Oct 8, 2026
On September 30, the US completed
its military withdrawal from Iraq, ending a 12-year-long mission to
combat ISIS that began in 2014. The date was also meant to be the
deadline for disarming the largely Iranian-backed militias known as
the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), but Prime Minister Ali
al-Zaidi has now pushed...
Oct 1, 2026
Saudi Arabia's East-West
pipeline is back in operation after a drone attack from Iraq,
blamed on Iran-backed militias, shut it down for nearly two weeks.
The pipeline is the kingdom's main way to export oil while the
Strait of Hormuz is closed, so the shutdown dealt another blow to
global energy markets. How vulnerable...
Sep 24, 2026
Algeria and Morocco have
long been at odds, but recent diplomatic moves may signal a
widening geopolitical split in North Africa. Hosts Alistair Taylor
and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellow Intissar Fakir
to unpack Algeria's decision to sever diplomatic ties with the
United Arab Emirates and Morocco's...
Sep 17, 2026
Over the past several
weeks, the Houthis have seized the port city of Mokha, Yemen's
western coastline, and several islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait,
and they are now massing around Marib and Taiz in the first major
frontline shift since 2022. MEI Associate Fellow Nadwa Al-Dawsari
joins host Matthew Czekaj to unpack...
Sep 10, 2026
Though it has fallen out of the headlines because of the Iran
war, Syria has had a dramatically consequential
summer. Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by
MEI Senior Fellow Charles Lister to take stock of recent
developments: the dissolution of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic
Forces, Israeli strikes...