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CONFLICTED

Message Heard
Iran
Israel
Middle East
Syrian Civil War
Syria
Islam
Isis
United States
Yemen
Hamas
Gaza
Ethiopia
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Hezbollah
Sudan
China
Houthis
Ukraine
Donald Trump

An ex-Al Qaeda jihadi turned MI6 spy and a former monk turned filmmaker, have been embedded at the heart of conflicts in the Middle East. Together Aimen Dean and Thomas Small unpack the realities of war, fundamentalism and their global implications through first-hand experience.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes215Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Religion & SpiritualityHistory

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Artwork for CONFLICTED

Latest Episodes

As Aimen works hard to uncover the truth of what's going on in the region now that the MoU has been torn to shreds — or so it seems — and in recognition of Syria being taken off the State Sponsor of Terrorism list, we are rerunning this episode from ... more

In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas discusses the true foundations of modernity with Clifton Crais, author of The Killing Age: How Violence Made the Modern World.

Clifton explains:

• The Mortecene as an alternative to the Anthropocene

• Wh... more

In this special episode, we bring you an exclusive audio episode of ‘Undiscovered’ the new YouTube-first documentary series from Conflicted’s executive producer and Message Heard founder, Jake Warren.

Jake sits down with the legendary journalist Rob... more

In this Conflicted Conversation, Thomas sweats his way through a personally revealing exchange with Quinn Slobodian, Professor of International History at Boston University and the author of Hayek’s Bastards: The Neoliberal Roots of the Populist Righ... more

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Recent Guests

Yeganeh Torbati
New York Times Iran correspondent, co-author of Stolen Revolution
New York Times
Episode: The Betrayal of the Iranian People
George Osborn
Writer and journalist focused on video games and politics
Author of Power Play, Video Games, Politics and the Battle for Global Influence
Episode: Video Games: The Global Battleground of Modern Politics
Elizabeth Tsurkov
Expert on Syria, Iraq, Israel-Palestine, and Iran's proxy network
Think tanks and NGOs tied to Middle East research
Episode: Israel’s Road to Endless War
Hamza Abu Howidy
Gaz an refugee and anti-Hamas activist; discussed West Bank realities and settler violence
Self-described activist; based in Europe
Episode: The West Bank Is Reaching Breaking Point
Jake Warren
Executive producer of Conflicted and founder of Message Heard
Message Heard / Conflicted
Episode: My Road to Conflicted (with Jake Warren)
Sir Jeremy Hunt
Former Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer
UK Government
Episode: Jeremy Hunt: Democracy’s Defeat Is Not Inevitable
James D. Boys
Senior Research Fellow at University College London; author of US Grand Strategy and the Madman Theory from Nixon to Trump
University College London
Episode: The Madman Theory from Nixon to Trump
Marc David Baer
Professor of International History, London School of Economics
London School of Economics
Episode: Utopia or Dystopia? The Truth About Jewish-Muslim History
Sir Vince Cable
Former leader of the Liberal Democrats; economist
House of Commons / Liberal Democrats
Episode: Sir Vince Cable: The Crisis of Liberal Democracy

Hosts

Thomas Small
Host of Conflicted with a focus on geopolitics and regional conflicts; shares lived experience in security and policy commentary.
Aimen Dean
Co-host with geopolitical expertise; ex-MI6 asset providing regional insight and insider perspectives on Middle East conflicts.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 3.1k ratings
  • Mendacious rude nonsense

    Distasteful jokes about blowing up women, brazen untruths about the war situation, absurd attempts to justify bloodshed and war crimes. Even Hitler comparisons, like it’s 1985. I can’t believe people take the commentator at face value. “Like and I mean”. UPDATE: the episode in the “memorandum of misunderstanding” eloquently confirms it. An hour of a dimwitted crashing out and insults. Hilarious.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Aldeboran
    Australia25 days ago
  • Uneven

    Thomas Small is without question an erudite and earnest commentator with a good faith mission to bring understanding to the region. His interview with Anand Gopal on Syria was an absolute standout. Aiman Deen, on the other hand seems to lack any moral compass. His comments on “letting Bibi finish the job” in Iran were shocking. His vanity and boastfulness are hard to take, and his predictions are mostly wrong. Please, can we have more episodes that focus on actual research and scholarship rathe... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    We’re better than this
    Australia2 months ago
  • Only Aimen Dean Worth Listening To

