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Iran
Gaza
Israel
United States
Donald Trump
Hamas
Russia
Ukraine
Sudan
Venezuela
Hezbollah
International Crisis Group
Middle East
Crisis Group
China
NATO
Haiti
Trump Administration
Turkey
Rapid Support Forces

Join Crisis Group's Executive Vice President Richard Atwood as he dives deep into the conflicts that rage around the globe with Crisis Group analysts and special guests. These experts bring a unique, on-the-ground perspective to understanding both why those conflicts persist — and what could bring them to an end.

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Artwork for Hold Your Fire!

Latest Episodes

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group’s Sudan expert Shewit Woldemichael and Horn of Africa Director Alan Boswell about Sudan’s war and the foreign powers fueling it. They revisit the atrocities committed during the Rap... more

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group Ukraine expert Lucian Kim, chief of policy Stephen Pomper and Europe director Fabienne Hara to unpack the latest public rift between Washington and Kyiv and what could come next. T... more

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s Arabian Peninsula director Yasmine Farouk and senior Iran analyst Hamidreza Azizi to discuss the Houthis’ renewed offensive in Yemen and escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia. They ... more

This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Alan Boswell, Crisis Group’s Horn of Africa director, to discuss the fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region and the risk of an all-out war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. They examine federal fo... more

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Recent Guests

Shewit Woldemichael
Crisis Group's Sudan expert
International Crisis Group
Episode: The UAE in Sudan
Alan Boswell
Crisis Group's Horn of Africa Director
International Crisis Group
Episode: The UAE in Sudan
Lucian Kim
Crisis Group senior Ukraine expert
International Crisis Group
Episode: Will Trump Help Putin Win in Ukraine?
Stephen Pomper
Crisis Group Chief of Policy
International Crisis Group
Episode: Will Trump Help Putin Win in Ukraine?
Fabienne Hara
Crisis Group Europe director
International Crisis Group
Episode: Will Trump Help Putin Win in Ukraine?
Yasmine Farouk
Arabian Peninsula director at the International Crisis Group
International Crisis Group
Episode: The Yemen War, Saudi-Iran relations and Another Escalation in the Gulf
Hamidreza Azizi
Senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group
International Crisis Group
Episode: The Yemen War, Saudi-Iran relations and Another Escalation in the Gulf
Murithi Mutiga
Crisis Group Africa Director
International Crisis Group
Episode: Back to War in Ethiopia?
Richard Gowan
Crisis Group's Director of Global Issues and Institutions
International Crisis Group
Episode: The UN’s High Level Week, Secretary-General Selection and “Middle Power” Problem

Host

Richard Atwood
Host of the show and Crisis Group Executive Vice President

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 369 ratings
  • Must listen analysis

    Thought provoking, avoids caricatures, combines strategic view with on the ground view.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    FOIAd1966
    United States6 months ago
  • Stay informed

    Always informative and easy to listen to. Gives different perspectives on what is happening on the ground.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    FrenchHeather
    France8 months ago
  • Great

    I find the ICG podcasts incredibly interesting, informative and insightful.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cloudbreak2020
    Australia8 months ago
  • Telling it straight

    Thank you for your sincerity and deep knowledge of complex situations worldwide

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    stilllearningtoo
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Excellent and quite balanced analysis of some of the worlds most pressing conflicts.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Heinz
    a year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show is a go-to for understanding complex conflicts and credible policy options.
These episodes are consistently insightful and well-reasoned, with on-the-ground context.
Listeners appreciate balanced, non-sensational analysis from Crisis Group experts.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Will Trump Help Putin Win in Ukraine?
Q: If the Democrats win both houses back, is even that going to do much to restrain Trump in his last two years, especially, I guess, related to Ukraine?
Pomper says a Democratic Congress could use hearings, nominations and funding as leverage, but its tools for compelling presidential choices in foreign policy are limited. He sees a risk that Trump could move closer to Russia, though competing views within the administration may keep policy from changing dramatically.
Will Trump Help Putin Win in Ukraine?
Q: And the diesel deal, how much is this going to work to Russia's advantage?
Kim says Russia had already restricted diesel exports because of domestic shortages. The deal may benefit Russia symbolically, but is unlikely to lower U.S. gas prices meaningfully.
The UAE in Sudan
Q: What sort of realistically could the UAE do if it really was prepared to make more of an effort to help end the war?
Boswell says the UAE and other regional powers would need to align around ending the war, compromise on Sudan's political transition and press the warring parties to moderate their maximalist positions. Negotiations would need to address the postwar framework alongside efforts to secure a truce.
The UAE in Sudan
Q: What do we know now about what happened back then?
The RSF captured El Fasher after an 18-month siege that restricted civilian movement and left residents facing starvation and collapsed medical services. After gaining control, RSF forces targeted civilians, with videos and reports documenting executions and other atrocities.
The Yemen War, Saudi-Iran relations and Another Escalation in the Gulf
Q: So why did the Iranians help blow up a deal that was widely seen as very favorable to them?
Azizi says mistrust of U.S. intentions was central. Tehran saw Hormuz as its key leverage and believed the United States was using southern-corridor shipping to weaken that leverage before Iran could implement the agreement.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Hold Your Fire!

What is Hold Your Fire! about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Tuned to high-stakes geopolitics and conflict analysis, this program features long-form conversations with Crisis Group analysts and regional experts who break down complex security crises, from U.S.–Iran diplomacy to Colombia's security dynamics, Afghanistan, Sudan, Mali, and Lebanon. Episodes blend on-the-ground reporting with strategic analysis, aiming to connect local developments to broader regional and international implications. Notable strengths include deep subject-matter expertise, transparent negotiation framing, and a consistent focus on plausible off-ramps and peace processes, making it helpful for policymakers, corporate strategists, and professionals tracking global risk. A distinctive trait is the recurring emphasis on pract... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Hold Your Fire!?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Hold Your Fire!:

1. The Horn
2. Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters
3. Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes
4. War & Peace
5. Middle East Focus

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Hold Your Fire! launched 6 years ago and published 242 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Hold Your Fire!?

Recent guests on Hold Your Fire! include:

1. Shewit Woldemichael
2. Alan Boswell
3. Lucian Kim
4. Stephen Pomper
5. Fabienne Hara
6. Yasmine Farouk
7. Hamidreza Azizi
8. Murithi Mutiga

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