Best An AlMonitor Podcasts (2025)

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How Trump saved Armenia from war with Azerbaijan & Russian hegemony 36:34

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12d ago36:34

36:34

US President Donald Trump's foray into the Caucasus is among his most successful so far, says analyst Eric Hacopian of Armenia's CivilNet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Why Turkey and Damascus will eventually accept Kurdish self-rule 38:22

13d ago38:22

38:22

Turkey and the interim Syrian government fiercely oppose Kurdish self-rule. Researcher Meghan Bodette argues that the current dynamics will force them into changing tack, with all sides reaping the benefits of compromise. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

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Saudi Arabia would play peacemaker between Damascus and the Kurds — if Syria's Sharaa agreed 35:24

28d ago35:24

35:24

Saudi Arabia has emerged as a critical ally for Syria's new interim government. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman played a key role in getting the United States to lift many sanctions on Syria. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has made it clear that he wants the kingdom to have a big say in his country's affairs that would go beyond helping it finan…

1
What the violent showdown among the Talabanis spells for the future of the PUK and Iraqi Kurdistan 19:50

1M ago19:50

19:50

Last week’s arrest of Lahur Talabani in a violent raid that left four dead set a dangerous precedent, one that could undermine PUK leader Bafel Talabani and the Kurdistan region as a whole, says independent analyst Shayan Talabany. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell…

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Turkey and the UAE's fight for regional influence: Who's winning? 33:40

2M ago33:40

33:40

Jalel Harchaoui, an expert on Gulf and North African power dynamics, unpacks the evolving relationship between the two regional rivals. While ties have improved dramatically since 2021, he warns that lingering rivalries across Africa could reignite tensions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://ar…

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How Syria's tribes hold the key to power 27:10

2M ago27:10

27:10

Haian Dukhan, a leading expert on Syria’s tribal dynamics, unpacks the stakes in the latest surge of violence between Sunni Bedouin tribes and the Druze minority in Suwayda. Retaining tribal support is essential for the country’s post-Assad regime. The government’s failure to quell clashes that have left more than 1,000 people dead has ignited Sunn…

1
Why the PKK and its campaign for Kurdish rights are not history 41:08

3M ago41:08

41:08

On July 11, a group of PKK fighters burned their weapons in a ceremony marking the end of their forty-year-long armed campaign against the Kurdish state. Aliza Marcus, a leading expert on the militant group, says it is too early to determine whether the PKK will abandon armed struggle completely and that much depends on what steps Ankara is prepare…

1
Will Israel attack Iran again and what can it achieve? 22:08

3M ago22:08

22:08

Professor Mohsen Milani, the author of the recently published, "Iran's Rise and Rivalry with the U.S. in the Middle East," explains that airpower alone cannot dislodge Iran's clerical regime. With Iran capable of relaunching its nuclear program, the risk of further Israeli attacks is real. The outcome would likely be regional chaos. See Privacy Pol…

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Turkey's military might will never open doors to EU membership, says Euro-MP Nacho Sánchez Amor 23:21

3M ago23:21

23:21

Nacho Amor is the European Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey. Speaking to Al-Monitor, he blasts EU leaders for their silence over Turkey's appalling human rights record, including the jailing of more than a dozen democratically elected mayors from the main opposition CHP party. He also warns the country's Kurds — who are in the process of negotiati…

1
Iran was battered by Israel and US, but its regime is intact as Iranians rally around flag, says Vali Nasr 36:16

3M ago36:16

36:16

Israel’s conflict with Iran has wiped out dozens of top military leaders and scientists and inflicted major damage on critical facilities, yet the regime has survived. The Iranian people have not risen up; to the contrary, they have rallied around the flag amid a surge in anti-Western sentiment. However, the regime will need to embark on serious re…

1
Israel wants regime change or a failed state in Iran 30:23

3M ago30:23

30:23

As the Iran-Israel conflict enters its fifth day, there are growing signs that the United States will intervene on the side of its Israeli allies. Iranian scholar Hamidreza Azizi says Israel is aiming for regime change or to turn Iran into a failed state. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19…

1
Why Trump’s bromance with Erdogan is risk to Syria’s Kurds as Turkey seeks to dismantle PKK 21:06

4M ago21:06

21:06

Ankara's latest effort to end a four decades long Kurdish insurgency is opaque and is full of risks and opportunities for Turkey and Syria's Kurds says lawmaker Cengiz Candar. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

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Kashmir conflict a reminder of why Saudi Arabia & other Gulf nations favor India over Pakistan 20:36

