Podcasts

• 

  How the Gulf Sees U.S. Strategy in Iran (w/ Abdulla Al Junaid)

  How the Gulf Sees U.S. Strategy in Iran (w/ Abdulla Al Junaid) With Israeli and Iranian strikes targeting the critical energy infrastructure of the Persian Gulf, GCC countries have found themselves caught in the crossfire of a war beyond their control. Iran’s retaliatory drone and missile strikes threaten to derail global energy markets and the

  MORE
• 

  Syria’s Fragile Transition (w/ Malik al-Abdeh)

  Syria’s Fragile Transition (w/ Malik al-Abdeh) It has been more than a year since the Assad regime was overthrown and the Syrian Transitional Government has held together despite provincial demands for autonomy, enormous economic challenges, Israeli occupation and military strikes, and pressure from the wars in Iran and Lebanon. In some respects, Ahmad al-Shara‘a is

  MORE
• 

  March 15, 2026: A Tale of Two Military Operations

  March 15, 2026: A Tale of Two Military Operations The Kremlin has used the unfolding war in Iran to frame the United States as a reckless “wild elephant” sowing global chaos. Highlighting the destruction of U.S. bases and the “crusading” religious fervor of U.S. military leaders, Russian state media openly contrasts Donald Trump’s “Middle Eastern

  MORE
• 

  March 8, 2026: Is the Iran War an Asset or Liability for Putin?

  March 8, 2026: Is the Iran War an Asset or Liability for Putin? As U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran enter their second week, the Kremlin faces a complex calculus of costs and benefits. On one hand, the conflict has triggered a surge in global oil prices and effectively diverted critical Western weapon systems away from the

  MORE
• 

  March 1, 2026: Watching Iran from Moscow

  March 1, 2026: Watching Iran from Moscow As the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran commenced this weekend, Russian state media took a surprisingly muted tone, avoiding condemnation of President Donald Trump despite characterizing the strikes as a “treacherous attack” on an erstwhile ally. Vladimir Putin, seemingly taken by surprise, has conspicuously withheld any formal opposition, signaling

  MORE