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MED Insights

ISPI

Uncertainty defines today’s Middle East. From Iran to Gaza, from Lebanon to the Gulf, long-standing balances are shifting and new crises are emerging. MED Insights | The Middle East and North Africa, Unpacked is the MED Dialogues podcast by ISPI, where we make sense of a region under pressure. Each episode breaks down the key dynamics shaping the Middle East and North Africa and why they matter far beyond the region.

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Monday · 26 min
The West Bank: The Politics of Dispossession
The West Bank is entering a new and increasingly uncertain phase. Settlement expansion is accelerating, violence is rising, restrictions on movement are tightening, and the prospect of annexation is becoming more central to the political debate. In this episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia speaks with Hiba Husseini and Tahani Mustafa about how life in the West Bank is changing, the role of the international community, and whether upcoming Palestinian and Israeli elections could reshape its political future. Sara Isabella Leykin also looks at how the West Bank could influence Israel’s electoral dynamics and the choices facing Benjamin Netanyahu. As facts on the ground continue to change, is there still space for a political solution?
July 24 · 22 min
Syria is Back on the World Stage. Now What?
July has been a pivotal month for Syria’s international relations. From participating in the NATO Summit in Ankara as the only Levantine country in attendance, to hosting the first visit by a Western head of state, French President Emmanuel Macron, it is now clear that Damascus is no longer considered a pariah state. These developments are the result of the Al Sharaa government's sustained efforts to reintegrate Syria into the international community, a process further facilitated by the country's increasingly attractive investment environment. Nevertheless, significant challenges remain, and the concrete implications of Syria's renewed international role have yet to fully materialise. How did Damascus achieve its reintegration? How is it structuring its new international partnerships? And what obstacles still stand in its way? To answer these questions, in this episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia, Curator of the MED Dialogues, speaks with Noah Bonsey, Syria Senior Advisor for the International Crisis Group, Mouayad Albonni, Senior Consultant at Karam Shaar Advisory, and Silvia Carenzi, ISPI Associate Research Fellow.
June 19 · 16 min
What Was It All For? Understanding the US-Iran Deal. A conversation with Brian Katulis
After more than a hundred days of war, on 17 June the United States and Iran have finally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). By extending the 8 April ceasefire, the agreement aims to restore maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and establish a framework for broader negotiations on the most contentious issue: Iran's nuclear programme. As we wait to see if this deal will really silence the guns, a lot of questions arise around one of the main protagonists of this conflict: President Donald Trump’s United States. What does this agreement mean for the US? What does it say about the relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv? And more importantly, what was the point of this war? To answer these questions, in this episode of MED Insights, Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, speaks with Nicola Missaglia, Curator of the MED Dialogues.
May 29 · 33 min
Netanyahu, the Opposition and Israel's Security Gamble
Following a crisis within Netanyahu’s coalition, members of the Knesset approved the dissolution of the Israeli parliament in a preliminary reading. As the country awaits a final decision on whether elections will be held in September or October, Israel finds itself at a crossroads, amid deep internal social tensions, ongoing and perpetual conflicts and an increasingly challenging regional and international environment. At the same time, the future of Gaza – especially after Netanyahu's order to expand to 70% the Israeli control of the Strip –, increasing violence in the West Bank and, more broadly, relations with the Palestinians continue to occupy a paradoxical place in the political debate: impossible to ignore, yet often avoided or framed only through the language of security. Will Netanyahu secure another mandate, or are we witnessing a turning point for the country? To answer these questions, in this episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia, Curator of the MED Dialogues, speaks with Dahlia Scheindlin, political analyst and columnist for Haaretz, Gil Murciano, CEO of MITVIM, and Sara Isabella Leykin, Junior Research Fellow at ISPI.
May 13 · 17 min
War and Diplomacy: The Gulf on the Edge. A conversation with Majed Al Ansari
As the war between Iran and the United States appears to be once again on the brink of a new phase of military confrontation, one region remains particularly vulnerable: the Gulf. The countries of the GCC have found themselves on the frontline of a war they neither chose nor wanted – a conflict that is impacting not only their economies, but also the region’s security architecture. How has the war affected the Gulf countries? And how is it transforming their security paradigm and strategic outlook, both within the region and beyond? To explore these questions, in this episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia, Curator of the MED Dialogues and Head of Communications and Publishing at ISPI, speaks with Majed Al Ansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, as well as President of the Center for International Policy Research (CIPR).
