US-Iran Nuclear Talks: A Fragile Opening for Diplomacy
Following seven years of diplomatic deadlock, Washington and Tehran have resumed nuclear negotiations — and for the first time in years, there are signs of real momentum.
Alex Vatanka, MEI Senior Fellow and author of The Battle of the Ayatollahs in Iran, joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to analyze the current round of talks, the technical issues under discussion, and the political stakes on both sides. He explores Iran’s economic and domestic pressures, US red lines, and the role of key players like Israel, China, and Oman in shaping the negotiations.
سنتان من الحرب في السودان والطريق الصعب نحو السلام
مع دخول الحرب الأهلية في السودان عامها الثالث، تستمر الكارثة الإنسانية في التفاقم، حيث نزح أكثر من 12.7 مليون شخص ولا يوجد أمل كبير في التوصل إلى حل في المستقبل القريب.
تنضم جيهان هنري، زميلة في معهد الشرق الأوسط (MEI) ومديرة سابقة لقسم أفريقيا في منظمة هيومن رايتس ووتش، إلى المضيفين أليستر تايلور وماثيو تشيكاي لتقييم آخر التطورات على الأرض. وتلخص حجم الدمار، والآثار الجانبية الإقليمية، والاقتصاد الحربي الذي يغذي القتال.
In this episode of Middle East Focus, hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by Eran Etzion, former deputy head of the Israeli National Security Council, for a revealing look inside Israel’s most pressing challenges.
Diplomacy, Technology, and Innovation: Amb. Stuart Jones on the Evolution of US-Middle East Relations
We’re excited to relaunch Middle East Focus with an insightful conversation featuring MEI’s new CEO, Amb. Stuart Jones. In this episode, hosted by MEI’s Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj, Ambassador Jones shares his perspectives on the second Trump administration’s foreign policy approach, the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape in the region, and Iraq’s place in the developing order. Drawing from his extensive experience in both diplomacy and the private sector, he also explores emerging US-Middle East business partnerships and cooperation in AI and technology.
NYT Bestselling Author Kwame Alexander on the Power of Literature and Poetry to Bring Us Together
ينضم الشاعر والمنتج والمؤلف الشهير كوامي ألكسندر، الذي تصدرت مؤلفاته قائمة أكثر الكتب مبيعًافي نيويورك تايمز،إلى المضيفة الضيفة لين سنيج لمناقشة قوة سرد القصص والتقاطع بين الفن والتغيير الاجتماعي. يسترجع ألكسندر تجربته الأخيرة في التحدث في معرض الرياض الدولي للكتاب 2024 في المملكة العربية السعودية، ويشاركنا أفكاره حول المشهد الأدبي في المملكة، والرغبة المتزايدة في قراءة القصص العالمية، وكيف يمكن للكتب والشعر أن يكونا جسورًا بين الثقافات.
Trump, Gaza, and the future of US policy in the Middle East
The war in Gaza continues as the Biden administration nears its end, leaving President-elect Donald Trump with a vastly different Middle East from the one he inherited in his first term. Khaled Elgindy, Director of the Palestine & Palestinian-Israeli Affairs program at MEI, is joined by Tamara Kharroub and Daniel Levy to discuss Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, the fragile cease-fire talks, and the potential shifts in US policy with Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Following more than a year of turmoil and transformative changes reshaping the Middle East, the region witnessed another shock with the downfall of the Assad family’s 54-year rule over Syria last weekend. The rapid collapse was triggered by a lightning rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former affiliate of al-Qaeda.
How might US-Israeli relations evolve under the Trump administration?
MEI Senior Fellow for Israeli Affairs Nimrod Goren and Associate Research Professor Ilai Saltzman discuss potential shifts in US policy, the outlook for Israeli politics in 2025, and the challenges to advancing peace on the Israeli-Palestinian front. Tune in for expert insights on what lies ahead.
1,000 Days of Russia's Full-Scale War Against Ukraine
Wednesday, November 20, marks a somber anniversary for Ukraine: 1,000 days since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country. Though the Ukrainians continue to hold out with Western assistance against Russian attacks, the past two-and-a-half years have been devastating for the country and its people. Ukraine now faces another winter at war as momentum appears to be shifting in Russia’s favor. What can the US and its allies do to ensure hostilities end as favorably as possible to Ukraine and in line with American strategic national interests?
Over the past month, Iran and its regional network of allies and proxies – the Axis of Resistance – has suffered a string of dramatic losses and defeats. What is the future of the Axis and its members, and what can the US and its allies do to confront and disrupt this Iranian-led network?
MEI Managing Editor Matthew Czekaj speaks to Meir Javedanfar and Alex Vatanka on Iran’s role in keeping its network of proxies together and the conflicting interests that may force the country to rethink its antagonistic regional strategy.
خلال الشهر الماضي، عانت إيران وشبكة حلفائها ووكلائها الإقليميين – محور المقاومة – من سلسلة من الخسائر والهزائم الدراماتيكية. ما هو مستقبل المحور وأعضائه، وما الذي يمكن أن تفعله الولايات المتحدة وحلفاؤها لمواجهة وتعطيل هذه الشبكة التي تقودها إيران؟
Gen. Khalil Helou and Dr. Paul Salem speak with MEI’s US-Lebanon Fellow Fadi Nicholas Nassar on the unraveling Israel-Hezbollah conflict, the role of the Lebanese Armed Forces during this critical moment, and the prospects of a political solution in Lebanon and the wider region.
مدير برنامج شبه الجزيرة العربية في معهد الشرق الأوسط جيرالد فيرستاين يتحدث إلى الباحثتين نضوة الدوسري وفاطمة أبو العسرار أثناء استعراضهما للذكرى العاشرة للحرب الأهلية في اليمن.
مرت عشر سنوات منذ سيطرة الحوثيين على العاصمة صنعاء، مما أدى إلى بدء دورة من القتال الذي يستمر حتى يومنا هذا. ماذا حدث، وما هو الوضع الحالي للصراع، وإلى أين يتجه البلد؟
Shiraz Maher – Co-Director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) – and Charles Lister – Director of MEI’s Syria and Countering Terrorism and Extremism Programs – speak to MEI Editor in Chief Alistair Taylor about ISIS and the detainee dilemma. What is the international community to do with the tens of thousands of foreign ISIS detainees and their families, including children, held in makeshift facilities in northeastern Syria under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces?
On this week’s episode, Director of MEI’s Syria and Countering Terrorism and Extremism Programs Charles Lister speaks with MEI Editor-in-Chief Alistair Taylor on the resurgence of the Islamic State, or ISIS, in Syria and Iraq. This episode is the first in a several-part series looking at where the terrorist group stands today and its international footprint 10 years on from the founding of the 87-country Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
