The Inside Story Podcast

Widespread unrest, killings and arrests in Iran during protests sparked by a collapse in the local currency. The leadership says it will listen to demonstrators but rioters face the death penalty. As the US warns against a crackdown, how volatile is the situation?  In this episode:  Mehran Kamrava, Head, Iranian Studies, Arab Center for Policy Studies and Research. Roxane Farmanfarm...

What are Saudi Arabia's plans in southern Yemen? Riyadh says it will soon host a dialogue between the main players. It comes after the Southern Transitional Council issued a statement saying it had disbanded. But will the new realities on the ground serve long-term Saudi goals in Yemen? In this episode:  Khaled Batarfi, Political analyst Farea Al Muslimi, Research Fellow at Chatham...

What is the impact of the US withdrawal from dozens of United Nations and international agencies? Washington says the organisations threaten its sovereignty. But the UN says the US has a legal obligation to fund them. So, where does this all leave the multilateral global order? In this episode:  Adolfo Franco, Republican strategist and former adviser to U.S. Senator John McCain Andrew Gilmour...

Renewed clashes in the Syrian city of Aleppo between the army and Kurdish fighters are undermining efforts to achieve national unity. The violence erupted after a failure to implement a deal on incorporating fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces into the army. Can tension be contained this time? In this episode: Labib Nahhas, Syria analyst Omer Ozkizilcik, Nonresident fellow for the S...

The so-called Coalition of the Willing says it is going to provide Ukraine with robust security guarantees if a peace deal is agreed with Russia. The UK and France pledged boots on the ground once the agreement takes effect.  But is that enough? And would Russia accept foreign troops in Ukraine? In this episode:  Oleksiy Goncharenko, politician and member of the Ukrainian parli...

Venezuela's closest ally, Cuba, is on edge after the capture of president Nicolas Maduro and US politicians' warnings to Havana. US President Donald Trump says Cuba is near collapse. So what are Washington's plans? And what's the thinking in Havana?  In this episode:  Liz Oliva Fernandez, independent Cuban journalist John Suarez, Executive Director, the Center for a Free Cuba Michael Shi...

The capture of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro by the US came despite his country's long-standing alliance with both China and Russia. Both have criticised the US attack but have taken no action. What are the implications for Russia and China?  In this episode:  Andrey Kortunov, former Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council  Chris Weafer, Chief Executive...

The US capture of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro has been sharply criticised by his allies, but not by Western nations despite questions about its legality. So, does the attack on Venezuela signal a new aggressive US strategy? What might be its global impact? In this episode:  Charles Shapiro, Former US Ambassador to Venezuela under President George W. Bush.  Stefan Wolff, Professo...

US special forces capture Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro - in a daring attack that's taken the country and the world by surprise. He'd denied accusations by president Donald Trump of heading a narcotics cartel. So, what are the implications of Washington's actions?  In this episode:  Phil Gunson - senior analyst for the Andes Project at the International Crisis Group.  Richard...

How fragile is the US healthcare system? Millions of Americans face a sharp increase in their insurance premiums. That's after Congress failed to renew subsidies provided by Obamacare. So, what's the impact for those in need? And how much politics is involved? In this episode:  Lindsay Allen - Health Economist and Policy Researcher at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University...

Angry protests across Iran as the country faces economic turmoil. The president is calling on the government to hear the protesters' demands. But who's to blame for Iran's deep economic crisis? And how far will the demonstrations go? In this episode:  Ali Akbar Dareini - Researcher at Center for Strategic Studies. Marzie Khalilian - Political Analyst and Academic Researcher. St...

From close allies to rivals. The United Arab Emirates says it's pulling its troops out of Yemen. That's after an ultimatum by the Saudi-backed presidential council of Yemen. After a decade of alliance, what's triggered this rupture? And where does it leave its plans in war-torn Yemen? In this episode:  Abdul-aziz Al Ghashian, Senior Non-Resident Fellow at Gulf Internationa...

Tension is running high between China and Taiwan. Beijing is carrying out its biggest-ever military drills off the island, saying they're a warning to what it calls separatist forces. So what's behind this show of power? And would China use force against Taiwan? In this episode:  Shaun Rein, Founder & Managing Director of China Market Research Group. Chen Shen Yen, Research Fellow In...

