Best Almonitor Podcasts (2024)

1
How will Kamala Harris approach the Middle East if elected and what does her top foreign policy adviser Phil Gordon think? 29:52

3d ago29:52

29:52

While little is known about Vice President Kamala Harris' views on the Middle East and on the world in general, there is far more information available about the approach of her top foreign policy adviser, Phil Gordon, who will likely land a prime position in a future Harris administration if she wins in November. Omer Taspinar, a professor of nati…

1
What are the risks and opportunities for Russia as it grows closer to Iran at Israel's expense? 23:08

18d ago23:08

23:08

Russia's national security chief, Sergei Shoigu, traveled to Tehran this week where he met with Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeskhian. Coming on the heels of the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil, Shoigu's visit prompted a flurry of speculation about the Kremlin's intentions. Iran has vowed revenge for the attack which it has…

1
How will Iran respond to Israel's assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran? 25:36

25d ago25:36

25:36

Hamidreza Azizi is a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. He tells Al-Monitor that Iran's proxies in Yemen, Iraq and Syria will likely carry out a coordinated campaign to avenge Haniyeh's death and that the chances of a ceasefire in Gaza have been dealt a crippling blow. The risk of a full-blown regional c…

1
New Islamists value power over ideology and Turkey's Erdogan is their master 17:22

1M ago17:22

17:22

Ezgi Basaran is a Turkish journalist turned academic who has written a new book examining the outsize influence of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party over Tunisia's Islamist Ennahda party and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood party. While both have suffered huge setbacks, Basaran argues they will re-emerge and that the pursuit of power will tru…

1
How Iran may look under new Reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian 42:08

1M ago42:08

42:08

The election victory of heart surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian has aroused hopes and doubts in Iran and beyond. He is a Reformist who says he will be more lenient towards women and will seek to reduce tensions with the West. Yet, his record is spotty. While defying hawkish clerics on some critical occasions, he has stood up for them on others. As with all…

1
Benyamin Poghosyan on why Armenia's peace bid with Azerbaijan, Turkey is proving so hard 26:37

2M ago26:37

26:37

Washington is piling pressure on Azerbaijan to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan that would allow Turkey to normalize its relations with Armenia. But Azerbaijan is resisting calls to finalize a draft peace agreement and wants further concessions from Armenia. Benjamin Poghosyan, a senior research fellow at the ARPI think tank in Yerevan, expla…

1
Vali Nasr explains why Iran's presidential elections matter and how a Western-friendly heart surgeon might win 33:51

2M ago33:51

33:51

Iran is due to hold presidential elections on June 28 that were precipitated by the death in May in a helicopter crash of former President Ebrahim Raisi. Although real power is held by the country's supreme leader, presidents can make a difference in the daily lives of Iranians and even in foreign policy should the supreme leader agree. The candida…

1
Why Iran is stronger, Israel more vulnerable, and the US needs to engage more in the Mideast 37:55

2M ago37:55

37:55

As the Gaza conflict enters its eighth month, Iran stands out as the one country that has succeeded in projecting further as a result. Israel is more vulnerable than it’s ever been and the United States must engage more smartly in the Middle East to protect its interests, argues Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and t…

1
Syrian-Kurdish leader Saleh Muslim says it's the people, not US or Turkey, who decide local elections in northeast Syria 21:47

3M ago21:47

21:47

The Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria is planning to hold landmark local elections in the majority Kurdish and Arab areas under its control. Syrian-Kurdish leader Saleh Muslim says "radical democracy" will be in play as people elect their leaders at every level of local governance, with a man and a woman selected for each post. Turkey h…

1
Why did Kuwait, one of the most democratic countries in the Mideast, take a sharp autocratic turn & what comes next? 28:31

3M ago28:31

28:31

Kristin Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, unpacks Kuwait's dramatic turn last week when the country's ruling Emir suspended the parliament and parts of the constitution. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

1
As Greek PM heads to Ankara to meet Erdogan, is this truly 'a new era' between Turkey & Greece? 34:23

4M ago34:23

34:23

Greek academic Ioannis Grigoriadis believes that no major breakthroughs should be expected during Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' visit. Keeping the channels of communication open and building on the positive agenda promoted by both sides is, however, crucial to averting conflict, notably over Cyprus. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pri…

