On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman

Kenneth Pollack, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses Iraq’s elections, the prospects for an agreement on an Iranian nuclear deal, and why cyber may be part of Israel’s ‘Plan B’ for Iran. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group, discusses why the Iran nuclear talks could remain in ‘suspended animation;’ why some Iranian leaders may prefer to stick with the ‘resistance economy’ rather than pursue sanctions relief under a new nuclear deal; why the window for goodwill gestures to shake up the nuclear talks may have passed; and the prospects for...

As the Biden administration vows to put an end to America's "endless wars," the United States' military campaign against the Islamic State in Syria stands out as a rare success. Several hundred US Special Operations Forces remain in northeast Syria where they are partnered with the Syria Kurds who played a critical role in defeating the jihadis. But the fallout in diplomatic terms with NATO ally T...

Wall Street Journal National Security Reporter Vivian Salama discusses what to expect at the UN this week, including the impact of the US-France diplomatic dispute on the Middle East; why an Iran nuclear deal remains elusive; the state of UN diplomacy in Yemen, Syria and Libya; and more! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-n...

Professor Gilles Kepel of Université  Paris Sciences et Lettres , discusses his latest book,  The Prophet and the Pandemic;  why Saudi Arabia is shifting its center of gravity to the Red Sea; the symbolism and consequences of Erdogan’s re-Islamization of the Hagia Sophia; and how and why trends in North Africa reach the banileues of Europe. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.c...

The debacle unfolding in Afghanistan starting with the chaotic exit of US troops has reverberated across Iraq with many Iraqis wondering whether a similar future awaits them too. Will the United States pull out of Iraq under pressure from Iran and Iranian backed militias? Will parliamentary elections that are due to be held next month help fix the political paralysis and massive corruption that en...

Turkey helped its Turkic Muslim ally Azerbaijan defeat Armenia in a short and bloody war over the mainly Armenian enclave of Nagorno Karabakh last fall. A Russian brokered peace remains in place and now Turkey says it is ready to reopen its sealed borders and establish diplomatic relations with Armenia . Armenia says it too is ready to normalize ties with Turkey. Given the tragic history, the...

Stephanie Williams, the former acting UN Envoy to Libya, explains the background and prospects for the UN-mediated political transition in Libya; the roles of the US, Turkey, and Russia in the diplomatic process; whether Gen Khalifa Hiftar is strengthened by the unity agreement; and the prospects for elections in December 2021. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...

Al-Monitor columnist Shelly Kittleson shares observations from her reporting in Afghanistan and Iraq, including the Taliban’s relations with Iran and ISIS; what the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan might mean for ISIS in Iraq; her experiences as a woman journalist covering conflict; and her advice for journalists starting a career in international reporting. See Privacy Policy a...

Tunisia has long been touted as the sole success story to emerge from the Arab Spring uprisings. However last month the country’s president sacked the prime minister and suspended the parliament in a move that’s been largely welcomed by a public fed up with a decade of unresolved corruption and poor management. So what lies next? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priva...

Stephen Kalin, Wall Street Journal correspondent based in Riyadh, describes the scope of social, economic, and political change in Saudi Arabia; the prospects for diplomacy with Iran and an end to the Yemen war; the impact of COVID-19 on the Saudi economy; the outlook for Saudi energy policy; US-Saudi relations; and more.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...

Samuel Ramani, a tutor at the University of Oxford and expert on Russia and Africa, explains why international mediation on the Nile Dam talks may continue to flounder; why the UAE has been an ‘exceptional actor’ in the GERD negotiations; the linkages between the Persian Gulf and Red Sea security; the relative interests and influence of the US, Russia and China in Africa; and m...

Al-Monitor columnist Ali Hashem discusses why incoming Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi may not give priority to closing the nuclear deal; why Iran sees an opportunity in Afghanistan; the complex relationships among Iraqi militias and the Iranian government; whether Iran’s policies toward Syria, Lebanon, and the Palestinians are likely to change; and more! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr...

As Turkey negotiates the terms of retaining its forces at Kabul airport with Washington many air concerns that Turkish troops will be imperilled in the wake of the US withdrawal. The Taliban is wresting back control of much of the country as Afghan government troops flee their positions with some seeking refuge in neighboring Tajikistan. The Taliban has said it wants no foreign troops left behind...

Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, UAE Professor of Political Science, discusses why UAE momentum and influence is on the rise in the Middle East; how the Gulf states’ management of the COVID-19 pandemic compares with the West; why the region can be cautiously optimistic on Libya; why the UAE will not back down from either its normalization with Israel or its support for Palestinians; how the regi...

Amberin Zaman speaks this week to Tugba Tanyeri Erdemir, a Turkish academic, about the current status of the Haghia Sophia, the 6th century Byzantine cathedral that was converted from a museum to a full service mosque close to a year ago provoking harsh reactions worldwide. Has the structure been damaged? What further “conquests” does Erdogan have in mind as he pushes ahead with his ambitious...

Fyodor Lukyanov, Chairman of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy in Moscow, discusses why Russia wants an agreement with the US on cyber security; why Russia does not expect the US to lift sanctions on Russia; how Russian and Iranian policies differ in Syria; why Syria and Iran are minor issues in US-Russia relations; how to understand Russian President Vladimir Putin’s relationships with Tu...

Raphael Cormack, visiting researcher at Columbia University, discusses his book,  Midnight in Cairo ; profiles the amazing women who shaped and dominated Egypt’s music, theater, film, and cabaret scene in the early 20th century against the backdrop of dramatic political and social change; describes the rivalry between Mounira al-Mahdiyya and Oum Kalthoum, the two...

Hana Salah, Al-Monitor columnist reporting from Gaza, discusses the impact of Israeli restrictions on Gaza’s reconstruction; the lack of clarity on the mechanism for international assistance; why people are flocking to Gaza’s polluted beaches; and how she managed her family life and professional responsibilities while reporting during the bombing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priva...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Joe Biden are scheduled to hold their first meeting since Biden took office on the sidelines of next week's NATO summit in Brussels. Turkey's growing ties with Russia, symbolized by its acquisition of S-400 missiles, has driven a wedge between Ankara and Washington that is threatening to grow ever wider. Can the two leaders reverse this...

Dr. Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development, Director of the University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, explains what to expect, and not expect, from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to the region this week; why another eruption of political violence is likely, unl...

Jon Alterman, senior vice president, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, discusses the escalation in violence in Israel and Gaza and its impact on Israeli and Palestinian politics; the prospects for US mediation to stop the fighting; US-Israel relations under the Biden Admin...

Dr. Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, president of the Emirates Policy Center, discusses how the Abraham Accords could help provide context for tough concessions on the most controversial issues facing Israelis and Palestinians; UAE interests and expectations in dealing with regional security and Iran; why the UAE is well-placed to help mediate in the Horn of Africa; how the Gulf manages the US-China competition;...

Hana Salah, Al-Monitor columnist based in Gaza, discusses the uptick in violence after the cancellation of Palestinian elections and skirmishes in Jerusalem; why Gaza youth feel hopeless about politics; the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and people’s lives; disappointment among Gazans over the Abraham accords; perceptions of Iran; and expectations regarding the Biden Administration’s polic...

Middle East scholar Arzu Yilmaz argues that Iran has made irreversible gains in Iraq allowing it to more or less dictate the limits of Turkish intervention in Iraq. Turkey is free to operate against the Kurdistan Workers Party in Iraqi Kurdistan but territories such as Sinjar that are disputed between Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurds are a red line. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and C...