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🌍 Decoding a changing world.
🎙️ GPS Conversations, hosted by @jimstenman @kianpourworld
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Last week, I hosted a morning panel discussion in Dubai’s financial district about a region that increasingly feels like it’s being pulled in five directions at once. 🌍

Hormuz is still effectively closed, and the UAE is building its way around it. The Houthis are disrupting shipping through the Red Sea. Saudi pipelines are getting hit. An AI researcher quit and told the world his industry might end the world as we know it.

That doomsday scenario aside, the thing I keep coming back to is the US. 🇺🇸

Its bases are a big reason the Gulf ended up taking Iranian fire in the first place. CNN reports the Pentagon wants to pull back from the region, which some will be tempted to see as a good thing. However, you don't have to look further than the current situation with the Houthis and Saudi Arabia to realize that US military presence is wanted and needed by these countries.

The question is, though, what are American guarantees actually worth to the Gulf today, when that presence has also helped drag the region into the current conflict with Iran?

Alas, I'm not a military strategist and have more questions than answers.

Scroll right for some of the things I chatted through with Caroline Faraj (@cjfaraj) of CNN Arabic, Tim Falconer of FTI Consulting, and Nicholas Lyall of Trends Research & Advisory. Great to have their perspectives on what's happening and what may be next.

#Geopolitics #MiddleEast #Hormuz #UAE #AI #Dubai #GlobalPowerShifts

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Stoked to put my UK politics knowledge to use on the latest episode of @GlobalPowerShifts.

Funny thing is, I barely cared about British politics during my decade-plus there.

Then Brexit happened and I got obsessed, mostly because I wanted to retain my right to live there as a Swede. Nothing focuses the mind like the threat of being asked to leave.

To a Scandinavian, the formalities take some getting used to. MPs call each other "the right honourable gentleman or lady" and address everything to the Speaker rather than the person they're actually arguing with, all while going for the throat.

I'm all for tradition, but surely this can't be an effective way to run a government in the 21st century.

Judging by the state of the place right now, I think I was onto something. Never boring, though.

🎧 Full episode on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Link in bio.

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Why is Trump suddenly embracing “Africa’s North Korea”?

Really enjoyed this one. I sat down with Cameron Hudson (@hudson__cam), former US Africa official at the State Department and CIA, for my @GlobalPowerShifts pod. He was in Washington, I was technically standing in my living room in Dubai 😅

He expanded on his recent Foreign Policy article on why Washington is suddenly cosying up to Eritrea, one of the world’s most isolated states, just as all eyes turn to the Red Sea to contain spillover from the Strait of Hormuz.

Cameron has been well ahead on this story for months. Worth a listen or watch. 🎧 Full episode out now, link in bio.

#HornOfAfrica #Eritrea #RedSea #Geopolitics

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While cooperation in the Gulf may be improving, I’m definitely concerned over Israel’s image in Western countries. The bigger issue isn’t just policy—it’s how entire societies are being influenced.

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No one wants to see human suffering—there has to be another path forward. What if the same energy used for conflict was used to build a future instead?

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I was asked if the solution to peace in the Middle East is giving the Palestinians their own state. Here is my answer:

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@jimstenman and I had a wide ranging conversation on @globalpowershifts with former @idf spokesperson @jconricus about an alarming wave of attacks on Jewish people in the West - especially in London where both Jim and I have lived. Not even 24 hours after recording our episode, police declared a terrorist incident after two Jewish men were stabbed in London. Find the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.

#reels #explorepage #foryou #jewish #fyp

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This is the “regime change” the Pentagon is currently gaslighting you with. @rouzyverse spoke exclusively with me about how he survived IRGC detention - who are very much still in charge. You can read the whole story and watch our Substack live on @helmettoheels.

#reels #fyp #foryou #explorepage #storytime

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It’s not often we hear politicians get this real. Thank you to @sethmoulton for joining @jimstenman and I on @globalpowershifts to share his inspiration to run for office and stop wars.

#reels #fyp #trending #explorepage #viral

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“Tens of thousands of Iranians went to protest because they were inspired by Trump who said I’ve got your back. They’re dead.” @sethmoulton tells @jimstenman and I on @globalpowershifts that President Trump sold out the Iranian people when he chose a mission to kidnap Venezuelan dictator instead.

#reels #trump #iran #venezuela #fyp

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Lets talk about an “energy lockdown”… but let’s be clear what this really means.

This is not about governments locking people inside like during COVID. This is about something deeper — a global shift where energy becomes scarce, expensive, and strategically controlled.

Right now, we are facing one of the biggest energy supply shocks in history. Major disruptions in oil flows — especially through critical routes like the Strait of Hormuz — are tightening global supply and pushing prices up fast.

So what happens next?

Instead of full lockdowns, governments and institutions start introducing “demand control” measures:
– Working from home to reduce fuel use
– Limiting travel and flights
– Lower speed limits
– Encouraging public transport and car sharing
– Reducing industrial and household energy consumption

It’s not forced isolation… it’s controlled consumption.

And this is the key difference:
COVID lockdowns were about controlling movement of people
Energy “lockdowns” are about controlling access to resources

When energy becomes constrained, economies slow down, behavior changes, and governments step in to manage demand — sometimes subtly, sometimes more aggressively.

This is something I’ve been discussing with many of my friends and business partners across the globe…

From the West… to the Middle East… to the East…
We are entering a period where energy, mobility, and independence are no longer guaranteed — they are managed.

Which is exactly why having multiple bases, diversified assets, and true safe havens is no longer optional… it’s essential.

The world is changing — not overnight, but structurally.

And the question is simple:
Are you positioned for it?

#SafeHaven #EnergyCrisis #GlobalShift #FreedomLifestyle #FutureOfLiving

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Did Trump help the Iranian women footballers secure asylum in Australia? Not really. 🇮🇷🇦🇺

Trump made noise. Australia did the work.

As @TraceyLeeHolmes tells me and @KianpourWorld, humanitarian visa discussions were already well advanced before he got involved. He made it public, but he did not drive the outcome. 🎙️⚽️

Link in bio.

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