Middle East Focus

Middle East Institute 580 - Regional Escalation and the Fight Over Hormuz

Weekly discussion of Middle East policy, arts, and culture, featuring experts from the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.

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Middle East Focus

Episodes

Regional Escalation and the Fight Over Hormuz

Food Security in a Hotter, Drier North Africa

Inside the Ankara NATO Summit

Trump, Syria, and the Hizballah Question

Do the Gulf States Need a New Playbook?

The US and Iran Signed a Deal — Now What?

The Human Cost of the Strait of Hormuz Closure

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

Can the Latest US Plan Bridge Libya's Divide?

MP Fouad Makhzoumi on Lebanon's Future

When Will Energy Markets Recover From the Iran War?

Middle Eastern Rivalry in the Horn of Africa

How to Wrest Lebanon From Iran's Grip

Violence, Settlements, and Creeping Annexation in the West Bank

A New-Old Regime in Tehran

Bonus Episode: Stalled Talks and Next Steps for the US and Iran

How the War May Reshape Iran's Political Future

Iraq in Between Iran and the United States

Special Episode: Europe and the Iran War

As Iran Weakens, Can Hamas Survive?

Why the Houthis are Holding Back — For Now

Can Turkey Stay Out of the Iran War?

Lebanon on the Brink: Hizballah, Iran, and the War's Spillover

Is the Regime Doomed? Iran on the Eve of War

Bibi's Hail Mary on Iran

From the Middle East to West Asia: Redefining America's Global Strategy

America's New Defense Strategy — and What It Means for Iran

Ambiguous Uncertainties: Phase Two of Trump's Plan for Gaza

Bonus Episode: Can Yemen Hold Together?

Emergency Podcast: Damascus and the Syrian Kurds Come to Blows

Venezuela's Shadow Over MENA: Perceptions and Precedents

Bonus Episode: Tehran's Brewing Troubles

What 2025 Has Wrought... and What 2026 May Bring

What does Trump's new National Security Strategy mean for the Middle East?

Soft Power in Hard Times: Pope Leo XIV's Visit to Lebanon

MBS's Visit and the Future of US-Saudi Relations

From War to Reconstruction: Syria's Next Chapter

Erdogan Forever?

Can Morocco Placate Its Frustrated Youth?

Trump 2.0 and the Middle East: Taking Stock of the First Nine Months

The Gaza Cease-Fire and a Region Reshaped by War

After Two Years of War in Gaza, Can Trump's Plan Deliver Peace?

Water and Power: Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia at Odds Over Africa's Largest Dam

A Middle East NATO? Regional Security Options After Doha

Crossing Red Lines: Israel's Doha Strike and What Comes Next

Under Pressure: Will Snapback Sanctions Bring Iran Back to the Table?

The Middle East's Water and Climate Crisis: Lessons from Iran, Iraq, and the Gulf

Lebanon and the UNIFIL Mandate: Disarming Hizballah and Reclaiming Sovereignty

Egypt and Gaza: Conflict, Crisis, and the Path to a Ceasefire

The Regional and Domestic Elements of Erdoğan's Grand Strategy