5M ago20:36

20:36

Talmiz Ahmad, a former Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, explains why Gulf nations led by Saudi Arabia tilt in favor of India despite long-running ties with Muslim Pakistan. Pakistan's refusal to join Saudi Arabia in its war against the Houthis — and a jihadi attack on Mumbai in 2008 — were a tipping point, he says. See Priva…

1
How power is reshaping Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa & why he’s not ‘a Turkish puppet’ 52:24

5M ago52:24

52:24

Charles Lister, the head of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute in Washington, argues that after five months in power Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the ultimate pragmatist, is adjusting to the complexity of governing his ethnically diverse and fractured country. This involves striking deals with the Kurds and Druze that fly in the…

1
US diplomacy can end sectarian clashes between Druze, Syrian government forces 19:38

5M ago19:38

19:38

Makram Rabah, an assistant professor at the American University in Beirut, says that Syria's interim president lacks the power to control his own army and that Washington needs to engage with Syria's new government to help defuse sectarian violence and for peace to prevail in the war-ravaged country. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy …

1
Gaza's children bear brunt of Israeli impunity, says Arwa Damon 22:55

5M ago22:55

22:55

Starvation, disease, mutilation and death have become the norm for children in Gaza, says Arwa Damon, founder of the INARA charity. She warns that aid workers, journalists and medics are also being targeted, making it nearly impossible to deliver relief to children trapped in a cycle of despair. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and C…

1
What do the mass protests mean for future of Turkey & Erdogan? 29:23

6M ago29:23

29:23

Since last week, Turkey has been rocked by mass protests over the jailing of Istanbul's opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, on thinly-evidence corruption and terrorism charges. These protests are widely seen as the most significant challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since he came to power 22 years ago. Turkey experts Gonul Tol and Lisel Hint…

1
Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa will keep Russia in the game 35:20

6M ago35:20

35:20

Russia is seeking to keep its naval bases in Syria, viewing them as a vital strategic asset. Syria's interim president, a hard nosed pragmatist, will likely strike working relations with the Kremlin while trying to defuse tensions with Israel and win over the United States, says the International Crisis Group's Jerome Drevon, who has met Sharaa num…

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French academic Fabrice Balanche: Syria's Islamist leader wants to make example of Alawites 20:26

7M ago20:26

20:26

The wave of sectarian violence that gripped Syria last week has marred the image of the country's new Islamist president, Ahmad al-Sharaa. Could the government have done more to prevent it? French academic Fabrice Balanche says it absolutely could have. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.c…

1
How Israel is driving Syria’s new leadership into Turkey’s arms 27:07

7M ago27:07

27:07

Israel's expansionist policy in Syria's Golan Heights and its support for the Druze and Kurdish minorities are justified by Israeli officials on the grounds that they are protecting natural allies and countering Turkish influence. Yet Syria expert Joshua Landis says Israel's actions are having the opposite effect, making Syria's new Islamist leader…

1
Russian mercenaries remain in business even after death of Wagner's Prighozin 24:16

7M ago24:16

24:16

Private military contractors are changing the nature of warfare as national governments outsource fighting to mercenaries, especially in the Middle East and Africa. None has elicited as much interest as Russia's Wagner Group and its founder Yevgheny Prighozin with others following in his footsteps, as author John Lechner explains. See Privacy Polic…

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PKK leader Ocalan has the power to deliver peace, but is Turkey sincere? 27:06

7M ago27:06

27:06

Since April last year, the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in talks with imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. The goal is to get his organization to end its 40 year-long armed campaign against the Turkish state. But one of Turkey's demands, that Ocalan’s concessions extend to northeast Syria where a PKK-linked group …

1
For some in Iran, Turkey is a bigger threat than Israel as its regional influence rises 24:29

8M ago24:29

24:29

The surprise fall of Iran's close regional ally Bashar al-Assad has dealt a huge blow to Tehran's so called axis of resistance running through Iraq onto Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran's loss is Turkey's gain and Tehran is increasingly worried about rising Turkish influence, says Hamidreza Azizi. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy…

1
What Trump means for Iran 24:31

8M ago24:31

24:31

Iran is badly weakened by Israel's pummeling of its Shiite allies in the Levant. Yet, unlike during Trump's first presidential term, Gulf powerhouse Saudi Arabia has been mending relations with the Islamic Republic. Vali Nasr, a leading expert on Iran, says there is room for cautious optimism for nuclear talks to resume. See Privacy Policy at https…

1
Why Syria's new Islamist leaders deserve Western support 27:51

9M ago27:51

27:51

Nikolaos van Dam, the Netherland's former Syria envoy and an acclaimed Arabist who has authored several books on the country, says Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's new ruler and the leader of the al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, ought to be supported by Western governments. The ambassador notes that the risk of renewed conflict remains high in Syria…

