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Middle East Focus

Middle East Institute
Iran
United States
Israel
Middle East
Hamas
Middle East Institute
Syria
Turkey
Gaza
Saudi Arabia
Lebanon
Iraq
Egypt
Trump Administration
ISIS
Hezbollah
Democracy
Gaza War
Donald Trump
Qatar

Weekly discussion of Middle East policy, arts, and culture, featuring experts from the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes300Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNewsNews Commentary

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Artwork for Middle East Focus

Latest Episodes

As the US-Israel-Iran war enters its sixth month, the conflict has taken a sharp turn. After a brief lull in the fighting, Iran launched a surprise ballistic missile attack on US forces on July 28, and the US and Saudi Arabia struck back at Iran-back... more

YouTube

This summer, brutally hot temperatures, deepening water scarcity, and spiking fertilizer costs have put North Africa's agricultural sector under intense pressure. Host Alistair Taylor is joined by Mohammed Mahmoud, CEO and founder of the Climate and ... more

YouTube

At the recent NATO summit in Ankara, renewed US-Iran strikes and Turkey's push to rejoin the F-35 stealth fighter program overshadowed the Alliance's message of unity and a strong European pillar. MEI Senior Fellow Iulia Joja joins host Alistair Tayl... more

YouTube

US President Donald Trump recently proposed that Syria intervene militarily against Hizballah in Lebanon. Is that a good idea? This episode of Middle East Focus features a recent MEI Virtual Briefing. Director of Communications Zeina Al-Shaib is join... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Mohammed Mahmoud
CEO and founder of the Climate and Water Initiative; lead for MEI climate and water policy at UNU-INWEH
Climate and Water Initiative; United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health
Episode: Food Security in a Hotter, Drier North Africa
Gregory Gause
Associate Fellow at the Middle East Institute; Professor Emeritus at Texas A&M University
Middle East Institute; Texas A&M University
Episode: Do the Gulf States Need a New Playbook?
Alan Eyre
MEI distinguished diplomatic fellow and former senior US diplomat
Middle East Institute
Episode: The US and Iran Signed a Deal — Now What?
Renad Mansour
Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Programme, and the Director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House
Chatham House
Episode: Attacked by All Sides: Iraq's New Government Faces Old Problems
Jonathan M. Winer
MEI distinguished diplomatic fellow; former US Special Envoy for Libya
Middle East Institute, former US State Department
Episode: Can the Latest US Plan Bridge Libya's Divide?
Fouad Makhzoumi
Lebanese member of parliament, businessman, founder of the Makhzoumi Foundation
Lebanese Parliament; Makhzoumi Foundation
Episode: MP Fouad Makhzoumi on Lebanon's Future
Colby Connelly
Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute; head of Middle East Content and Senior Analyst Energy Intelligence
Middle East Institute; Energy Intelligence
Episode: When Will Energy Markets Recover From the Iran War?
Dan Benaim
Distinguished diplomatic fellow at MEI; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Peninsula Affairs
Middle East Institute
Episode: Bonus Episode: Stalled Talks and Next Steps for the US and Iran
Arash Azizi
Postdoctoral associate and lecturer at Yale University, The Atlantic contributor
Yale University; The Atlantic
Episode: How the War May Reshape Iran's Political Future

Hosts

Alistair Taylor
Host of Middle East Focus; MEI editor-in-chief; principal presenter.
Matthew Czekaj
Co-host / interviewer; Managing Editor at MEI.
Matthew Cechai
Co-host; MEI communications or related role (as described in sources).

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 162 ratings
  • Biased, even to listener critical of Israel

    I’m very critical of Israeli actions in Gaza. Unfortunately, Ms Mabrouk doesn’t contribute to our understanding or help us identify how we get to a Palestinian state. She was extremely biased, and MEI would better contribute to dialog by using a speaker who is able to describe a horrible situation but also suggest, in an unbiased way, pathways to stop Israeli bombing and achieve a Palestinian state. She lost a grand opportunity.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Ginsburl
    United Statesa year ago
  • Some excellent, some disappointing...

