Today

Islamism in Britain: what is the threat?

Though a growing share of the British population is anxious about Islam, they have no reason to be. Islamism, a fringe ideology that believes government and society should be guided by Islamic principles, is the real concern. America cracks down on multinationals’ efforts to shif ... Show More

23m 41s

Yesterday

Strait and narrowing: the Houthis’ striking advance

After years of stalemate, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis are taking territory, including on a Red Sea strait. We ask what has changed, and how the shift fits into the wider regional conflict. As America’s midterm elections approach, we examine the fragmentation of the coalition that ... Show More

22m 46s

Sep 12

The Weekend Intelligence: Shire folk

For 15 years, the British media dismissed Tommy Robinson as a far-right extremist. We kept him off our televisions, and out of our newspapers. Today his rallies attract tens of thousands of followers and he has the ear of the world’s richest man.Shire Folk is the story of how som ... Show More

49m 13s

Jun 2025

Truce and consequences: a fragile ceasefire in Iran

Iran’s strikes both before and apparently after a ceasefire began seem to threaten peace. If it holds, what will that mean for Iran’s ambitions, and for the wider region? A meeting of NATO-country leaders seems precision-engineered to appease the alliance’s most fickle member. An ... Show More

24m 44s

Aug 2024

What's Iran up to?

Middle Eastern nations are scrambling to protect a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and prevent a regional conflict. There are reports of imminent Iranian and Hezbollah retaliation on Israel, as the United States moves military assets to the region. Joining Niall Pate ... Show More

17m 35s

Oct 2025

Celebrations, but a Long Road Ahead in Mideast

The ceasefire celebrations give way to some complicated questions. The most important one: Can it lead to a lasting peace in the Middle East? We take a look at the long road ahead and the issues that still need to be ironed out. Also this morning: Thousands of trucks are ready, b ... Show More

46m 18s

Apr 2024

The Intelligence: Iran and Israel’s new era?

A missile has reportedly struck a site in the Islamic Republic. If this is retaliation for Iran’s most recent attacks, then it is a muted response. But is there still a risk of escalation? As India’s election kicks off, a look into why the opposition is likely to have a poor show ... Show More

27m 7s

Jun 2025

Trump Hits Pause on Iran

President Trump is giving diplomacy a shot, granting Iran a two-week window. Iran's top diplomat is heading to Europe for nuclear talks. Can negotiations succeed with missiles still flying? Meanwhile, the GOP rift on how to handle the Mideast crisis deepens. Will the president's ... Show More

46m 5s

Apr 2023

Inside the Saudi-Iran Peace Deal & How It Shakes Up Europe

<p><b>With Saudi Arabia and Iran making peace as part of a deal brokered by China, much has been made about the absence of the U.S. and what it means for U.S. hegemony. But what about the implications for the region? What might it look like in practice? Who are the potential spoi ... Show More

32m 16s

Apr 2021

Fission expedition: nuclear-site attack in Iran

An apparent act of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/04/12/israel-apparently-strikes-an-iranian-nuclear-facility-again?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" targe ... Show More

21m 22s

Sep 2025

Under Pressure: Will Snapback Sanctions Bring Iran Back to the Table?

With Iran's nuclear program devastated, the reimposition of UN sanctions looming, and Tehran grappling with the fallout of the 12-Day War, is the time ripe for Iran to return to the negotiating table? MEI Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow Alan Eyre — former senior US diplomat and m ... Show More

32m 1s

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

Truce and consequences: a fragile ceasef...