Middle East Focus

Middle East Institute
  • 4.5 (57)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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

  1. 2D AGO

    From the Middle East to West Asia: Redefining America's Global Strategy

    MEI Senior Fellow Mohammed Soliman joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to discuss his new book, West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East. The book argues that it is time for the United States to move decisively away from nation-building and focus instead on order-building, outlining a framework for a new regional order that links Europe to the Indo-Pacific. Soliman also shares how he conceived of the core ideas behind his book and explains why his thesis is especially relevant in today's geopolitical, economic, and technological landscape.   Purchase your copy of West Asia here.   Recorded on February 11, 2026.

    40 min

  2. FEB 5

    America's New Defense Strategy — and What It Means for Iran

    Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Distinguished Military Fellow Mick Mulroy to discuss the Trump administration's new National Defense Strategy (NDS) and its implications for the Middle East. While serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for the Middle East from 2017 to 2019, Mulroy helped prepare the 2018 NDS, giving him an insider perspective on US defense planning. Together, Taylor, Czekaj, and Mulroy unpack what the new strategy means for US priorities globally and for the Middle East in particular, including how it could be reflected in a potentially looming military strike on Iran. Recorded on February 4, 2026.

    45 min

  3. JAN 29

    Ambiguous Uncertainties: Phase Two of Trump's Plan for Gaza

    MEI Senior Fellow Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to discuss the latest developments in Gaza. Nearly four months after the Israeli government and Hamas agreed to President Donald Trump's 20-point plan, Washington has announced that phase two of the process is now underway. Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, Taylor, and Czekaj examine the humanitarian situation in the devastated coastal strip, assess what phase two could entail, break down how international actors are responding, and explore what would need to happen to realize the plan's aspirations.   Recorded on January 27, 2026.

    44 min

  4. JAN 23

    Bonus Episode: Can Yemen Hold Together?

    This bonus episode of Middle East Focus features an excerpt from a recent MEI Virtual Briefing recorded on January 20. Director of Communications Zeina Al-Shaib is joined by MEI Affiliate Fatima Abo Alasrar and Associate Fellow F. Gregory Gause III to discuss the dramatically changing dynamics in Yemen's civil war. Last month, Yemen emerged as a focal point of rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Southern Transitional Council, a UAE-backed southern separatist movement, has disbanded in recent weeks, following fierce clashes with Saudi-backed forces. In the conversation, Alasrar and Gause analyze the political, security, and socio-economic shifts affecting Yemen's internal dynamics and what all this means for regional stability.   Watch the Virtual Briefing Series here.

    53 min

  5. JAN 20

    Emergency Podcast: Damascus and the Syrian Kurds Come to Blows

    MEI Senior Fellow Charles Lister joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to unpack the latest developments in Syria, as a tenuous cease-fire takes hold after several days of intense fighting between the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Their discussion explores the drivers of the conflict, the prospects for a lasting deal that would integrate the SDF into the Syrian military, as well as the role and perspective of key external actors, including the US, Turkey, and Israel.    For more background on the Damascus-SDF conflict, please see Charles's recent article on the fighting in Aleppo in mid-January here.   Recorded on January 20, 2026.

    34 min

  6. JAN 15

    Venezuela's Shadow Over MENA: Perceptions and Precedents

    MEI Vice President for Policy Ken Pollack joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to explore what the precedent set by the Trump administration's military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro could mean for US policy in the Middle East — particularly in light of ongoing anti-regime protests in Iran. The conversation unpacks the reverberations of Operation Absolute Resolve, Washington's options for and potential consequences of responding to the Iranian regime's brutal crackdown, regional perceptions of recent US actions and stated objectives, and broader questions around the direction of the Trump administration's evolving grand strategy.    Recorded on January 14, 2026.

    1h 9m

  7. JAN 8

    Bonus Episode: Tehran's Brewing Troubles

    This bonus episode of Middle East Focus features a conversation from MEI's Virtual Briefing Series. Director of Communications Zeina Al-Shaib is joined by Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow Alan Eyre and Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka to discuss the ongoing protests in Iran. The street demonstrations, sparked by the country's economic nosedive and at times turning violent, are the largest in three years. As regime arrests and killings of protesters have intensified, US President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene, his remarks potentially taking on a more vivid significance in light of the American military extraction over the weekend of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, an ally of Tehran. Eyre and Vatanka discuss what these latest developments mean for an Iranian regime already under intense internal and international pressure; the political impact of President Trump's threats; the limits of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's power to de-escalate the situation at home; and how the instability inside Iran may affect the wider region.   Watch the Virtual Briefing Series here.   Find Alex Vatanka's analysis of the latest wave of protests in Iran here.   Recorded on January 7, 2026.

    1h 1m

  8. 12/18/2025

    What 2025 Has Wrought... and What 2026 May Bring

    In the final episode of 2025, MEI Senior Fellow Paul Salem joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to unpack the major developments that shaped the Middle East over the past year and to look ahead to 2026. Salem reviews the key events that redefined the regional order, including President Donald Trump's return to office, the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, and the ongoing negotiations over Gaza. He assesses how the region has changed over the past year and what those shifts could mean moving forward.   Read MEI scholars' reflections on the past year and what to expect in 2026 here.   Recorded on December 16, 2025.

    44 min
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4.5
out of 5
57 Ratings

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Middle East Institute
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Middle East Focus

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