Middle East Focus

Jasser Aboumoussa, MEI senior fellow with 20+ years working in Gaza, gives on-the-ground political analysis. He explores Hamas balancing ties with Iran and Qatar. He describes splits between political and military wings and the tug between pro-Iran hardliners and pragmatic leaders. He discusses regional dynamics, risks of Gaza fading from attention, and how weakening Iranian support forces strategic choices.

Nadwa Al-Dawsari, veteran Yemen researcher and policy advisor with 20+ years in the field, explains why the Houthis have stayed out of Iran’s wider fight. She outlines strategic pauses, shifting command dynamics, regional alignments, and tipping points that could drag them in. Short takes on recruitment, Red Sea moves, ties with other groups, and how domestic optics shape their choices.

Gönül Tol, a senior fellow on Turkish politics and author of Erdogan's War, offers sharp analysis of Turkey's tightrope amid the Iran war. She examines Turkey–Iran cooperation and rivalry. She outlines security risks after missile incursions, economic and energy vulnerabilities, refugee worries, Kurdish dynamics, and shifting regional defense ties.

Fadi Nicholas Nassar, a senior fellow and author on Middle Eastern mediation, walks through Lebanon's precarious moment. He discusses why Hezbollah struck now and whether it acts independently or for Iran. Short takes cover Hezbollah’s political costs, Lebanon’s legal ban on arms, shifting public sentiment, and what external support could change.

Alex Vatanka, senior fellow and Iran specialist, outlines Tehran's military posturing and diplomatic signaling. He discusses student-led protests and the surge of monarchist sentiment. He examines ethnic minority grievances, fissures in security forces, and whether foreign strikes would unite or fracture Iran. He also considers pathways for defections and why the regime may eventually collapse.

Natan Sachs, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute who studies Israeli foreign and domestic politics, breaks down Netanyahu's urgent trip to Washington. He talks about Israel's fears of a U.S.-Iran deal, the personal and policy ties with the U.S. president, and how domestic politics and election timing shape Israeli moves. He also covers worries about negotiations that ignore missiles, proxies, and postwar reconstruction.

MEI Senior Fellow Mohammed Soliman joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to discuss his new book, West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East. The book argues that it is time for the United States to move decisively away from nation-building and focus instead on order-building, outlining a framework for a new regional order that links Europe to the Indo-Pacific. Soliman also shares how he conceived of the core ideas behind his book and explains why his thesis is especially relevant in today's geopolitical, economic, and technological landscape. Purchase your copy of West Asia here. Recorded on February 11, 2026.

Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Distinguished Military Fellow Mick Mulroy to discuss the Trump administration's new National Defense Strategy (NDS) and its implications for the Middle East. While serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for the Middle East from 2017 to 2019, Mulroy helped prepare the 2018 NDS, giving him an insider perspective on US defense planning. Together, Taylor, Czekaj, and Mulroy unpack what the new strategy means for US priorities globally and for the Middle East in particular, including how it could be reflected in a potentially looming military strike on Iran. Recorded on February 4, 2026.

MEI Senior Fellow Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to discuss the latest developments in Gaza. Nearly four months after the Israeli government and Hamas agreed to President Donald Trump's 20-point plan, Washington has announced that phase two of the process is now underway. Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, Taylor, and Czekaj examine the humanitarian situation in the devastated coastal strip, assess what phase two could entail, break down how international actors are responding, and explore what would need to happen to realize the plan's aspirations. Recorded on January 27, 2026.

F. Gregory Gause III, Gulf politics scholar, and Fatima Abo Alasrar, Yemen policy specialist, explore Yemen's shifting civil war landscape. They discuss Saudi consolidation of power and the restructuring of southern forces. They analyze the Saudi‑UAE tensions, Tehran’s ties to the Houthis, the rise of nonstate actors, and the obstacles to credible dialogue and DDR in Yemen.