logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2024
9m 42s

Is the US Already in a Regional Conflict...

NPR
About this episode
Since Israel's war against Hamas began, the US has tried to prevent a wider regional war from breaking out.

Now, with US attacks against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, drone strikes in Iraq and fighting across Israel's northern border with Lebanon is that regional conflict the US wanted to avoid, already here?

The last three presidents have tried to shrink the US footprint in the Middle East. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Ben Rhodes. Rhodes was Deputy National Security Advisor to President Barack Obama.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
Bubbling questions about the limits of the AI revolution
OpenAI founder Sam Altman floated the idea of an AI bubble, an MIT report found that 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing and tech stocks took a dip.With the AI sector is expected to become a trillion dollar industry within the next decade, what impact might slowi ... Show More
10m 46s
Aug 23
High stakes diplomacy and canceled Halibut Olympia, insights from the Alaska Summit
Normally, foreign policy summits between world leaders involve painstaking planning and organization days and weeks in advance. The hectic and last minute nature of the meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska provided a window into how so mu ... Show More
12m 31s
Aug 22
Famine is declared in Gaza. Will anything change?
The people of Northern Gaza are starving. That’s according to an official declaration by a United Nations-backed group of experts, who comprise the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification or IPC. They say that famine has officially reached Gaza city and could soon reach oth ... Show More
7m 45s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2020
Is Biden facing a new Middle East?
The assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh appears to have made life more difficult for President-elect Biden - yet another event to weigh up as he considers what to do about Donald Trump’s legacy across the Middle East. Over the last four years the Rep ... Show More
48m 54s
Mar 2024
Dana Stroul: The U.S. Defense Strategy in the Middle East
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dana Stroul, the former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East. They talk about the U.S. defense strategy in the Middle East before and after the war in Gaza, how the conflict has changed U.S. security partnerships w ... Show More
43m 26s
Feb 2024
To Avoid a Wider War, Ceasefire Now in Gaza
By Amy Goodman & Denis Moynihan On Tuesday, President Biden addressed the press while boarding the presidential helicopter, saying, “I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That’s not what I’m looking for.” But a wider war is exactly what Biden is inflaming, with un ... Show More
6m 19s
Oct 2023
Israel-Hamas war: What does the U.S. want from Arab countries?
As Israel intensifies its shelling of Gaza, what does Washington want from Arab countries? The U.S. Secretary of State is in the region to show support for Israel. But can Biden's administration prevent the war from spilling over, in the Middle East? Join Host James Bays Guests: ... Show More
25m 21s
Oct 2023
Gaza, Ukraine and An Inflection Point in World Politics?
In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s Europe & Central Asia Director Olga Oliker and U.S. Director Michael Hanna to discuss the war in Gaza, its implications for Ukraine and U.S. President Joe Biden’s efforts to navigate the crisis in the Middle ... Show More
44m 16s
May 2024
Will U.S. threats change Israel’s war?
Tensions are rising between the United States and Israel over the war in Gaza. President Biden has threatened to withhold arms if Israel advances into Rafah in southern Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then vowed that Israel would “stand alone.”  Read more: This week, Isra ... Show More
21m 16s
Nov 2023
What damage could Israel's war on Gaza inflict on America's global standing?
America has shown unwavering support for Israel's war on Gaza. Critics say this highlights its double standards - and could be a turning point in the world order. Is the U.S. strategy short-sighted? What damage could the war inflict on America's global standing?   Join Host James ... Show More
26m 30s
Apr 2024
Inside the White House's Scramble to Avert a Bigger Middle East War
Over the course of 19 days, U.S. officials raced to contain escalating tensions between Israel and Iran amid a series of attacks. WSJ’s Michael R. Gordon on what was going on behind the scenes as the White House worked to prevent a bigger conflict. Further Reading: -Inside the Wh ... Show More
16m 6s