance in modern warfare, this episode breaks down how crises are shaped — and why they are so difficult to contain.

    1hr 8min
  5. From the Vatican to Strait of Hormuz | Power, Faith, and War Across the Middle East

    18 APR

    From the Vatican to Strait of Hormuz | Power, Faith, and War Across the Middle East

    This week, the line between religion, politics, and power blurred in ways that go beyond headlines. A public clash between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV.Rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.And a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon. These are not isolated events — they are part of a broader pattern. In this Brief, we look beyond the spectacle and examine the strategic choices shaping what comes next.

    12 min
  6. Mouin Rabbani | Iran, Israel, the U.S. — and the War Reshaping the Middle East

    15 APR

    Mouin Rabbani | Iran, Israel, the U.S. — and the War Reshaping the Middle East

    The war was expected to last days. Instead, it is reshaping the entire Middle East. In this episode, Mouin Rabbani examines how a conflict that was never meant to escalate is now expanding across the region — from the Strait of Hormuz to Lebanon, and from Washington to Tehran. We discuss how the war began, why it was expected to end quickly, and what went wrong. From failed assumptions and the absence of a clear strategy to the risks of miscalculation between regional and global powers, this conversation explores the deeper logic behind the current escalation. As the conflict continues, the question is no longer how it started — but who, if anyone, can still control what happens next. Full episode and analysis available on Substack: Frontlines & Backrooms | Substack

    46 min
  7. Randa Slim | Hezbollah, Lebanon, Iran, and the Collapse of the Middle East Order

    12 APR

    Randa Slim | Hezbollah, Lebanon, Iran, and the Collapse of the Middle East Order

    This is one of the most revealing analyses of Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Iran you will hear today. Randa Slim breaks down how Hezbollah operates beyond the “proxy” label, why Lebanon is under pressure from both war and internal fractures, and how Iran’s regional strategy shapes the conflict. From Israel’s military approach to the collapse of the old regional order — this episode looks at what is actually happening beneath the surface, and what may come next.

    1hr 13min
  8. Iran–US Talks in Islamabad: A Real Deal or Just a Pause Before the War Resumes?

    11 APR

    Iran–US Talks in Islamabad: A Real Deal or Just a Pause Before the War Resumes?

    Direct Iran–US talks have begun in Islamabad. This Brief breaks down what is on the table — from the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions to nuclear limits — and whether this is a real path to peace or just a pause before the war resumes. At the same time, tensions between the United States and its NATO allies are exposing deeper fractures inside the alliance.

    13 min
See All (47)

Trailers

About

Frontlines & Backrooms is a documentary-style podcast about the world’s most complex conflicts — told with context, precision, and humanity. Hosted by journalist Vladimir Bobetić, the series blends lived experience, deep research, and unfiltered conversations with historians, activists, diplomats, and eyewitnesses. From conflict zones to corridors of power around the world — this is a space for nuance in a world drowning in noise. No shouting. No spin. No propaganda. Just conversations that matter.

Information

  • Creator
    Vladimir Bobetic
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Vladimir Bobetic
  • Show Website
    Frontlines and Backrooms

You Might Also Like