May 2025

Babel Special: Jon Alterman's Next Chapter

This week on a special edition of Babel, Will Todman speaks with Jon Alterman, the creator of Babel and the show’s host since it began in 2019. They discuss Jon’s reflections on 22 years directing the CSIS Middle East Program, his analysis of how the Middle East policy ecosystem ... Show More

34m 59s

May 2025

Mohanad Hage Ali: Hezbollah and the Captagon Trade

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Mohanad's latest paper for Carnegie investigates the rise of a new form of drug smuggling in Lebanon. Together, they discuss Hezbollah’s i ... Show More

50m 16s

May 2025

Analysis: Will Trump’s Houthi Deal Stick?

On Tuesday, May 6, President Trump declared that the United States would immediately halt its bombing of Houthi targets, bringing an end to months of intensified U.S. strikes across Yemen. The president linked the policy reversal to what he described as the Iran-backed Houthis’ c ... Show More

6m 13s

Apr 2025

Iran’s nuclear talks could reshape the Middle East

Nuclear talks between the US and Iran began last weekend in Oman, and are set to continue in the coming weeks. President Trump has warned that if the talks fail the US could take military action against the Islamic republic – an idea that Israel's government is pressing for. What ... Show More

23m 54s

Mar 2025

Is Iran on a collision course with the West?

Iran's Supreme Leader warns of a forceful response if the US or its allies bomb his country. That follows a threat made by US President Donald Trump if there's no deal on Tehran's nuclear programme. So, how dangerous is this stand-off? And can a solution be found? In this episod ... Show More

24m 21s

Apr 2025

Nuclear diplomacy: Trump, Iran and a potential new deal

After years of stalled diplomacy, the US and Iran are back in high-level talks. Surprise meetings have taken place in Oman and Rome, with more expected soon. Could this be President Donald Trump’s long-awaited foreign policy win? Or will competing agendas, regional tensions and i ... Show More

32m 25s

Jun 2025

Iran's path forward

US stocks almost hit record highs amid possible de-escalation in the Middle East, and Johns Hopkins University professor Vali Nasr analyses Iran’s future. Plus, the US Federal Reserve chair signalled no interest cuts this summer, and US states are sending delegates to the EU for ... Show More

10m 34s

Jun 2025

Former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper Talks Strait Of Hormuz

Mark Esper, former US Defense Secretary, says Iran's regime is still dangerous and could respond to the US airstrikes. He also talks about 900 pounds of missing uranium from Iran, the capability of the US military and what could happen if Iran tries to close the Strait of Hormuz. ... Show More

7m 59s

Oct 2025

Iran is Down, Not Out

In this episode of MEnbar, Marc Owen Jones speaks with Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East and Africa Programme in Chatham House, about the Twelve Day War between Israel and Iran and its impacts on Iran’s nuclear program. Vakil discusses the implications of these attacks on ... Show More

33m 52s

Jun 2025

Inside Iran's State Broadcaster

As Israel continues to attack Iran, it says Tehran crossed the red line after striking a major hospital in southern Israel. Iran says it was targeting a nearby technology park, but Israel says it was a deliberate attack on civilians. Correspondent Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran and b ... Show More

56 m

Sanam Vakil: Iran's Trajectory after Rai...