1
Will Turkey and Israel go to war over Syria? 22:04

9M ago22:04

22:04

Turkey expert Gallia Lindenstrauss, who is a senior fellow at Israel's National Institute of Security Studies, says Israel is concerned about Turkey's expanding influence in Syria with the rise to power of the Al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. With thousands of Turkish troops deployed in Syria, Lindenstrauss says an accidental confrontation w…

1
Turkish lawmaker Cengiz Candar: 'Turkey's endgame is to destroy Kurdish autonomy in Syria' 38:22

10M ago38:22

38:22

Cengiz Candar is a lawmaker for the pro-Kurdish DEM party in Turkey who has spent long years in the Middle East. Candar outlines how Israel has hugely benefited from the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, while Turkey — another big winner — is seeking to thwart Kurdish aspirations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priv…

1
How Turkey is playing with fire in Syria with its backing of new anti-Assad offensive 26:24

10M ago26:24

26:24

French academic Fabrice Balanche, who has written extensively on Syria and just returned from a ten-day -long trip there, believes Turkey is paying a high stakes poker game in Syria through its backing of a Salafist group that has made stunning advances against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy…

1
What will Middle East policy look like under the new Trump administration? 41:47

11M ago41:47

41:47

Jim Jeffrey, the director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center and former Syria Envoy under the first Trump administration, says in his new term Trump could pull US forces out of Syria. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

1
What is Turkey’s human rights outlook with new spy law, ousting of Kurdish mayors? 19:58

11M ago19:58

19:58

Human Rights Watch’s Turkey director, Emma Sinclair Webb, analyzes new legislation targeting journalists and civil society and the ouster of Kurdish mayors. The new wave of repression is being greeted with silence by Turkey's western allies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#d…

1
What does the PKK want from Turkey? 24:44

11M ago24:44

24:44

The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is holding exploratory talks with Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK, to end the 40-year-old Kurdish conflict. Turkey has made clear its expectation that the PKK lay down its arms and end the conflict. What would it take for the PKK to comply…

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What does the death of Fethullah Gulen mean for Turkey? 31:02

11M ago31:02

31:02

Fethullah Gulen, the Sunni Muslim Cleric who was accused of engineering the failed coup to overthrow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has died in self imposed exile in the United States. Once feted as a moderate who steered generations of young Muslims away from radicalism, Gulen did untold harm to Turkey's fragile democracy, says Turkish an…

1
What are Hezbollah's choices after Israel killed its leader, and which way will Iran point? 22:35

12M ago22:35

22:35

The risk of a region-wide war is growing as Israel carries out ground and air operations against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and beyond. Hezbollah and Iran have been irreversibly weakened in this latest cycle of violence, argues scholar Lina Khatib of Chatham House. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy No…

1
Israel's war on Hezbollah: Why it's existential and what comes next 27:07

1y ago27:07

27:07

Jim Muir, one of the most seasoned Western journalists in the Middle East, has been covering the Arab-Israeli conflict for almost 50 years. Muir tells Al-Monitor that the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is unlike any other in the past, with unforeseeable consequences for both sides, as well for Lebanon and Iran. See Privacy Po…

1
Why growing US-Cyprus defense cooperation spooks Turkey 20:51

1y ago20:51

20:51

On Sept. 9, Cyrus and the United States inked a defense cooperation agreement, sparking angry reactions from Turkey. The agreement was signed as Turkey's relations with Washington remain essentially on the rocks. Turkey charges that the United States is using Cyprus to ship weapons to Israel, an accusation that Cyprus denies. However, what goes on …

1
Turkey's Islamists tried to topple Syria's Assad, its pro-secular military backed Syrian Islamists against his dad 33:34

1y ago33:34

33:34

Few know the true story behind Syria's support for Kurdish militants fighting Turkey. Turkish academic Behlul Ozkan explains how and why Turkey's pro-military rulers backed an Islamist uprising in the early 1980s against the regime of Hafez al-Assad, leading Damascus to open its doors to the PKK. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and …

1
How will Kamala Harris approach the Middle East if elected and what does her top foreign policy adviser Phil Gordon think? 29:52

1y ago29:52

29:52

While little is known about Vice President Kamala Harris' views on the Middle East and on the world in general, there is far more information available about the approach of her top foreign policy adviser, Phil Gordon, who will likely land a prime position in a future Harris administration if she wins in November. Omer Taspinar, a professor of nati…

1
What are the risks and opportunities for Russia as it grows closer to Iran at Israel's expense? 23:08

1y ago23:08

23:08

Russia's national security chief, Sergei Shoigu, traveled to Tehran this week where he met with Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeskhian. Coming on the heels of the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil, Shoigu's visit prompted a flurry of speculation about the Kremlin's intentions. Iran has vowed revenge for the attack which it has…