April 21 · 30 min
Lebanon in the Crossfire: Israel, Hezbollah and the Iran factor
Almost 50 days after the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, a 10-day ceasefire has been brokered by the United States. As hopes grow that this pause could pave the way for a lasting end to the fighting, Lebanon remains at a crossroads. Beyond the war, the country appears unable to break free from its overlapping internal and external crises. The government in Beirut, in power for over a year, has sought to address these challenges, but the obstacles remain immense: from Hezbollah’s unresolved role within the state to continued interference by external actors, an enduring economic collapse, and a population exhausted by decades of instability. Is Lebanon capable of escaping what increasingly appears to be a permanent state of crisis? To explore these questions, in this episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia – Curator of the MED Dialogues and Head of Communications and Publishing at ISPI – speaks with Lina Khatib, Associate Fellow at the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatam House and also Visiting Scholar at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative, Aurélie Daher, Assistant Professor at Paris Dauphine University, and Luigi Toninelli, Junior Research Fellow at ISPI.
March 25 · 17 min
Trump's Endgame in the War on Iran
Four weeks into the war, uncertainty continues to prevail. Following a 48-hour ultimatum threatening strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure, US President Donald Trump announced the start of negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement to end the conflict. However, Iranian officials have denied that any talks are underway, while the country continues to face ongoing bombing. With a fragile diplomatic window, US objectives in the war remain difficult to grasp, and a number of pressing questions persist: What does the US Administration aim to achieve through this war? What is Trump's endgame? And, more broadly, what kind of Middle East does he envision? In this episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia – Curator of the MED and Head of Communications and Publishing at ISPI – speaks with Daniel Kliman, Senior Vice President for Global Power Shifts at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
March 20 · 26 min
How Will the War on Iran End? A Conversation with Vali Nasr
Three weeks after the US–Israel attacks on Iran, there is still no sign of de-escalation. Instead, Israel’s strikes on Iran’s gas infrastructure and Iran’s retaliation targeting Gulf energy assets are turning what began as a military confrontation into a broader crisis with global implications for energy markets and economic stability, well beyond the Middle East.What strategic objectives are driving this escalation? What scenarios may unfold in the coming weeks? And what could this war mean for the region – and for the global order? To explore these questions, in this episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia - Curator of the MED Dialogues and Head of Communications and Publishing at ISPI - speaks with Vali Nasr, Majid Khadduri Professor of Middle East Studies and International Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
February 27 · 30 min
Inside the Gulf's Power Rift
In recent months, a growing rift has emerged between two of the Middle East’s powerhouses: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. What began as an escalation in Yemen rapidly evolved into a broader diplomatic and political crisis between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. Yet the divide extends far beyond Yemen, revealing a deeper geopolitical competition unfolding across the Middle East, Africa, and the Red Sea. How did this rift emerge? And what consequences might it hold for the region? In this second episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia - Curator of the MED and Head of Communications and Publishing at ISPI - speaks with Firas Maksad, Managing Director, Middle East & North Africa at Eurasia Group and Eleonora Ardemagni, Senior Associate Reaseach Fellow at ISPI.
February 5 · 28 min
What life for Iran: fear, repression and the quest for a deal with Trump
As negotiations between the US and Iran get underway in Oman, the threat of a US attack on Iran continues to loom. At the same time, the protests of late December and early January have brought into sharp focus the Islamic Republic’s deep-rooted, systemic, and multifaceted crisis. What is happening in Iran? Are we truly on the verge of a new agreement, or heading toward a renewed confrontation between Washington and Tehran? And what future lies ahead for the Islamic Republic? In this first episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia - Curator of the MED and Head of Communications and Publishing at ISPI - speaks with Ali Vaez, Director of the Iran Project and Senior Adviser to the President at the International Crisis Group, and Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House.
February 4 · 44 sec
MED Insights, a new podcast by ISPI
MED Insights is ISPI’s new podcast navigating a region under pressure. From shifting powers to emerging crises, each episode unpacks what’s shaping the Middle East and North Africa – and why it matters far beyond it.

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