1
Turkey’s former PM Davutoglu, who met Hamas leaders this week, outlines their demands for peace 41:33

4M ago41:33

41:33

Former Turkish Prime Minister and leader of the pro-Islamic Future Party Ahmet Davutoglu met with Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Meshal this week and shared their conditions for peace with Al-Monitor. Davutoglu sharply criticized the governments of Turkey and Arab states, saying they had done close to nothing for Gaza. See Privacy Policy a…

1
Sister of Israeli-Russian scholar Elizabeth Tsurkov, who is being held by Iran-backed Shiite militia, calls for US military sanctions on Iraq 20:21

4M ago20:21

20:21

Emma Tsurkov insists that the best way to get Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to make good on his pledges to secure her sister's freedom is for the United States to wield the threat of military sanctions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

1
Iran established deterrence against Israel proving through its actions it could do more harm, says academic Hassan Ahmadian 24:44

4M ago24:44

24:44

Iran's weekend attack on Israel in response to an Israeli attack on its diplomatic mission in Syria has put an already explosive region on edge. Israel has vowed to retaliate and Iran says should it do so its own response will be massive. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-n…

1
What path lies ahead for Turkey after Erdogan's stunning local election defeat? Commentator Kadri Gursel explains 30:17

5M ago30:17

30:17

Following The secular opposition's historic win in the March 31 elections, many say that Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is now confirmed as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's chief rival in the next elections that are due to be held in four years. However, the reality is far more complex. Much will hinge on whether Erdogan succeeds in dividing…

1
How the West began losing the Mideast to Iran, Russia & China since start of Syria conflict, French academic Fabrice Balanche explains 25:48

5M ago25:48

25:48

This month marks the 13th anniversary of the start of the Syrian conflict. French academic Fabrice Balanche says that across the Middle East the West is steadily losing ground to Russia, China and Iran as a result of its failed policy in Syria. The Kurds are among the biggest losers, he adds. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cali…

1
Will Turkey's Erdogan seize back Istanbul and fully secure his regime in March 31 elections? 42:52

5M ago42:52

42:52

Turkey's opposition is in disarray since its humiliating defeat in last year's presidential and parliamentary elections. However, the opposition has what some say is a final chance to challenge his power in local elections that will be held on March 31. Turkey analyst Selim Koru says with the opposition now bloc fractured, Istanbul's secular mayor …

1
Why are Britain’s Jews facing the largest wave of anti-semitic violence in modern times? 30:02

6M ago30:02

30:02

There has been an alarming spike in anti-Semitic attacks in the UK since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing nearly 1,200 Israeli citizens. Hate crimes monitor Dave Rich and historian Andrew Apostolou unpack the dynamics. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-i…

1
American doctor Seema Jilani faces backlash for her eyewitness accounts of horrors unfolding in Gaza 15:03

6M ago15:03

15:03

As the conflict in Gaza rages on, Palestinian children are dying by the thousands while many others are horribly injured. Hospitals are under unremittingly attacked by Israel forces and doctors struggle to treat the wounded. Seema Jilani, a rare American doctor to make it into the Gaza Strip, has been telling the world about what she has seen and i…

1
Sweden did not take Turkey's terrorism concerns seriously enough says former Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde 29:10

6M ago29:10

29:10

Turkey blocked Sweden's NATO membership for nine months saying Stockholm needed to curb anti-Turkish groups it classifies as terrorists. Those demands were widely dismissed as a foil for Ankara's real aim, to get the United States Congress to authorize the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. Yet, some of Turkey's concerns were legitimate, says Swe…

1
Does Turkey really support ISIS and, if so, why did ISIS just attack it again? Expert Aaron Zelin explains 24:45

7M ago24:45

24:45

The Islamic State carried out an attack against a Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul on Jan. 28, killing one person. In its statement claiming responsibility for the attack the group referred to Turkey as "Wilayat al Turkiya" — or its "Turkish province" — sending a chilling message that it views the country among its prime targets. Any further such …

