Old Rivals, New Alignments in North Africa
Algeria and Morocco have long been at odds, but recent diplomatic moves may signal a widening geopolitical split in North Africa. Hosts Alis...
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Middle East Focus
Weekly discussion of Middle East policy, arts, and culture, featuring experts from the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.
Episodes
20 of 116 episodes
How Far Can the Houthis Go?
Over the past several weeks, the Houthis have seized the port city of Mokha, Yemen's western coastline, and several islands in the Bab el-Ma...
Syria: What You Missed
Though it has fallen out of the headlines because of the Iran war, Syria has had a dramatically consequential summer. Hosts Alistair Taylor...
Regional Escalation and the Fight Over Hormuz
As the US-Israel-Iran war enters its sixth month, the conflict has taken a sharp turn. After a brief lull in the fighting, Iran launched a s...
Food Security in a Hotter, Drier North Africa
This summer, brutally hot temperatures, deepening water scarcity, and spiking fertilizer costs have put North Africa's agricultural sector u...
Inside the Ankara NATO Summit
At the recent NATO summit in Ankara, renewed US-Iran strikes and Turkey's push to rejoin the F-35 stealth fighter program overshadowed the A...
Trump, Syria, and the Hizballah Question
US President Donald Trump recently proposed that Syria intervene militarily against Hizballah in Lebanon. Is that a good idea? This episode...
Do the Gulf States Need a New Playbook?
After the US-Israel-Iran war — and the strikes that followed the cease-fire — the Gulf states find themselves dangerously exposed. Host Alis...
The US and Iran Signed a Deal — Now What?
After nearly four months of war, the US and Iran have signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding declaring the conflict over, reopening t...
The Human Cost of the Strait of Hormuz Closure
When the Strait of Hormuz closed in March, fertilizer prices spiked within weeks, triggering a food security crisis across North Africa and...
Attacked by All Sides: Iraq's New Government Faces Old Problems
After months of deadlock following the November 2025 elections, Iraq's parliament approved a new government under Prime Minister Ali al-Zaid...
Can the Latest US Plan Bridge Libya's Divide?
After over a decade of division between rival factions in eastern and western Libya, the Trump administration has put forward a plan to unit...
MP Fouad Makhzoumi on Lebanon's Future
A fragile cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel is barely holding as military delegations from both countries arrive in Washington for a new...
When Will Energy Markets Recover From the Iran War?
Two and a half months into the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, what lessons can markets draw from the resulting global energy shock? Colby...
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 —...
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 Is...
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 Alista...
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 an...
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 D...
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 ord...