Middle East Focus

Middle East Institute
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Weekly discussion of Middle East policy, arts, and culture, featuring experts from the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.

  1. -3 DIAS

    Middle Eastern Rivalry in the Horn of Africa

    How is competition for influence in the Horn of Africa among Middle Eastern powers — especially the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel — reshaping the political landscape? Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellows Mirette Mabrouk and Gönül Tol to unpack the dynamics driving this rivalry and its implications for conflicts and alliances across the region.   In the first half of the episode, Mabrouk explores the impact of Israel's December 2025 recognition of Somaliland, the emergence of two competing regional blocs, and what these developments mean for Egypt's security and strategic interests. In the second half, Tol shares key takeaways on middle power competition in the Horn of Africa from a recent trip to Kenya, reflects on local views of this phenomenon, and examines Turkey's strategy as it seeks to expand its influence in Somalia and beyond.   Recorded on May 13, 2026.

    46 min

  2. 7/05

    How to Wrest Lebanon From Iran's Grip

    Despite efforts to extend the cease-fire in Lebanon and disarm Iranian proxy Hizballah, fighting continues between the militant group and Israeli forces. Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellow Fadi Nicholas Nassar to examine what the renewed fighting means for attempts to counter Iranian influence in Lebanon and what could lie ahead. They discuss the prospects for a lasting agreement, Iran's broader proxy strategy, and how Washington can help strengthen the sovereignty of the Lebanese state.   To read Nassar's latest commentary piece in The National Interest, please click here.   Recorded on May 5, 2026.

    41 min

  3. 30/04

    Violence, Settlements, and Creeping Annexation in the West Bank

    As international attention remains fixed on the fallout from the Iran war, conditions in the West Bank continue to deteriorate. Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj speak with MEI Senior Fellow Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen about the sharp rise in settler violence, expanding settlement activity, and growing Palestinian displacement across the territory. They examine how recent Israeli legal and administrative measures are reshaping realities on the ground, the implications for Israeli-Palestinian relations, and what the United States should do to play a constructive mediator role.   Recorded on April 28, 2026.

    39 min

  4. 23/04

    A New-Old Regime in Tehran

    Nearly two months into the Iran war, US President Donald Trump has announced an indefinite extension of the cease-fire between Washington and Tehran, even as control of the Strait of Hormuz remains contested. Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka to explore where the conflict may be headed and unpack the factors at play. They discuss how Iran's internal power structures have shifted since February 28, the prospects for a deal between Washington and Tehran, and what form a resumption of hostilities could take.    Find Alex's analysis of the war's impact on the Iranian regime here.   Recorded on April 22, 2026.

    31 min

  5. 17/04

    Bonus Episode: Stalled Talks and Next Steps for the US and Iran

    This bonus episode of Middle East Focus features a recent MEI Virtual Briefing. Director of Communications Zeina Al-Shaib is joined by MEI Distinguished Diplomatic Fellows Alan Eyre and Daniel Benaim to discuss the historic talks held in Pakistan last weekend between the United States and Iran. Tehran insists the US failed to gain its trust, while the US made its red lines clear and declared it would blockade Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf. What happens next? Eyre and Benaim offer insights into what goes on behind the scenes at such negotiations; identify the core issues at play; explore potential incentives to end the war; analyze the weaponization of energy; as well as assess the role of other regional players in this conflict.   Watch the Virtual Briefing Series here.   Recorded on April 15, 2026.

    1 h 3 min

  6. 16/04

    How the War May Reshape Iran's Political Future

    As the international community focuses on the regional and economic reverberations of the US-Israel-Iran war, the wartime experiences of ordinary Iranians and their aspirations for the future have received much less attention. Arash Azizi, a postdoctoral associate at Yale University and contributing writer at The Atlantic, joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to discuss the war's repercussions for the Iranian population and how the outcome of the conflict may shape the peoples' lives going forward. Together, they explore Iran's internal politics, the viability of the opposition, and the conditions needed to achieve democracy in Iran.   Read Arash's analysis of the fractured the Iranian opposition here, and his argument for why talks with Washington could ultimately benefit the Iranian people here.   Recorded on April 15, 2026.

    43 min

  7. 9/04

    Iraq in Between Iran and the United States

    Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow Amb. (ret.) Robert S. Ford to examine what is at stake for Iraq in the Iran war. The only country to have been hit by both sides, Iraq is caught in the middle of a regional conflict, with the local Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) carrying out attacks on American interests and personnel — and the US responding. This escalation comes at a period of internal political transition in Iraq, which has been locked in negotiations to form a new government since the November 2025 elections. Ford, who served as Deputy and later Acting Ambassador in Baghdad from 2008 until 2010, unpacks how Iraq is navigating the current moment, how the Kurdistan region fits into this equation, and what this all means for the future of US-Iraqi relations.   This episode was recorded on the afternoon of April 7, 2026, before the US announced it had reached a temporary cease-fire with Iran.

    44 min

  8. 2/04

    Special Episode: Europe and the Iran War

    This special episode of Middle East Focus features a conversation from MEI's Virtual Briefing Series. Host Alistair Taylor is joined by former National Security Council Senior Director Stephen Flanagan and MEI Senior Fellow Iulia-Sabina Joja to discuss the impacts of the Iran war on US-European relations. The conflict has hit Europe's economy hard and created deep divisions across the continent, even as some European countries play a quiet supporting role to the US. President Donald Trump has called for NATO member states to help secure shipping through the Iranian-blocked Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for international maritime trade. Flanagan and Joja explore the prospects for stepped-up European military involvement, the knock-on effects on the war in Ukraine, and the potential longer-term impact on the future of the US-European alliance.    Watch the Virtual Briefing Series here.   Recorded on March 31, 2026.

    58 min
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Sobre

Weekly discussion of Middle East policy, arts, and culture, featuring experts from the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.

Informação

  • Autoria
    Middle East Institute
  • Anos em atividade
    2017 - 2026
  • Episódios
    100
  • Classificação
    Para todos
  • Site do programa
    Middle East Focus

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