Iran: Why Trump's ultimate target in this war is China – with Maurice Glasman

About this episode

The episode discusses Trump's strategy in the Middle East, focusing on his perceived target of China, alongside commentary on the Labour Party's recent electoral challenges and cultural trends.

As the conflict in the Middle East escalates, what is Trump’s game plan? The  Spectator ’s cover piece this week, by Geoffrey Cain, argues that Trump’s ultimate target in this war is China; every dictator gone, weakens the Chinese regime. As Freddy Gray explains further on the podcast, Trump’s worldview is shaped by the events he grew up with – including then President Nixon’s visit to China in the 1970s. As well as making sense of Trump’s plan, the Spectator team take us through the dramatic events of the past week, including how Starmer appears to have alienated Britain’s allies over Iran. Plus – Lord Glasman makes the case for Reza Pahlavi, the Crown Prince of Iran, declaring he is 'devoted to the restoration of the Shah’.  For this week’s  Edition , host William Moore is joined by deputy editor Freddy Gray, parliamentary sketch writer Madeline Grant, and peer and founder of  Blue Labour  Maurice Glasman.  As well as the Iran conflict, they discuss how Labour should respond to their defeat in the Gorton and Denton by-election last week, and if the Gen Z trend of ‘looksmaxxing’ is dangerous, humorous, homoerotic – or all three…

People in this episode

Hosts: Freddy Gray, William Moore

Guest: Maurice Glasman

Topics covered

• Iran conflict
• Trump's strategy
• China
• Labour Party
• Middle East
• Gen Z trends

Keywords

• Trump
• Iran
• China
• Labour Party
• Gorton and Denton
• Gen Z
• looksmaxxing
• Middle East

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Spectator

Places: Iran, China, Britain

More episodes of The Edition

• 'We're only months away from the first political assassination by drone' · June 12, 2026 · 51 min
• The 'beautiful & ironic symmetry' of Reform vs Restore – with Elizabeth Day · June 4, 2026 · 47 min
• The Pope's AI warning – and how Restore split the right, again · May 29, 2026 · 48 min
• Why Labour’s fate will be decided in the Strait of Hormuz · May 22, 2026 · 36 min
• ‘This is deranged!’: Labour’s civil war is distracting from the real crisis · May 14, 2026 · 46 min
• Starmergeddon? How the locals will change Labour – with Alice Loxton & Lionel Barber · May 7, 2026 · 33 min