June 24, 2025 • 5 mins
Dr Keith Suter joins Jonesy & Amanda to explain what exactly is happening in the Middle East.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
My Heart podcasts here, more Gold one on one point
seven podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Playlists, and listen live on the Free iHeart app.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Jersey and Amanda jam Nation Well.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Tensions between Iran and Israel remain high after a supposed
ceasefire between the two countries appears strained. It seems to
be holding, but how tenuous is it? We thought we'd
find out what's going on because obviously we've heard this morning.
Donald Trump is sick of what he's telling both sides
that they don't know what the f they're doing.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
For more, we thought we chat.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It's not the only one though, I think we're all seeking.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
But there's a lot writing on this.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
For Donald Trump, this ceasefire means a lot to him
and his public standing, so we thought we'd chat to
international affairs expert Dr Keith Suitter.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Keith, Hello, Yes, good morning, Hello, doctor Keith. Do you
think this ceasefire will hold? What's your reading.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Of all this? It's going to be touched and go
because the ceasefire was brought in so quickly with so
little preparation, so there's always a risk of breakdown. But
I think both sides, both Israel and Iran are looking
for an off ramp and the Americans certainly are on
off ramp is where you get out of the mess
(01:11):
you're in, and I think that both Israel and Iran
would like to find some way of getting out of
this mess. So at the moment, it's been the best
bit of good news I think we've had for twelve days.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
And is it about saving face?
Speaker 4 (01:27):
Oh, absolutely, because both have got domestic audiences. You know,
obviously there are a lot of people in Iran who
are angry about the attack by the United States, and
you've got a lot of people in Israel who are
very angry about Iran. So yes, in both countries you've
got domestic audiences. They play out differently. Israel is more
(01:48):
of a democracy than Iran, but Iran's rulers know that
they've got the ordinary person in the street also would
very angry and would be rebellious if they don't do something.
Did something by attacking American facilities in Kada, but by
warning everybody what they were going to do. The Americans
(02:09):
accepted this as a sort of a saving honor of Iran,
and then Trump has been able to build upon that.
I think Trump has done quite well so far.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
What does this mean about the changing world order, the
fact that Donald Trump was able to get into this
skirmish in the first place, in the same way that
using the same kind of rules that Russia did in
Ukraine without Congress being involved. A lot of people are
saying that the world is shifting because of this, and
suddenly China can go into Taiwan. The rules that have
kept us safe since World War Two are all shifting.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Spot on. That's exactly the issue where a lot of
international lawyers are talking about. So it's a general feeling
that both Israel and the United States have violated international law.
And as you say, at the end of World War II,
there was an agreement that countries would not invade others
and that's now being violated by a number of other countries.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
And so does that worry you in terms of what
you think we'll see.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Oh, yes, because it sets up a pattern. Others will
now be able to quote the examples of Russia and
Israel to justify their own invasions. And you've already mentioned
the example of China invading Taiwan.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
So where does this leave us? Do you think that
this will be a I mean, will Donald Trump? Is
he triumphant and everything goes back to normal, or the
Middle East will always be a boiling pot and that's it.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Oh, the Middle East is going to be a boiling
point for quite a while. Because Israel has got nuclear weapons.
It's not covered by the standard treaty in the way
that Iran had agreed to be covered. And you're always
going to get countries, either in the Arab world or
Iran on who will want to challenge Israel's monopoly over
nuclear weapons. So back in nineteen eighty one it was
(03:50):
necessary for Israel to bomb the nuclear reactor in Iraq.
Twenty years later they did something similar in Serior, and
now we've seen it in the case of Iran. This
is going to continue until there is a long term
peace settlement in the Middle East. And I think that's
where did he gult to envisage.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
And Memai vladimirs Zelenski, you're saying, hey, what about us
over here?
Speaker 4 (04:10):
What about us? Well, that war still continues. Russia is
certainly not winning it. They're not losing, but they're certainly
not winning it, and that struggle will continue. We're moving
into the summer in Europe and this will be the
fighting season and this is where the Russians will step
up their attacks on Ukraine.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
It's kind of are we having World War three without
having World War three?
Speaker 4 (04:31):
No, no, it's not world War three. I've got to
keep reassuring people of that because so let's look the
case of Iran. For example, Russia and China are not
coming in on the side of Iran. If they were
to do so, then it would be World War three.
But there's not going to be any World War three.
My worry is that, as I've already mentioned, this is
going to be continued unrest in the Middle East. So
(04:53):
there'll be regional conflicts, but no World War three.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
But then again, doctor, that trouble in the Middle East
has been around since five hundred beast, so it's not
going anywhere.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
No, it's not going to go anywhere. It does change
from time to time. You know. It's interesting to note,
for example, that there are many Persians what we would
now call Iranians, who are heroes in Jewish history. So
people are not always automatically destined to be enemies. You know,
when I think of the Swedes nowadays, I think of
(05:23):
abra and pop music, but a thousand years ago they
were performing Great Pillage and Murder across Western Europe as Vikings.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
And musically they were terrible.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
You're seeing terror vision this year, Keith. Thank you for
joining us, and thank you for enlightening us and reassuring
us as well.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
Good thank you, Doctor Keith. Suited there
My Heart podcasts here, more Gold one on one point
seven podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Playlists, and listen live on the Free iHeart app.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Jersey and Amanda jam Nation Well.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Tensions between Iran and Israel remain high after a supposed
ceasefire between the two countries appears strained. It seems to
be holding, but how tenuous is it? We thought we'd
find out what's going on because obviously we've heard this morning.
