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 ....
Jan 22, 2026•19 min•Ep. 180
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 ....
Jan 21, 2026•26 min•Ep. 179
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 .
Jan 15, 2026•23 min•Ep. 178
The author of the Al-Monitor Gulf newsletter, Francesco Schiavi, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss the latest events in Yemen. They cover the momentum shift in the conflict between the government and the Southern Transitional Council, whether the UAE will be able to maintain its influence in Yemen and the strengthening Saudi posture toward the country. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Jan 07, 2026•24 min•Ep. 177
Host Adam Lucente interviews a number of Al-Monitor journalists on the US removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as they dive into how the action could affect Hezbollah, Iran, the Gulf and the oil market. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Jan 06, 2026•16 min•Ep. 176
Host Adam Lucente interviews several correspondents and editors across the region about the major stories that defined 2025 in the Middle East. The team also looks at what may come in 2026, with protests in Iran, UAE-Saudi tensions in Yemen, the fight against ISIS and a number of other situations heating up as the new year approaches. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Dec 30, 2025•18 min•Ep. 175
Al-Monitor’s business correspondents, Sam Wendel and Jack Dutton, join host Adam Lucente to discuss how the Middle East economy fared in 2025, including rising competition over AI, why startups raised more money, the prospects for a return to normalcy in global shipping and a number of energy developments. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Dec 28, 2025•27 min•Ep. 174
Al-Monitor’s correspondent in Ankara, Ezgi Akin, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss Turkey’s 2025, including progression in peace talks with Kurdish groups, domestic challenges to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, questions about the Turkish position toward Syria and geopolitical competition in the Eastern Mediterranean. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Dec 25, 2025•18 min•Ep. 173
Al-Monitor contributor Danny Makki joins host Adam Lucente from Damascus to discuss the US' repeal of the Caesar Act, a law which placed a number of sanctions on Syria over the deposed Assad’s regime conduct in the civil war. Makki describes the optimism in the Syrian business community following the vote, the remaining challenges on the country’s road to recovery, and whether the new government will be able to meet the Trump administration’s political and security expectations. See Privacy Poli...
Dec 19, 2025•24 min•Ep. 172
Al-Monitor’s newsletter and content editor, Gabrielle Debinski, joins host Adam Lucente to offer takeaways from the Hanukkah attack in Australia, including the domestic debate over how to tackle rising antisemitism, the deterioration of Israel-Australia ties, and ISIS’ history of attacks 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 ....
Dec 15, 2025•10 min•Ep. 171
Al-Monitor’s Israel Pulse columnist, Ben Caspit, joins host Adam Lucente to preview the upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They cover Israel’s options after determining the damage done to Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities during the June war was not as extensive as previously thought; the disagreements between Israel and the US over Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria; the options facing Hamas short of a full disarmam...
Dec 12, 2025•20 min•Ep. 170
Al-Monitor’s chief business correspondent, Jack Dutton, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss Gulf sovereign funds’ participation in Paramount Skydance Corporation’s bid to complete a hostile takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. They cover why regional entities view US entertainment as a strong investment; whether the move indicates strategic cooperation between Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE; and how US President Donald Trump’s national security strategy could influence the outcome. See Priv...
Dec 11, 2025•16 min•Ep. 169
Al-Monitor host Adam Lucente interviews a number of Al-Monitor journalists on US President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting the Muslim Brotherhood, covering how affiliates in Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and Egypt will be affected; how divisions within the Trump administration influenced the decision; and how regional states view the move. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Nov 27, 2025•11 min•Ep. 168
Al-Monitor’s senior news editor, Joyce Karam, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss Israel’s killing of Hezbollah military commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai, including the changing nature of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, the limits of diplomatic efforts to solve the crisis, and why a new war is not a given. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Nov 24, 2025•8 min•Ep. 167
Al-Monitor’s chief correspondent, Amberin Zaman, joins host Adam Lucente for a dispatch from the Middle East Peace & Security Forum in the Iraqi Kurdistan city of Dahuk. Listen as they discuss what Syrian Democratic Forces commander Mazlum Kobane’s participation at the forum means for Kurdish unity amid negotiations with the new government in Syria, Turkey’s view towards its dialogue with Kurdish groups, and how Iraqi Kurdish parties may choose to exercise their leverage in deliberations ove...
