Attacked by All Sides: Iraq's New Government Faces Old Problems

Middle East Focus by Middle East Institute

Jun 11, 202635:28Government & Organizations

After months of deadlock following the November 2025 elections, Iraq's parliament approved a new government under Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on May 14, 2026 — just as the country has become a battleground in the US-Isra...

Related Episodes

Continue listening to more episodes from Middle East Focus.

Regional Escalation and the Fight Over Hormuz

Jul 30, 2026 - 39:03

As the US-Israel-Iran war enters its sixth month, the conflict has taken a sharp turn. After a brief lull...

Food Security in a Hotter, Drier North Africa

Jul 23, 2026 - 32:52

This summer, brutally hot temperatures, deepening water scarcity, and spiking fertilizer costs have put N...

Inside the Ankara NATO Summit

Jul 16, 2026 - 39:53

At the recent NATO summit in Ankara, renewed US-Iran strikes and Turkey's push to rejoin the F-35 stealth...

Trump, Syria, and the Hizballah Question

Jul 9, 2026 - 58:04

US President Donald Trump recently proposed that Syria intervene militarily against Hizballah in Lebanon....

Do the Gulf States Need a New Playbook?

Jul 2, 2026 - 35:18

After the US-Israel-Iran war — and the strikes that followed the cease-fire — the Gulf states find themse...

The US and Iran Signed a Deal — Now What?

Jun 25, 2026 - 36:40

After nearly four months of war, the US and Iran have signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding decla...

The Human Cost of the Strait of Hormuz Closure

Jun 18, 2026 - 33:45

When the Strait of Hormuz closed in March, fertilizer prices spiked within weeks, triggering a food secur...

Can the Latest US Plan Bridge Libya's Divide?

Jun 4, 2026 - 37:10

After over a decade of division between rival factions in eastern and western Libya, the Trump administra...