Jun 11, 2026
After months of deadlock
following the November 2025 elections, Iraq's parliament approved a
new government under Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on May 14, 2026 —
just as the country has become a battleground in the US-Israel-Iran
war. Zaidi inherits a daunting brief: reviving a struggling
economy, reining in armed...
Jun 4, 2026
After over a decade
of division between rival factions in eastern and western Libya,
the Trump administration has put forward a plan to unite the
two sides through a power-sharing agreement. Hosts Alistair Taylor
and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Distinguished Diplomatic
Fellow Jonathan M. Winer to unpack the details...
May 28, 2026
A fragile cease-fire
between Lebanon and Israel is barely holding as military
delegations from both countries arrive in Washington for a new
round of direct talks scheduled for this Friday. But diplomatic
success could mean new strategic opportunities for the Lebanese
nation. Guest host and MEI Senior Fellow Brian...
May 21, 2026
Two and a half months into
the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, what lessons can markets draw
from the resulting global energy shock? Colby Connelly, MEI Senior
Fellow, joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to assess
the crisis’s impact on the energy industry. Together, they examine
how producers are...
May 14, 2026
How is competition for
influence in the Horn of Africa among Middle Eastern powers —
especially the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel — reshaping
the political landscape? Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj
are joined by MEI Senior Fellows Mirette Mabrouk and Gönül Tol to
unpack the dynamics driving this...