1
Does Iran control Shiite militias that are attacking US forces in Iraq and Syria? Two leading experts weigh in 37:05

7M ago37:05

37:05

The deaths of three US servicemen Sunday in an attack by an Iran-backed Shiite militia at a base wedged between Syria and Jordan has raised the specter of a direct confrontation between the United States and Iran like never before. But are things as black and white as they seem? Does Iran have full control over the Shiite militias that are part of …

1
German federal prosecutors petitioned to launch war crimes case against Turkish-backed Sunni factions abusing Kurds in Syria 19:56

7M ago19:56

19:56

Syrians for Truth and Justice and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights have filed a complaint with German federal prosecutors against Turkish-backed Sunni factions they accuse of war crimes against Kurds in Afrin. These include ethnic cleansing, rape and looting. German prosecutors have convicted individuals accused of torturing …

1
Kuwaiti academic says Red Sea escalation with Yemen's Houthis won't end without US pressure on Israel to end Gaza war 27:26

7M ago27:26

27:26

Tensions between the United States and Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue to escalate in the Red Sea, disrupting maritime traffic in a key shipping lane. A barrage of US airstrikes against the Houthis shows little signs of slowing them down. The Shiite rebels insist they won't stop targeting merchant ships and US naval vessels unless Israel ends it…

1
Israel does not want a war with Iran, says Haaretz English editor-in-chief 25:16

8M ago25:16

25:16

The assassination of Hamas' number two man in Beirut on Tuesday has deepened concerns that the conflict in Gaza will engulf neighboring Lebanon. However, Esther Solomon, the editor-in-chief of Haaretz English, dismisses the idea that Israel wants to provoke a war with Iran that would drag in the United States. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.co…

1
Turkey won't be at the table when Gaza conflict ends, says Turkey analyst Alan Makovsky 30:36

8M ago30:36

30:36

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has openly sided with Hamas in its ongoing conflict with Israel in Gaza, making him a hero on the Arab street. However, his vocal support for the group that is designated as terrorists by the United States will likely further strain relations between Ankara and Washington. It will also make it harder for Turke…

1
Former CENTCOM commander Gen. Joseph Votel warns Gaza conflict may expand because Iran lacks full control of its militia proxies 30:55

10M ago30:55

30:55

As Israel’s war to unseat Hamas in the Gaza Strip grinds into its second month, the former top US military commander in the Middle East, Gen. Joseph Votel (ret.), says the hardest fighting is yet to come. While the IDF appears to be implementing some of Washington’s advice by allowing for the flow of humanitarian aid and civilian evacuation corrido…

1
Iran continues strategic miscalculations even after Hamas' attack on Israel, says analyst Hamidreza Azizi 32:07

10M ago32:07

32:07

Iran is doing its best to avoid getting dragged into the conflict in Gaza. Its strategy of deterrence through its proxies appears to have backfired and the United States is more present than ever in the region, says Iran analyst Hamidreza Azizi. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priva…

1
The Israel-Hamas War: Live Q&A with Ali Hashem, Joyce Karam, and Daoud Kuttab 39:39

10M ago39:39

39:39

In another special edition of the podcast, we have the audio from the fourth edition of our live Q&A webinar series on the Israel-Hamas war, where Al-Monitor's Columnist Ali Hashem, Senior News Editor Joyce Karam, and Palestine Columnist Daoud Kuttab discussed the conflict's latest developments, including Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasralla…

1
As Turkey celebrates 100th anniversary as a republic, Erdogan's one-man pro-Islamist regime is firmly entrenched, says Turkish scholar Selim Koru 45:23

10M ago45:23

45:23

On Oct. 29 Turkey will mark its 100th year as a republic, with an overtly Islamist leader in power for the past 20 years. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to unravel the legacy of the secularizing founder of modern Turkey Kemal Ataturk. He may have succeeded in several ways, but Turkish scholar Selim Koru argues that under Erdogan Islam ha…