    This is 2 stars to acknowledge the contribution by Aimen Dean. Other than that the guests are not worth listening to for a conservative listener. Just listened to one with Sir Vince Cable about the dangers of the U.S. abandoning the world order as it was until Trump, and especially abandoning Europe - instead of acknowledging the parasitic nature of that relationship on the side of Europe, and the swift kick off the couch European socialists needed badly in order to contribute their share to th... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Smilingpilgrim
    Canada2 months ago
  • Good but centric

    Nice to hear another perspective, but a little too Gulf and Israeli centric. Just because of our historical meddling and support of certain regimes, this should not dictate our future course. Support of certain countries and deployments of troops has created targets of opportunities and vulnerabilities that are then used to justify further military actions. This in turn creates a dependence of certain countries and an expectation that they don’t have to do the heavy lifting in their own backyard... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    magpieclark
    United States2 months ago
  • Biased & Inaccurate

    I listened to most of its episodes because of my research interests and long-standing passion for the Middle East. While I found many discussions engaging, I also came away feeling that both hosts — especially Aimen — often approach issues with a strong ideological lens. In several episodes, their analysis seemed biased and, at times, lacking accuracy or nuance.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Sher Mehryar
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful, data-driven geopolitics with firsthand insight.
Strong guests and rigorous discussion, though occasional bias draws mixed reviews.
Great deep-dives into complex conflicts; sometimes polarizing viewpoints, but consistently informative.
Engaging, sometimes provocative takes that push for deeper understanding of Middle East dynamics.
High-quality analysis with impactful storytelling and historical context.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#193
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#63
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#166
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#110
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#187
Germany/History
Apple Podcasts
#247
Italy/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Betrayal of the Iranian People
Q: What are the core factors that allowed the Islamic Republic to endure for decades despite reform efforts?
A combination of centralized clerical authority, the supremacy of the Supreme Leader, the parallel power of the Revolutionary Guards, and economic mechanisms that co-opted or suppressed independent institutions, all reinforced by a system that valorizes unity during crisis.
The West Bank Is Reaching Breaking Point
Q: Could you tell us the story?
There are two competing narratives about the 2026 Yehuda Shmuel Sherman incident: Palestinians describe a car accident with no intent to harm, while Israeli sources frame it as a deliberate ramming; the important follow-up is the mobilization by settlers and politicians toward revenge, which escalated attacks against numerous Palestinian villages without indictments.
Utopia or Dystopia? The Truth About Jewish-Muslim History
Q: How do modern nationalist and liberal ideas influence perceptions of this history?
Modern ideologies have introduced new lenses—nationalism and liberalism—that sometimes rewrite or mythologize past interactions, intensifying either utopian expectations or perceived perpetual conflict.
Utopia or Dystopia? The Truth About Jewish-Muslim History
Q: What is the central thesis of the book about Jewish–Muslim relations?
The book argues that Jewish–Muslim history is not a simple tale of constant conflict or constant harmony; it is a nuanced, long-running interaction with cycles of cooperation and tension shaped by political, religious, and social contexts.
Sir Vince Cable: The Crisis of Liberal Democracy
Q: What is the difference between a super state and a superpower, and is China more of a super state than India?
Cable explains that super states are economically massive and influential but not necessarily militarily dominant, with China and India as central examples; he highlights that China seeks global reach and economic influence while maintaining different levels of military power compared to the US, and argues for a vocabulary that reflects this new geopolitical reality.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About CONFLICTED

What is CONFLICTED about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A geopolitics-focused show featuring in-depth conversations between a former MI6 asset and a former monk-turned-filmmaker as they analyze war, terrorism, and regional power dynamics in the Middle East. Across episodes, topics span covert diplomacy, intelligence history, and the social and political forces shaping conflict in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the broader Islamic world, often backed by firsthand experience and on-the-ground observations. Notable strengths include high-signal guest expertise from former operatives, journalists, and scholars, plus candid takes on regional alliances, sanctions, and statecraft that help listeners understand complex crises beyond simplistic narratives.

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Which podcasts are similar to CONFLICTED?

These podcasts share a similar audience with CONFLICTED:

1. The Rest Is Classified
2. The Brink
3. UnHerd with Freddie Sayers
4. School of War
5. Global Security Briefing

How many episodes of CONFLICTED are there?

CONFLICTED launched 8 years ago and published 215 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on CONFLICTED?

Recent guests on CONFLICTED include:

1. Yeganeh Torbati
2. George Osborn
3. Elizabeth Tsurkov
4. Hamza Abu Howidy
5. Jake Warren
6. Sir Jeremy Hunt
7. James D. Boys
8. Marc David Baer

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