1
How will Iran respond to Israel's assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran? 25:36

1y ago25:36

25:36

Hamidreza Azizi is a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. He tells Al-Monitor that Iran's proxies in Yemen, Iraq and Syria will likely carry out a coordinated campaign to avenge Haniyeh's death and that the chances of a ceasefire in Gaza have been dealt a crippling blow. The risk of a full-blown regional c…

1
New Islamists value power over ideology and Turkey's Erdogan is their master 17:22

1y ago17:22

17:22

Ezgi Basaran is a Turkish journalist turned academic who has written a new book examining the outsize influence of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party over Tunisia's Islamist Ennahda party and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood party. While both have suffered huge setbacks, Basaran argues they will re-emerge and that the pursuit of power will tru…

1
How Iran may look under new Reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian 42:08

1y ago42:08

42:08

The election victory of heart surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian has aroused hopes and doubts in Iran and beyond. He is a Reformist who says he will be more lenient towards women and will seek to reduce tensions with the West. Yet, his record is spotty. While defying hawkish clerics on some critical occasions, he has stood up for them on others. As with all…

1
Benyamin Poghosyan on why Armenia's peace bid with Azerbaijan, Turkey is proving so hard 26:37

1y ago26:37

26:37

Washington is piling pressure on Azerbaijan to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan that would allow Turkey to normalize its relations with Armenia. But Azerbaijan is resisting calls to finalize a draft peace agreement and wants further concessions from Armenia. Benjamin Poghosyan, a senior research fellow at the ARPI think tank in Yerevan, expla…

1
Vali Nasr explains why Iran's presidential elections matter and how a Western-friendly heart surgeon might win 33:51

1+ y ago33:51

33:51

Iran is due to hold presidential elections on June 28 that were precipitated by the death in May in a helicopter crash of former President Ebrahim Raisi. Although real power is held by the country's supreme leader, presidents can make a difference in the daily lives of Iranians and even in foreign policy should the supreme leader agree. The candida…

1
Why Iran is stronger, Israel more vulnerable, and the US needs to engage more in the Mideast 37:55

1+ y ago37:55

37:55

As the Gaza conflict enters its eighth month, Iran stands out as the one country that has succeeded in projecting further as a result. Israel is more vulnerable than it’s ever been and the United States must engage more smartly in the Middle East to protect its interests, argues Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and t…

1
Syrian-Kurdish leader Saleh Muslim says it's the people, not US or Turkey, who decide local elections in northeast Syria 21:47

1+ y ago21:47

21:47

The Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria is planning to hold landmark local elections in the majority Kurdish and Arab areas under its control. Syrian-Kurdish leader Saleh Muslim says "radical democracy" will be in play as people elect their leaders at every level of local governance, with a man and a woman selected for each post. Turkey h…

1
Why did Kuwait, one of the most democratic countries in the Mideast, take a sharp autocratic turn & what comes next? 28:31

1+ y ago28:31

28:31

Kristin Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, unpacks Kuwait's dramatic turn last week when the country's ruling Emir suspended the parliament and parts of the constitution. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

1
As Greek PM heads to Ankara to meet Erdogan, is this truly 'a new era' between Turkey & Greece? 34:23

1+ y ago34:23

34:23

Greek academic Ioannis Grigoriadis believes that no major breakthroughs should be expected during Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' visit. Keeping the channels of communication open and building on the positive agenda promoted by both sides is, however, crucial to averting conflict, notably over Cyprus. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pri…

1
Turkey’s former PM Davutoglu, who met Hamas leaders this week, outlines their demands for peace 41:33

1+ y ago41:33

41:33

Former Turkish Prime Minister and leader of the pro-Islamic Future Party Ahmet Davutoglu met with Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Meshal this week and shared their conditions for peace with Al-Monitor. Davutoglu sharply criticized the governments of Turkey and Arab states, saying they had done close to nothing for Gaza. See Privacy Policy a…

1
Sister of Israeli-Russian scholar Elizabeth Tsurkov, who is being held by Iran-backed Shiite militia, calls for US military sanctions on Iraq 20:21

1+ y ago20:21

20:21

Emma Tsurkov insists that the best way to get Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to make good on his pledges to secure her sister's freedom is for the United States to wield the threat of military sanctions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

1
Iran established deterrence against Israel proving through its actions it could do more harm, says academic Hassan Ahmadian 24:44

1+ y ago24:44

24:44

Iran's weekend attack on Israel in response to an Israeli attack on its diplomatic mission in Syria has put an already explosive region on edge. Israel has vowed to retaliate and Iran says should it do so its own response will be massive. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-n…