The AL-Monitor Brief
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AL-Monitor’s twice-weekly podcast on the top stories from the Middle East, featuring our expert correspondents and editors around the region and in Washington.
204 Episodes
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Al-Monitor’s defense and security correspondent, Jared Szuba, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss the US' potential ground operations against Iran. They also cover how close the Trump administration is to achieving its goal of degrading Iran's military capabilities and the degree of damage done to US assets in the region.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor’s editor-in-chief, Joyce Karam, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss the efforts to achieve a deal between the United States and Iran amid the ongoing war. Listen as they delve into the obstacles preventing negotiations and why Iran feels it is winning. Plus, they discuss the growing frustration among Gulf states and the precarious situation in Lebanon. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor’s Israel columnist, Ben Caspit, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss the latest developments in the Iran war, including why Israeli leadership feels it is performing above expectations militarily, the lack of a clear exit strategy, and the somewhat divergent goals between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They also discuss the complications surrounding Israel’s plans to fight Hezbollah in Lebanon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor’s Turkey correspondent, Ezgi Akin, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss her recent reporting from the Turkish-Iranian border. Listen as they discuss the diverse set of reasons people in Iran are fleeing — some of which are unrelated to the war — as well as Iranians’ concerns about a potential Kurdish offensive in the northwest and the latest on Turkey’s reactions to being targeted in the conflict.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor Brief host Adam Lucente takes a look at what’s at stake for Syria in the Iran war, including the reasons behind Damascus' diplomatic response to the conflict and the risk to Gulf investments in the country. The episode features commentary from Randa Slim, the director of the Stimson Center's Middle East Program and Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Host Adam Lucente speaks to Al-Monitor contributor Francesco Schiavi about the security situation in the Gulf amid the war with Iran, including how long regional states can successfully defend themselves, the possibility of their retaliation against the Islamic Republic directly, and the potential impact of Europe sending military assets to the Middle East.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Host Adam Lucente takes a look at the state of the conflict in the Middle East following the American and Israeli strikes on Iran, and retaliation from the Islamic Republic, hearing from Al-Monitor contributors around the region about how the Gulf, Lebanon and other areas are being impacted. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor’s correspondents in Washington, Elizabeth Hagedorn and Jared Szuba, join host Adam Lucente to discuss the latest on the US-Iran nuclear negotiations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor’s correspondent in Beirut, Beatrice Farhat, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss the latest reports on a possible confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, including what might compel the group to intervene on behalf of Iran amid tensions with the United States. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Host Adam Lucente speaks Al-Monitor’s senior market research analyst, Sam Wendel, about the potential economic fallout surrounding tensions between the US and Iran, including the likelihood of oil and gas deals between the two countries, the state of the Iranian economy, and the potential impact a war could have on oil markets.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Host Adam Lucente interviews Al-Monitor’s correspondent in Ankara, Ezgi Akin, about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s trip to Ethiopia and what it means for geopolitical developments in the Horn of Africa and the continent as a whole. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Host Adam Lucente speaks to Al-Monitor’s Israel Pulse columnist, Ben Caspit, about how Israel views the US-Iran nuclear talks after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with US President Donald Trump. Listen as they explore the various options on the table for dealing with Iran’s ballistic missiles and nuclear program, Israel's reluctance to be viewed by the American right as pushing for war and the reasons behind Trump’s recent criticism of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor’s chief business correspondent, Jack Dutton, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss Algeria’s cancellation of its air services agreement with the United Arab Emirates. Listen as they delve into the reasons behind the move, including growing opposition to Emirati foreign policy, Saudi Arabia’s rivalry with the UAE and competition between Gulf states across Africa.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor Brief host Adam Lucente goes over the start of US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman, highligting reactions from diplomatic correspondent Elizabeth Hagedorn, Israel Pulse head Rina Bassist, and Al-Monitor’s correspondent in Tehran. Editor's note: This podcast was updated on February. 6, 2026 to include comments from US President Donald Trump on the negotiations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor’s correspondent in Ankara, Ezgi Akin, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss Turkish efforts to host the US-Iran nuclear talks, which are now set to take place in Oman, and what type of deal Turkey would like to see. They also recap Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s trips to Saudi Arabia and Egypt and what they mean for regional rivalries.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor’s Washington correspondents, Elizabeth Hagedorn and Jared Szuba, join host Adam Lucente to discuss the latest on US-Iran tensions, including the status of the negotiations, what a new nuclear deal might look like, the military options on the table and more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor host Adam Lucente breaks down the Coordination Framework’s nomination of Nouri al-Maliki to be the next prime minister of Iraq. He goes over what we learned from Maliki’s first stint as premier; the potential for him to secure the support necessary to return the office; and how the politician may approach relations with the US, Iran and the region. The episode features commentary from Iraq expert Tamer Badawi.Editor's note: This episode was updated on Jan. 27, 2026 to include comments from US President Donald Trump on Maliki's nomination. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor’s chief business correspondent, Jack Dutton, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss his observations from this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, including how US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is being received, progress in the Saudi mining push and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Al-Monitor’s chief correspondent, Amberin Zaman, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss the latest events in Syria, where the military has made large advances in the Kurdish-held northeast. They discuss the Trump administration’s evolving priorities toward Syria, the potential for the most recent ceasefire to hold, and the future of Kurdish autonomy in the country. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Host Adam Lucente speaks to Al-Monitor’s correspondents across the Middle East and in Washington about the protests in Iran, covering the options that are on the table for the Trump administration and how the region views the possibility of US strikes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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