podcast

The Intelligence from The Economist

by The Economist

Refine and dandy: Iran’s war bounty

31.03.2026 • 00:22:11

An Economist investigation reveals that Iran is profiting from the war as it evades sanctions and oil prices surge. India’s government has promised to...

The bog of war: week five begins

30.03.2026 • 00:24:41

The Iran conflict is escalating with little prospect of an end in sight. Our correspondent explains why a US ground invasion is likely. In an ongoing ...

Hasta la victoria, quizás: Cuba’s broken economy

27.03.2026 • 00:23:56

Even before America crimped Cuba’s oil, the country was teetering. We ask what is to blame for the Cuban people’s plight, and whether anything better ...

Algorithm and blues: a watershed social-media verdict

26.03.2026 • 00:22:04

A jury in California agreed with a plaintiff who argued that Meta and Google, two social-media giants, designed their platforms to be addictive. That ...

On goal difference: are America and Israel diverging on Iran?

25.03.2026 • 00:23:49

In the daily tea leaves one might read that President Donald Trump would prefer a deal with Iran to a continuing military campaign. Where would that l...

(Another) all-out war: Afghanistan and Pakistan

24.03.2026 • 00:20:05

Air strikes and border raids have turned cross-border tensions into hot conflict. We ask what raised the temperature, and whether the Iran war may act...

From bad to awful: Trump’s four options in Iran

23.03.2026 • 00:22:59

As the war in Iran progresses, none of the options available to Donald Trump looks good. We examine each of them. Thailand’s Buddhist monks are implic...

Who will deal the final blow? Israel, Lebanon and Hizbullah

20.03.2026 • 00:25:02

As attention has focused on war in Iran, Israel sees an opportunity to crush a weakened Hizbullah in Lebanon. Our correspondent says it would be far b...

An act of self-harm: Trump’s latest war might be his undoing

19.03.2026 • 00:24:43

A rash entry into a war of choice exposes President Donald Trump in a number of ways—and he may prove more dangerous as he becomes weaker. Turkey’s fo...

Flagging carriers: war shuffles the Gulf-airline flight deck

18.03.2026 • 00:18:40

Cancelled flights, longer routes, higher prices: the war in Iran is taking its toll on the airline industry. The conflict may force lasting change on ...