1
The Israel-Hamas War: Live Q&A webinar with Ben Caspit & Nadia Bilbassy-Charters 47:13

10M ago47:13

47:13

In this special edition of the podcast, we have the audio from the second part of our live Q&A webinar series on the Israel-Hamas war, where Al-Monitor Israel Columnist Ben Caspit, reporting from Tel Aviv, and Al Arabiya Washington Bureau Chief Nadia Bilbassy-Charters discussed the latest developments in the war, including President Biden’s visit t…

1
Palestinian American historian Rashid Khalidi says Israel, US will face new wave of hostility in Middle East as Gaza war escalates 37:22

10M ago37:22

37:22

Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, argues that Israel’s persistent repression of the Palestinians and denial of their right to statehood are the underlying cause of Hamas' brutal Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state. Successive US governments, including the Biden Administration, with their unfetter…

1
Israel's envoy to Bahrain says Iran behind Hamas attack, target is Abraham Accords 25:05

10M ago25:05

25:05

Israel's Ambassador to Bahrain Eitan Na'eh says that Iran was the driving force behind Hamas' October 7 attack on his country and that the Abraham Accords were the main target. The envoy insists that the accords are aimed at developing economic prosperity and trust in the Middle East and nobody will invest in Gaza until it is rid of Hamas. See Priv…

1
Sister of kidnapped Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov says US and Iraq can secure her release from Shiite militants 23:09

11M ago23:09

23:09

Emma Tsurkov, a scholar at Stanford University, says all she knows about her sister Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped by the Iraqi Shiite militant group Kataib Hezbollah in March, is that she is still alive and in Baghdad. The conflict in Gaza triggered by Hamas' attack on Israel will have further complicated her plight, though. See Privacy Poli…

1
Will Armenia’s land border with Iran be Azerbaijan’s next target after Nagorno-Karabakh, asks analyst Benjamin Poghosyan 24:32

11M ago24:32

24:32

Yerevan-based analyst Benjamin Poghosyan says that Azerbaijan's actions in Nagorno-Karabakh presage further land grabs and broader conflict. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1
Iraqi Kurdish scholar Mohammed Salih says violence targeting Kurds in Kirkuk revives ghosts of Saddam regime 24:28

12M ago24:28

24:28

At least four Kurdish demonstrators were shot dead last weekend in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk, raising the specter of Arab-Kurdish conflict. The bloodshed was triggered by an Iraqi federal court rejecting Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani's decision to let a Kurdish group reclaim its headquarters that are currently occupied by Iraqi securi…

1
Saudi Arabia responsible for mass killings of Ethiopian migrants on Yemeni border, says Human Rights Watch researcher Nadia Hardman 18:06

1y ago18:06

18:06

Hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers have been shot by Saudi border guards as they tried to cross in from Yemen, according to a chilling new report from Human Rights Watch. The allegations were substantiated by international media outlets, including the Reuters news agency. Saudi Arabia denies the claims and Western governments have sa…

1
After 39 years of armed conflict with Turkey, outlawed PKK militants may be weakened but not defeated, says author Frederike Geerdink 35:03

1y ago35:03

35:03

Aug. 15 marks the 39th anniversary of the launch of the armed campaign by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party against the Turkish state. The group has evolved over the years, shedding its demands for Kurdish independence. Yet however much it rejects the nationalist label, many Kurds continue to join the group in the hope of forcing Turkey to grant…

1
'My father shares a prison cell with inmates who make sandwiches with their own flesh,' says British-Tunisian activist Kaouther Ferjani 22:51

1y ago22:51

22:51

Tunisia's descent into autocracy under President Cais Saied is continuing full throttle. The Islamist Ennahda which shared power in successive governments since Tunisia's 2011 Jasmine Revolution is the main target of Saied's ire. Dozens of its members including party leader Rached Ghannouchi are behind bars on flimsily documented charges. Many are …

1
Turkey's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership not enough to secure Congressional approval for F-16s, says Hellenic American Leadership Council chief Endy Zemenides 24:16

