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...
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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.
Middle East Focus Podcast Guide
Listen to Middle East Focus, a Government & Organizations podcast by Middle East Institute. Stream 107 episodes in English, follow new audio stories, and play episodes online on Radio and Podcast.
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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...
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...
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 form...
As Iran Weakens, Can Hamas Survive?
MEI Senior Fellow Jaser AbuMousa joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to unpack how Hamas is navigating the US-Israel conflict wit...
Why the Houthis are Holding Back — For Now
Despite claiming they are poised to attack, the Yemeni Houthis have yet to join Iran and its other proxies in their fight against the United...
Can Turkey Stay Out of the Iran War?
Nearly two weeks into the US and Israel's war with Iran, MEI Senior Fellow Gönül Tol joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to explo...
Lebanon on the Brink: Hizballah, Iran, and the War's Spillover
Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellow Fadi Nicholas Nassar to discuss Hizballah's role in the escalating...
Is the Regime Doomed? Iran on the Eve of War
Against the backdrop of one of the largest US military deployments to the Middle East since 2003, MEI Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka joins hosts...
Bibi's Hail Mary on Iran
Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellow Natan Sachs to discuss Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's...
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 S...