Conflicts of Interest

JNIM. Islamic State Sahel Province. Boko Haram. These are the groups driving a surge in violence across the Sahel—now the world’s deadliest region for terrorism. Across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, attacks are escalating at a pace that outstrips every other region globally. Coups, foreign troop withdrawals, and weakening state control have created space for militant groups to expand, adapt, and...

Six weeks into the Iran conflict, the tides are shifting rapidly—and the stakes could not be higher.  As the U.S. and Israel escalate their military posture, threatening to impose a naval blockade on Iran, a new chapter in regional power plays is unfolding—one that could redefine control over the Strait of Hormuz and the entire Persian Gulf.  In this episode of Conflict of Interest, ACLED CEO Prof...

A ceasefire has been announced in the Iran war — but is this really de-escalation, or a strategic defeat for the United States and its allies? In this episode of Conflicts of Interest , ACLED CEO Professor Clionadh Raleigh and Bron Mills break down the fragile Iran ceasefire, the unanswered questions around the deal, and why control of the Strait of Hormuz could leave Tehran in a stronger position...

President Trump said the Iran war objectives ‘near completion’ in a televised speech last night - But what does that actually mean? In this episode of Conflicts of Interest , ACLED CEO Clionadh Raleigh unpacks the latest developments in the Iran war with ACLED’s Media Manager, Bron Mills — from Iran’s leverage over key shipping routes to the limits of Israel’s decapitation strategy. They also expl...

The Iran war took another turn this weekend as Yemen’s Houthi movement officially entered the conflict, launching missile attacks against Israel and outlining new red lines that could pull more actors into the fight. In this episode of Conflicts of Interest , ACLED CEO Clionadh Raleigh is joined by ACLED's Yemen expert Dr Luca Nevola to unpack what the Houthis’ decision means for the region....

One month into the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, the focus is often on the battlefield. But wars rarely stay confined to one region. In this special extended edition of Conflicts of Interest, ACLED founder and CEO Clionadh Raleigh brings together regional experts from across the organisation to examine how the conflict is already reshaping dynamics far beyond the Middle East. Fr...

As the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran approaches its first month, the question many analysts are now asking is whether the conflict could escalate beyond airstrikes. With thousands of U.S. troops moving into the region and growing speculation about operations around the Strait of Hormuz, talk of a possible ground invasion is no longer hypothetical.  In this episode of Conflicts of...

As the war around Iran continues to widen, attention is turning to the network of militias linked to Tehran across the region. In this episode of Conflicts of Interest , Prof. Clionadh Raleigh is joined by ACLED experts Dr Luca Nevola and Bassel Doueik to unpack what’s happening on two key fronts: Yemen and Lebanon. Why has Hezbollah escalated from Lebanon, while the Houthis appear to be holding b...

The Iran war is more than a regional conflict. In this episode of Conflicts of Interest , Bron Mills and ACLED CEO Clionadh Raleigh examine how the war between Iran, Israel, and the United States is expanding beyond the battlefield, affecting global energy markets, regional alliances, oil supply and the wider international system. They discuss the growing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, wher...

As strikes between Iran, Israel, and the United States continue, the conflict is entering a dangerous new phase. What began as an exchange of missile attacks is quickly evolving into a broader regional confrontation with global consequences. In this emergency episode of Conflict of Interest , ACLED CEO Clionadh Raleigh and media relations manager Bron Mills break down what the first ten days of th...

What happens when strikes, assassinations, and internal unrest collide inside one of the Middle East's most powerful states? In this emergency episode of Conflicts of Interest, Professor Clionadh Raleigh and ACLED Media Relations Manager Bron Mills break down the rapidly escalating crisis in Iran — from US and Israeli strikes on military infrastructure and senior leadership, to instability ri...

What happens when the killing of Iran’s supreme leader sends shockwaves across an already volatile region? In this emergency episode of Conflicts of Interest , Professor Clionadh Raleigh is joined by ACLED Media Relations Manager Bron Mills to unpack the explosive developments in Iran and the wider Middle East following this weekend’s strikes. What do leadership decapitation, regional retaliation,...

Ukraine: Frozen frontlines. Frozen homes. Four years into the war, territorial change is minimal, but renewed strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left civilians freezing. Ranked the deadliest country in the world by ACLED’s Conflict Index, the conflict is increasingly shaped by drones and attacks far from the battlefield. Clionadh Raleigh and Dr Caitriona Dowd break down what people st...

What happens when the death of a cartel leader reshapes violence across an entire country? In this special episode of Conflicts of Interest , Professor Clionadh Raleigh and Dr Caitriona Dowd are joined by ACLED Senior analyst for Latin America, Sandra Pellegrini to unpack the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes — “El Mencho” — and the power vacuum already fuelling violence in Mexico. What comes...

What happens when Gulf rivalries travel far beyond the Middle East — and into Africa’s most fragile regions? In this episode of Conflicts of Interest , Professor Clionadh Raleigh and Dr Caitriona Dowd unpack how Saudi Arabia and the UAE are shaping conflicts across the Horn of Africa, from Yemen to Sudan, often through non-state actors, proxy forces, and economic leverage. The conversation explore...

Who decides war and peace in Gaza, and how much power does political leadership hold? In this episode of Conflicts of Interest, Professor Clionadh Raleigh and Dr Caitriona Dowd examine the rise of the Board of Peace and ask whether global decision-making over conflict is being centralised, with Donald Trump taking the lead. Using Gaza as a reference point, the conversation explores how current pea...

President Trump said his New Years Resolution was "peace on earth" ... others suggest it's "world domination" The US president told the New York Times that there is only one thing that can limit his global power: his own morality, adding that he does not need international law. In this episode of Conflicts of Interest , Professor Clionadh Raleigh and Dr Caitriona Dowd unpa...

2025 marked a turning point in global conflict — not because violence suddenly appeared, but because it reached a scale, spread, and persistence that now feels like a new normal. In this year-end episode of Conflicts of Interest , Prof. Clionadh Raleigh and Dr Caitriona Dowd l ook back at what 2025 revealed about political violence around the world.  Drawing on data and analysis from ACLED, they u...

With help from President Trump and Nicki Minaj, recent headlines have raised alarm about the safety of Christian communities in Nigeria, with claims that Christians are being deliberately targeted amid worsening insecurity.  These narratives have travelled quickly … shaping political debate, international responses, and public understanding.  But do they reflect the full picture of violence in the...

Comedian Simon Brodkin once asked, ‘If I had a phone, am I more or less likely to make a call than someone without one?’ In this episode of Conflicts of Interest , Professor Clionadh Raleigh and Dr Caitriona Dowd unpack the narratives around gun violence and political violence in the United States, and interrogate where they come from.  Drawing on data and analysis from ACLED, the hosts explore th...

Across the world, Gen Z are showing up in the streets. From mass demonstrations to sudden protest waves, young people are repeatedly mobilizing against governments they see as unresponsive, corrupt, or simply irrelevant to their lives. But a harder question lingers beneath the headlines: do these protests actually achieve anything? In this episode, Prof. Caitriona Raleigh and Dr Caitriona Dowd dis...

Get a front-row seat as two friends attempt to put the world to rights — and just happen to be world-leading experts on political violence. Conflicts of Interest, the podcast by ACLED, is coming soon. Be sure to follow so you never miss an episode. For more conversations like this, subscribe to Conflicts of Interest and watch the full episode on YouTube.  Conflicts of Interest: https://www.youtube...