1y ago24:16

24:16

Several top US senators say Turkey's acquisition of US F-16 fighter jets hinges on its ratification of Sweden's membership in NATO. Turkey wants guarantees from Congress that it will sign off on the deal before securing parliamentary approval for Sweden's membership. However, Endy Zemenides, executive director of the Hellenic American Leadership Co…

1
Does Turkey's decision to let Sweden join NATO spell new positive era with Washington? Not really, says Turkey analyst Nicholas Danforth 19:18

1y ago19:18

19:18

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has decided to tell the Turkish parliament to greenlight Sweden's NATO membership, prompting a flood of praise from alliance leaders. US President Joe Biden, who met with Erdogan for more than an hour, hailed him for what he termed Erdogan's courage. At the same time, Erdogan angered the Kremlin with a series…

1
Free Turkish Press editor Yavuz Baydar says Erdogan will win local elections, crush Kurds and strut on world stage 26:02

1y ago26:02

26:02

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's victory in the May presidential and parliamentary polls ushers in a new and irreversible era in Turkish politics, cementing one man rule and reducing parliament to more of a rubber stamp. The sole threat to Erdogan's grip over power is Turkey's floundering economy but it looks like Turkey's longest serving r…

1
Iranian academic Arash Azizi says slain Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani looms as large in death as in life 21:46

1y ago21:46

21:46

The legacy of Qassem Soleimani, the legendary commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Al Quds Force, continues to reverberate across the region, says his biographer Arash Azizi. He has left a vacuum that has yet to be filled. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell…

1
Turkey scholar Howard Eissenstat on the dynamics of Erdogan's enduring success 32:10

1y ago32:10

32:10

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was just re-elected president even though pollsters predicted that his rival would win. Turkey scholar Howard Eissenstat says that Erdogan, the country's most skilled politician in modern times, is a master at reading the nation's pulse. But can he sustain his rule in the midst of a failing economy and prevail…

1
Syrian Kurdish leader Salih Muslim says Assad's return to Arab League is welcome, but won't amount to much 28:50

1+ y ago28:50

28:50

The co-chair of the main party governing Kurdish-led northeast Syria believes Arab engagement with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria may help secure a peaceful resolution to the Syrian conflict, provided that there are conditions attached. These include granting ethnic and religious minorities equal rights. However, Muslim says "the miserable" Lea…

1
Pro-Kurdish Green Left Party candidate Ceylan Akca says Turkish security forces are terrorizing Kurdish voters but will fail 24:54

1+ y ago24:54

24:54

Turkey's Kurds are poised to swing the outcome of the May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing the biggest challenge in his 20 years in uninterrupted power. Kurdish parliamentary candidate Ceylan Akca says that despite his government's attempts to intimidate Kurdish voters, the opposition wi…

1
Former Sudan advisor to US government Cameron Hudson says US sanctions on Sudan's rival generals could have averted conflict 30:03

1+ y ago30:03

30:03

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1
Iraq expert Bilal Wahab says Turkey wants guarantees from Baghdad before allowing Kurdish oil exports to resume 41:19

1+ y ago41:19

41:19

Turkey and Iraq have been mired in a legal dispute over the export of Iraqi Kurdish oil through Turkish export terminals. Baghdad says the deal struck between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds to sell oil is illegal. The International Chamber of Commerce's international arbitration fined Turkey for breach of contract. Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurds have sinc…

1
Turkey analyst Merve Tahiroglu says Kurds will back opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu to unseat Erdogan in first round 26:38

1+ y ago26:38

26:38

Turkey’s watershed elections on which the future of its crippled democracy hangs are due to be held on May 14. Opinion polls continue to point to a tight race making the outcome of the presidential and parliamentary polls difficult to call . Election security remains a big concern and there is little doubt that Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdog…

1
Kurdish academic Mashuq Kurt says Erdogan's electoral alliance with Turkish Hizbullah offshoot a risky step 35:57

1+ y ago35:57

35:57

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan risks losing power for the first time in 20 years in elections that are to be held on May 14. He has turned to Huda par, an Islamist Kurdish party that has roots in Hizbullah, a violent group that waged a bloody war against the PKK and its sympathizers in the 1990s. London-based academic Mashuq Kurt is the aut…

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