Renewed sectarian anger grips parts of Syria. Alawite protesters confront government supporters and masked men attack security forces. Alawites say they're being marginalised. How serious is this latest threat to President al-Sharaa's effort to unify the country? In this episode:  Fadel Abdulghany, Founder & Executive Director, Syrian Network for Human Rights. Gamal Mansour...

Israel has become the first country to recognise Somaliland, the breakaway region of Somalia. That's angered Mogadishu, as well as African and Arab states. Why are they upset? And how will it affect politics in the region? In this episode:  Adam Matan, Independent Horn of Africa Consultant. Alon Pinkas, Former Ambassador and Consul General of Israel in New York. Xavier Abu Eid, Poli...

The US President says they are against ISIL, claiming it targets Christians in the country. But are his allegations of religious persecution in Nigeria justified? And could his administration have other motives? In this episode:  Malik Samuel, Senior Researcher at Good Governance Africa. Ebenezer Obadare, Senior Fellow for Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. David Otto, Deputy...

UN experts say the group remains a major threat to stability in Somalia and neighbouring countries. And it is still able to carry out attacks repeatedly. So what does it mean for security in this part of Africa? In this episode:  Ismael Tahir, Research Fellow at Hilin, an organisation committed to development, governance and politics in the Somali Peninsula.  Afyare Elmi, Research Profes...

Israel is escalating the confiscation of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank and approving new illegal settlements at an unprecedented scale. Its actions have drawn condemnation. But what are the consequences on the ground? And how does this hinder prospects for peace? In this episode:  Xavier Abu Eid - Political analyst and former adviser to the P-L-O negotiation team Daniel Levy - Pr...

After another year of fighting, is peace on the horizon for Sudan in 2026? Khartoum has come up with a plan to end the conflict, but the UN warns the violence is worsening. Where does this leave the country's future and the millions affected by the fighting? In this episode:  Ahmad Ibrahim, Independent Sudan Analyst. Cameron Hudson, Former Director, African Affairs, US National Security Counc...

How will the Syrian government deal with its growing security challenges? Renewed fighting between the army and Syrian Democratic Forces is highlighting the volatility facing the country. A truce is now in place, but will it lead to an agreement to integrate the SDF militia into the army? In this episode:  Haid Haid, Researcher, Chatham House. Steven Heydemann, Professor and Middle East Studi...

In the ongoing fighting between Thailand and Cambodia - does diplomacy stand a chance? The two sides have held their first face-to-face meeting in a regional push for peace. But without any let-up in the long-running conflict, what will it take to bring it to an end? In this episode:  Chheang Vannarith, Chairman, Angkor Social Innovation Park.  Ilango Karuppannan, Adjunct Senior Fellow,...

Political tension and unrest in Bangladesh after the assassination of a student leader of last year's uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina. Elections for a new government are due in February. So how volatile is the political situation now?  In this episode:  Taqbir Huda, Human Rights Lawyer.  Asif Shahan, Professor, Development Studies, University of Dhaka. Fahmida Khatun, Execut...

European farmers protest against the EU-Mercosur agreement. That's as signing has been postponed until January, due to disagreements in Europe. The European-South American deal planned for more than 25 years, would create the world's largest free-trade zone. So why is there division?  In this episode:  Pieter Cleppe - Editor-in-Chief at BrusselsReport-dot-eu Ciaran Mullooly - Member...

Daily Israeli breaches of the Gaza ceasefire agreement threaten the entire peace process, says the Qatari prime minister, who helped broker the deal forged by Donald Trump. So, what's gone wrong -- and what might the US president do to get it back on track?  In this episode:  Tamer Qarmout - Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies Daniel Levy - Pre...

Russia and China voice support for Venezuela after Donald Trump intensifies pressure on Nicolas Maduro. The US blockades sanctioned oil tankers in the midst of a major military build-up in the region. What are the dangers - and what might happen next?  In this episode:  Paul Dobson - Independent journalist and political analyst in Venezuela  Elias Ferrer - Founder of Orino...