Podcasts

Stephanie Williams, former US diplomat and deputy head of the UN mission in Libya, sits down with Brian Katulis for a wide-ranging conversation about what’s happening in the Middle East today. They talk through the latest on Israel and Iran and assess how a second Trump administration is already shaping US policy toward the region. Williams also shares how her decades of experience—and insights from her new book, Libya Since Qaddafi: Chaos and the Search for Peace—inform the way she sees today’s unfolding dynamics.

The dust has barely settled following the dramatic 12-day war between Israel and Iran, but its political and strategic reverberations are already shaping the future of the Middle East. In this episode of Middle East Focus, Ross Harrison, senior fellow and book series editor at the Middle East Institute, joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to assess what comes next — from Tehran’s internal power recalibrations to the future of Iran’s forward defense strategy, and shifting regional alliances.

This special Bonus Episode of Middle East Focus gives listeners access to a recent MEI press briefing on the evolving Israel-Iran conflict, recorded on Wednesday, June 25. You’ll hear from MEI’s Distinguished Military Fellow Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow Alan Eyre, and Senior Fellow Paul Salem who join MEI’s Ken Pollack to discuss the ongoing conflict, in light of the recent proposed ceasefire agreement.

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has announced it will disband and end its decades-long armed insurgency. Is this a turning point in Turkey’s century-long conflict with its Kurdish population—or a political maneuver to secure President Erdogan’s grip on power? Gonul Tol is joined by Kurdish MP Ceylan Akca and political scientist Murat Somer to unpack the stakes of this historic shift, the demands for constitutional recognition, and whether peace is possible in a country where democracy itself is under threat.

Welcome to a special Bonus Episode of Middle East Focus. We’re pleased to bring you access to a recent MEI press briefing on the evolving Israel-Iran conflict, recorded on June 16, 2025. You’ll hear from MEI’s Distinguished Diplomatic Fellows Barbara A. Leaf and Alan Eyre, as well as our Distinguished Military Fellow Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr., USMC (ret.), who bring decades of firsthand experience working on Iran policy and regional security issues.

Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to examine the dramatic escalation between Israel and Iran following Israel’s targeted strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, infrastructure, and senior IRGC officials. Vatanka discusses how the Iranian regime is responding, the risk of wider regional conflict, and whether the current campaign could mark the beginning of the end for the Islamic Republic.

This episode was originally recorded on June 9, 2025, featuring a wide-ranging conversation with Eyal Hulata—Israel’s former National Security Advisor—about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, his role in shaping Israeli security policy, and where he believes the conflict is headed.

In light of recent developments between Israel and Iran, we reconnected with Eyal to capture his latest analysis. The first segment of this episode was re-recorded on June 16, 2025, to reflect Eyal’s current views and predictions regarding the unfolding regional developments.

MEI Senior Fellow Paul Salem joins the program to assess Lebanon’s rapidly shifting political landscape. With a new president and government promising to enact reforms and reassert sovereignty, Lebanon faces a daunting agenda: disarming Hizballah, rebuilding institutions, navigating regional diplomacy, and restoring the economy.

What’s next for Gaza—and for Israel? In this episode of Middle East Focus, hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj sit down with Ghaith al-Omari, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former advisor to the Palestinian Authority, to unpack the urgent humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza, the impact of Israeli settlement expansion, and what these developments mean for the future of the region.

Ambassador Dina Kawar, Jordan’s Ambassador to the United States, joins host Brian Katulis for a wide-ranging conversation on Jordan’s efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, its bilateral partnership with the United States, and its role in regional diplomacy.

MEI Senior Fellow Charles Lister joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to discuss the Trump administration’s dramatic reversal of four decades of US policy toward Syria. Following President Trump’s May 2025 meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the issuance of a new general license and 180-day waiver of Caesar Act sanctions, the episode explores the implications of this policy shift. What does this mean for Syria’s recovery and reconstruction? How are regional actors like Turkey, Israel, and the Gulf states responding?

President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE reignited debate over U.S. ties to authoritarian regimes. But the controversy underscores a deeper question: why has democracy struggled to take root in the Arab world? In this episode of Rethinking Democracy, host Gonul Tol sits down with Dr.

In this episode of Taking the Edge Off the Middle East, host Brian Katulis sits down with Fahad Nazer, spokesperson for the Saudi Arabian Embassy in the US, to discuss the evolving US-Saudi relationship amid unprecedented regional volatility. Central to their conversation is the deepening crisis in Gaza, emphasizing the urgent need for sustained US-Saudi cooperation and broader international engagement to address the humanitarian catastrophe and prevent further regional escalation.

Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj speak with MEI Senior Fellow Mohammed Soliman about President Donald Trump’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, which yielded a wave of major US-Gulf tech and AI deals. Soliman explains how these partnerships mark a shift in the relationship—from oil and arms to compute power and data infrastructure—and what it means for the Gulf’s strategic role in the global AI ecosystem.

Ambassador Dennis Ross joins host Brian Katulis to break down what President Trump’s recent trip through Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar revealed about the administration’s approach to foreign policy in the Middle East—and what it means for the future of the region. They discuss the significance and substance behind the announced mega-deals, what’s really going on with Iran and the Houthi ceasefire, and how Trump is handling relations with Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.