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CONFLICTED

Message Heard
Iran
Israel
Middle East
Syria
Syrian Civil War
United States
Islam
ISIS
Yemen
Hamas
Saudi Arabia
Houthis
Gaza
Russia
Ethiopia
China
Sudan
Hezbollah
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 weeklyEpisodes243Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryReligion & Spirituality

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Artwork for CONFLICTED

Latest Episodes

We welcome back friend of the show Baraa Shiban, who was recently on the front lines in Yemen. The Houthis have surrounded Taiz once again. Can the city that has defied Yemen's tyrants for generations hold out against another devastating siege?

For ... more

In this latest Conflicted Conversation, Ruben Andersson, professor of social anthropology at Oxford University's Department of International Development, discusses his new book Age of Security: The Rise of a Global Obsession.

For deeper dives and wo... more

In this latest Conflicted Conversation, journalist Adrian Wooldridge discusses his latest book Centrists of the World Unite: The Lost Genius of Liberalism.

For deeper dives and world-class Q&As with Aimen Dean, join the CONFLICTED COMMUNITY here: ⁠⁠... more

Sudan’s civil war has become a regional proxy struggle, with the UAE, Egypt, Iran, Turkey and other powers backing rival armed camps as the country fragments under the pressure of war. But while the RSF’s foreign support has drawn intense scrutiny, t... more

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Recent Guests

Baraa Shiban
Friend of the show, on-the-ground reporter in Taiz
Embedded journalist, Taiz frontlines
Episode: Taiz: The Yemeni City That Refuses to Surrender
Ruben Andersson
Professor of Social Anthropology and author of Age of Security, The Rise of a Global Obsession
University of Oxford
Episode: We’re Addicted to Security, and It’s Destroying Us
Adrian Wooldridge
Journalist and author; author of Centrists of the World Unite
Bloomberg / The Economist
Episode: Adrian Wooldridge: Can Liberalism Save Itself?
Aimen Dean
Former Al-Qaeda member turned MI6 asset; geopolitical analyst on Conflicted
MI6/Former Al-Qaeda
Episode: The Real Geopolitics of Sudan’s Civil War
Joby Warrick
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author
Author of The Jackal, The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the world's first super-terrorist
Episode: Carlos the Jackal: The World’s First Super-Terrorist
Muhammad al-Basha
Yemeni-American analyst, founder of the Basha Report
Basha Report
Episode: The Houthis Are Winning — Here’s Why
Anthony Kaldellis
Gaylord Donnelly Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
Episode: 1453: The Catastrophe That Ended Rome
Philip Cunliffe
Associate Professor of International Relations at University College London
University College London
Episode: Globalisation Made Global Jihad Possible
Rana Dasgupta
Award-winning novelist and essayist, author of After Nations
Books and scholarly work on world order
Episode: The End of the Nation State?

Host

Thomas Small
Host of Conflicted; frequently guides high-level geopolitical analysis and interviews guests across history, security, and policy.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 3.1k ratings
  • Love for dictators

    Aiman love for gulf brutal monarchs and unconditionally back them makes the podcast shallow.

    Iran is bad but if same conditions appear in front of gulf monarch they too will not blink in killing their citizens. Go east lads. :)

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    TeeZee1990
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • How the modern Middle East was made

    So interesting, I had no idea of this history, my sum knowledge was Laurence of Arabia and Gertrude bell, and a vague memory of the Iranian embassy siege, I hadn’t even appreciated the geography till the recent eruption in the gulf. I’m definitely buying the book.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dr LSP
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • The Rise of the Offshore World

    This quality of the podcast is becoming very poor. The episode on the Rise of the Offshore World is possibly the worst podcast I have ever listened to in my life. What was the point or conclusion of this episode? A 16 year old high school student who has studied elementary economics or history could have told me everything in this podcast. And yet you present it as though it’s some sort of revelation or a piece of ground breaking academic research?

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Alec Trevelyan (006)
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Disappointed in the political direction of this show

    I really used to enjoy this podcast but recently the hosts particularly Aimen have taken an extremely pro Israel pro America pro UAE stance. The discussions are now biased and one sided which is a real shame .

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Rayyan Jamal
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Disgusting defence of Islamic slavery

    Just horrid. Discussing slavery but only the parts where slaves had a better deal. Even then, never discussing the impact of castration. Just vile. Gutless. Cowardly. Sick…

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Jimini666
    United Kingdom3 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners praise deep, expert analysis and firsthand guest insight.
Some reviews note perceived bias; quality and depth remain strong for many listeners.
A few critics call out bias or a narrow regional focus, but many find episodes highly informative.
Guests and hosts are described as knowledgeable, with high production and storytelling quality.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#100
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#159
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#149
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#198
Germany/History
Apple Podcasts
#181
United Arab Emirates/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#20
United Arab Emirates/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Adrian Wooldridge: Can Liberalism Save Itself?
Q: What role should majorities play in a liberal order, and how should liberalism respond to populist pressures?
The hosts debate the danger of majoritarianism vs. minority protections, arguing for a balance where democratic processes are constrained by constitutional norms and a culture of open debate that resists simplistic majoritarian rule.
Adrian Wooldridge: Can Liberalism Save Itself?
Q: Adrian, what is the essence of liberalism, and how does it differ from various partisan interpretations?
Adrian argues that liberalism rests on three pillars—individualism, tolerance, and skepticism about power—and its value comes from how these are balanced within a pluralistic society, not from mere niceness or free markets alone.
Trump's Strangulation Strategy
Q: What factors are argued to be influencing U.S. policy decisions in the near term?
Factors include upcoming midterm elections, the Venezuela oil deal to restock SPR, internal White House dynamics, and the push to keep oil prices in check while ensuring regional stability—leading to a sometimes more restrained but still persistent pressure campaign.
The Battle for Taiwan
Q: Why does Taiwan matter so much beyond its own borders?
Taiwan matters because of its strategic location, its advanced tech sector, and the role its democracy plays in shaping regional and global stability; control over Taiwan would alter power dynamics in the Pacific and threaten the existing liberal order.
Simon Sebag Montefiore: How the Modern Middle East Was Made
Q: What, if any, alternate historical path might have avoided some of today's tensions, such as a different outcome for post-Ottoman state borders or the handling of the Arab-Israeli question?
The guest points to the Ark of missed opportunities around mandates and borders—imagining scenarios where different early decisions might have preserved multi-ethnic, plural identities in some states, potentially reducing later nationalist consolidation and conflict.

Audience Metrics

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

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1. Middle East Focus
2. The Rest Is Classified
3. Conflicted: A History Podcast
4. TRIGGERnometry
5. Empire: World History

How many episodes of CONFLICTED are there?

CONFLICTED launched 8 years ago and published 243 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. Baraa Shiban
2. Ruben Andersson
3. Adrian Wooldridge
4. Aimen Dean
5. Joby Warrick
6. Muhammad al-Basha
7. Anthony Kaldellis
8. Philip Cunliffe

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