    This podcast has some very insightful and informative episodes. However, there are way too many episodes that have nothing to do with the Middle East. A recent episode on Democracy and the US elections was highly unbalanced. While I didn't disagree with some of the dangers highlighted by the interviewees, there was no alternative view. Guests' assertions were treated as facts.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    {amir59}
    United States2 years ago
  • Great pod with some great content but sadly not getting anything more than a 4 because of its tendency to be cluttered with handwringing Lefty idiocy.

    Podcast Addict
    4
    moquetUSA
    2 years ago
  • Perfect

    Podcast Addict
    5
    DaniDani
    4 years ago
  • Perfect

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Dani
    4 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests and topics are often US-centric but data-informed.
Listeners appreciate high-level policy analysis and expert voices.
Balanced, evidence-based discussion with deep regional context.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#193
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#220
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#96
United Arab Emirates/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#105
Belgium/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#117
Singapore/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#146
India/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Food Security in a Hotter, Drier North Africa
Q: Are desalination and wastewater reuse genuinely fixing agriculture, or are they mainly serving urban populations?
Desalination is crucial where freshwater is scarce, but the biggest gains come from expanding wastewater reuse and treating recycled water for agricultural use, alongside water-use efficiency and governance improvements.
Food Security in a Hotter, Drier North Africa
Q: What does strong governance look like in practice? Can you give examples of where it has changed outcomes in these countries?
Morocco serves as the strongest example of governance-driven success in managing droughts and agricultural constraints, while Sudan illustrates how ongoing conflict and weak governance can derail even abundant resources.
Food Security in a Hotter, Drier North Africa
Q: Mohammed, your assessment is wide-ranging, spanning seven countries and four key metrics. Can you give us a sense of the big picture here? What's the single most important variable that separates the leaders from the stragglers?
The analysis points to governance as the dominant driver; strong governance and institutional capacity can compensate for weaker physical resources and help countries achieve better agricultural sustainability.
Regional Escalation and the Fight Over Hormuz
Q: Alex, if all of that is true, what does it mean for the diplomatic opening and the Oman track?
The Oman track faces the challenge of Iran valuing sovereignty over Hormuz and preferring a larger package over a narrow settlement; practical steps would require stepping back from strict control while establishing trust, potentially starting with opening of Hormuz and limited sanctions relief before broader talks.
Inside the Ankara NATO Summit
Q: How does Turkey's evolving role affect NATO's cohesion and strategic direction?
Turkey has shifted from a veto-centric actor to an indispensable convener and crisis manager, leveraging its geography and relations to mediate regional issues, which reinforces NATO's adaptability but also raises questions about long-term coherence given Turkey's independent strategic calculus.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About Middle East Focus

What is Middle East Focus about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A weekly brief on Middle East policy, security, and regional dynamics grounded in expert analysis from researchers and fellows at a Washington, D.C.–based think tank. Episodes typically feature scholars and policy professionals discussing current crises, strategic rivalries, diplomacy, and regional trends, with special episodes that map out U.S. policy approaches, sanctions, and peace prospects. Notable is a consistent emphasis on how external powers (the U.S., regional actors, and European partners) shape events in the Levant, Gulf, and Horn of Africa, along with data-informed takes on conflict dynamics, governance, and diplomacy. The show often pairs deep-dive regional context with practical policy levers, making it useful for listeners w... more

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1. Hold Your Fire!
2. The Inside Story Podcast
3. The Foreign Affairs Interview
4. Foreign Policy Live
5. The Take

How many episodes of Middle East Focus are there?

Middle East Focus launched 9 years ago and published 300 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 Middle East Focus?

Recent guests on Middle East Focus include:

1. Mohammed Mahmoud
2. Gregory Gause
3. Alan Eyre
4. Renad Mansour
5. Jonathan M. Winer
6. Fouad Makhzoumi
7. Colby Connelly
8. Dan Benaim

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