Sign in

Robert Tait

@rstait.bsky.social
2.7K followers 72 following 51 posts

Guardian journalist in Washington DC. Used to be Tehran, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Prague and a few other places. Tired but not yet clapped out.

PostsRepliesMedia
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
theguardian.com
Far-right praise for shah’s secret police puts Reza Pahlavi on the spot
Son of deposed shah forced to distance himself from the once-dreaded Savak as some of his supporters glorify it
010
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
‘This is just disarray’: alarm inside Pentagon after Hegseth staff purges
Insiders portray defense secretary as increasingly isolated after officers with impeccable reputations forced out
020
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
theguardian.com
With the US-Iran ceasefire about to expire, could Trump put boots on the ground?
The US has deployed more forces since the truce and senior Iranians seem to be relishing the prospect of the fight
091
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
theguardian.com
How war on Iran may provoke a terrorist attack in US – and how that may be the point
‘Of course there’s going to be retaliation,’ says one expert. ‘It may be that this is what Trump’s interested in’
052
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
@alirezanader.bsky.social Can you follow me back please? I would like to direct message you.
000
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
@goftaniha.bsky.social Can you follow me back please. I would like to send you a personal message.
000
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202... This is an incredible piece about the thrill and deadly dangers of espionage and betrayal.
theatlantic.com
They Killed My Source
A man claiming to be an Iranian intelligence officer promised me he would reveal his country’s secrets. Then he disappeared.
140
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
The perfectly timed social media post.
170
Reposted by Robert Tait
Julia Rose Kraut @juliarosekraut.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
"Big Journalism’s leaders need to think hard — and fast — about whether they are just presenting facts or actually getting the nightmarish reality across." @sulliview.bsky.social MUST READ. ⬇️ margaretsullivan.substack.com/p/four-essen...
margaretsullivan.substack.com
Four essentials for the press right now
If we have any hope of preventing a full slide into permanent autocracy, these must happen
013652
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
snyder.substack.com/p/the-logic-... Tim Snyder on the need Stand Up Now.
snyder.substack.com
The Logic of Destruction
And how to resist it
071
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
theguardian.com
Iran hostages reflect on a crisis that defined Jimmy Carter’s presidency: ‘A fine man that did his best’
When revolutionary students seized the US embassy in Tehran, they initiated a 444-day ordeal that had a huge impact on Carter in both political and human terms
020
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024...
theguardian.com
Trump’s ‘stunningly unqualified’ diplomatic team shapes up at breakneck speed
Trump is hardly the first US president to introduce miscast nominees, but he has nominated ambassadors at a rate not recalled in recent memory
062
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
An argument against murdering your way to better health care.
theatlantic.com
Luigi Mangione’s Commonplace, Deplorable Politics
From his actions, and the glee that they have elicited, one learns not that the health-care system is broken but that many people are.
030
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 08/12/2024
The new health order.
030
Reposted by Robert Tait
Joe Cirincione @joecirin.bsky.social · 07/12/2024
Damascus appear on the verge of falling to the rebels. Some Assad officials thought to be in discussions with rebel forces about defecting. Iranians and Russians have fled country. Absolutely stunning developments.
0112
Reposted by Robert Tait
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 05/12/2024
Biden library reportedly under threat by Democrats enraged by Hunter pardon
theguardian.com
Biden library reportedly under threat by Democrats enraged by Hunter pardon
Senior party figures consider withholding contributions to presidential library to express anger at pardon for son Senior Democrats are reportedly considering withholding contributions to Joe Biden’s future presidential library amid a mounting backlash…
867415
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
Begging Joe’s pardon. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Joe Biden should pardon Reality Winner for her actions as a whistleblower | Margaret Sullivan
The leaker went to jail for a patriotic, if illegal, act. She has a lot to offer the world if she’s allowed to move on
093
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Brilliant George Packer piece on the Trump Reaction and how fragile it is.
theatlantic.com
The End of Democratic Delusions
The Trump Reaction and what comes next
030
Reposted by Robert Tait
The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 01/12/2024
“The American people voted for cheaper eggs,” writes David Frum. “They’re going to get only noise, conflict, and chaos”:
theatlantic.com
A Constitutional Crisis Greater Than Watergate
Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel threatens to turn the FBI into an instrument of personal presidential power
1362387527
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
Compelling piece by the ever-perceptive Tim Snyder on where we are now - and how to stop it getting worse.
011
Reposted by Robert Tait
Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 26/11/2024
Musk has now threatened the leaders of Canada,Brazil, Germany. X helped create a riot in the UK. Now it seems he doesn't want the UK to make its own legal decisions. Time to act?
28540421378
Reposted by Robert Tait
Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 23/11/2024
It's pretty standard practice in places like Zimbabwe or Venezuela for the regime to send online mobs to harass enemies of the regime www.wsj.com/tech/musk-un...
wsj.com
Musk Unleashes Online Army on Federal Workers. ‘A Tough Way to Find Out She’s Losing Her Job.’
As Trump efficiency czar, the billionaire is targeting employees by name on X—sparking pushback.
631736572
Reposted by Robert Tait
Rob Chapman @scribblerrob.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Still the greatest interview exchange in the history of rock and roll. Bob Dylan. Playboy Magazine. March 1966.
501487208
Robert Tait @rstait.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
Despite the panic, this checklist does not yet sum up the US. But Iran, one of my former billets, easily ticks every box. A challenge to the argument that Islamism and fascism are mutually exclusive.
010