Donald Trump is sick of what he's telling both sides
that they don't know what the f they're doing.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
For more, we thought we chat.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It's not the only one though, I think we're all seeking.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
But there's a lot writing on this.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
For Donald Trump, this ceasefire means a lot to him
and his public standing, so we thought we'd chat to
international affairs expert Dr Keith Suitter.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Keith, Hello, Yes, good morning, Hello, doctor Keith. Do you
think this ceasefire will hold? What's your reading.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Of all this? It's going to be touched and go
because the ceasefire was brought in so quickly with so
little preparation, so there's always a risk of breakdown. But
I think both sides, both Israel and Iran are looking
for an off ramp and the Americans certainly are on
off ramp is where you get out of the mess
(01:11):
you're in, and I think that both Israel and Iran
would like to find some way of getting out of
this mess. So at the moment, it's been the best
bit of good news I think we've had for twelve days.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
And is it about saving face?
Speaker 4 (01:27):
Oh, absolutely, because both have got domestic audiences. You know,
obviously there are a lot of people in Iran who
are angry about the attack by the United States, and
you've got a lot of people in Israel who are
very angry about Iran. So yes, in both countries you've
got domestic audiences. They play out differently. Israel is more
(01:48):
of a democracy than Iran, but Iran's rulers know that
they've got the ordinary person in the street also would
very angry and would be rebellious if they don't do something.
Did something by attacking American facilities in Kada, but by
warning everybody what they were going to do. The Americans
(02:09):
accepted this as a sort of a saving honor of Iran,
and then Trump has been able to build upon that.
I think Trump has done quite well so far.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
What does this mean about the changing world order, the
fact that Donald Trump was able to get into this
skirmish in the first place, in the same way that
using the same kind of rules that Russia did in
Ukraine without Congress being involved. A lot of people are
saying that the world is shifting because of this, and
suddenly China can go into Taiwan. The rules that have
kept us safe since World War Two are all shifting.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Spot on. That's exactly the issue where a lot of
international lawyers are talking about. So it's a general feeling
that both Israel and the United States have violated international law.
And as you say, at the end of World War II,
there was an agreement that countries would not invade others
and that's now being violated by a number of other countries.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
And so does that worry you in terms of what
you think we'll see.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Oh, yes, because it sets up a pattern. Others will
now be able to quote the examples of Russia and
Israel to justify their own invasions. And you've already mentioned
the example of China invading Taiwan.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
So where does this leave us? Do you think that
this will be a I mean, will Donald Trump? Is
he triumphant and everything goes back to normal, or the
Middle East will always be a boiling pot and that's it.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Oh, the Middle East is going to be a boiling
point for quite a while. Because Israel has got nuclear weapons.
It's not covered by the standard treaty in the way
that Iran had agreed to be covered. And you're always
going to get countries, either in the Arab world or
Iran on who will want to challenge Israel's monopoly over
nuclear weapons. So back in nineteen eighty one it was
(03:50):
necessary for Israel to bomb the nuclear reactor in Iraq.
Twenty years later they did something similar in Serior, and
now we've seen it in the case of Iran. This
is going to continue until there is a long term
peace settlement in the Middle East. And I think that's
where did he gult to envisage.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
And Memai vladimirs Zelenski, you're saying, hey, what about us
over here?
Speaker 4 (04:10):
What about us? Well, that war still continues. Russia is
certainly not winning it. They're not losing, but they're certainly
not winning it, and that struggle will continue. We're moving
into the summer in Europe and this will be the
fighting season and this is where the Russians will step
up their attacks on Ukraine.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
It's kind of are we having World War three without
having World War three?
Speaker 4 (04:31):
No, no, it's not world War three. I've got to
keep reassuring people of that because so let's look the
case of Iran. For example, Russia and China are not
coming in on the side of Iran. If they were
to do so, then it would be World War three.
But there's not going to be any World War three.
My worry is that, as I've already mentioned, this is
going to be continued unrest in the Middle East. So
(04:53):
there'll be regional conflicts, but no World War three.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
But then again, doctor, that trouble in the Middle East
has been around since five hundred beast, so it's not
going anywhere.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
No, it's not going to go anywhere. It does change
from time to time. You know. It's interesting to note,
for example, that there are many Persians what we would
now call Iranians, who are heroes in Jewish history. So
people are not always automatically destined to be enemies. You know,
when I think of the Swedes nowadays, I think of
(05:23):
abra and pop music, but a thousand years ago they
were performing Great Pillage and Murder across Western Europe as Vikings.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
And musically they were terrible.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
You're seeing terror vision this year, Keith. Thank you for
joining us, and thank you for enlightening us and reassuring
us as well.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
Good thank you, Doctor Keith. Suited there
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