Nov 19, 2025•11 min•Ep. 166
Al-Monitor’s Pentagon correspondent, Jared Szuba, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss US President Donald Trump’s pledge to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia during a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including what such a deal would mean for the balance of power in the Middle East, why the kingdom wants the jets now, potential challenges in getting the sale to materialize, and how regional states might respond. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priv...
Nov 18, 2025•15 min•Ep. 165
Al-Monitor’s senior market research analyst, Samuel Wendel, joins host Adam Lucente to preview Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s trip to the White House. Listen as they delve into the reasons past deals on AI and chips have yet to materialize, whether President Donald Trump will be able to convince the royal to inject more investment into the US, and how low oil prices are affecting relations between the two men. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notic...
Nov 14, 2025•12 min•Ep. 164
Al-Monitor’s State Department correspondent, Elizabeth Hagedorn, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, including the progress made towards a full repeal of the Caesar Act sanctions, the potential for an Israel-Syria security deal, and why Trump is so keen on welcoming the Syrian leader into the fold. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#...
Nov 11, 2025•10 min•Ep. 163
Al-Monitor’s correspondent in Beirut, Beatrice Farhat, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss Hezbollah’s letter declaring their rejection of negotiations with Israel, including the mounting pressure the Iran-backed group is under, why Lebanon’s government is likely to push on with the disarmament plan, the recent flurry of diplomatic activity in Beirut, and the reasons a new conflict with Israel is growing more likely. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at...
Nov 06, 2025•13 min•Ep. 162
Al-Monitor Brief host Adam Lucente previews the Nov. 11 Iraqi parliamentary elections, including growing divisions among Shiite parties, the issues voters are most concerned about, and how the result might affect Iraq’s relations with Iran, the US and the region. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Nov 06, 2025•9 min•Ep. 161
Al-Monitor news reporter Rosaleen Carroll joins host Adam Lucente to discuss Chinese Vice President Han Zheng’s visit to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait this week, plus his upcoming trip to Qatar for the Second World Summit for Social Development. Listen as they delve into China’s focus on Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy and AI sectors, why Riyadh is reluctant to pursue a free trade deal with Beijing and what to expect from Han’s trip to Doha. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californ...
Oct 31, 2025•8 min•Ep. 160
Al-Monitor’s chief business correspondent, Jack Dutton, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s trip to Saudi Arabia for the FII Conference, including Syria’s progress in modernizing its economy, whether Western firms will back up their interest with actual investment, and why the kingdom is keen on taking the lead on the country’s development. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-i...
Oct 29, 2025•14 min•Ep. 159
Al-Monitor’s Elizabeth Hagedorn, Rina Bassist and Daoud Kuttab join host Adam Lucente to discuss the state of the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, including the latest on post-war governance plans for the Palestinian enclave, the alleged violations of the truce, and potential repercussions from the Trump administration on both parties. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Oct 24, 2025•18 min•Ep. 158
Al-Monitor’s chief correspondent, Amberin Zaman , joins host Adam Lucente to discuss her recent trip to Syria, including observations on the state of the Syrian economy amid continued sanctions, the rate of progress towards integrating the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into the new army following recent clashes in Aleppo, and the government’s crackdown on French and other foreign jihadists. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/...
Oct 23, 2025•22 min•Ep. 157
Al-Monitor contributor Barin Kayaoglu joins host Adam Lucente to discuss the recent water agreement between Turkey and Iraq, including the national security reasons Ankara wants to help the Iraqi government with its water shortages, whether Baghdad is satisfied with the flows from its northern neighbor and the possibility of bringing Syria’s transitional government into the negotiations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do...
Oct 18, 2025•18 min•Ep. 156
The Al-Monitor Brief host Adam Lucente provides an overview of Hamas’ crackdown in Gaza , including the local rivals the group is targeting, responses from the Palestinian Authority and the Trump administration, and what it means for the future of the peace deal and the enclave. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Oct 15, 2025•7 min•Ep. 155
Al-Monitor’s correspondent in Ankara, Ezgi Akin, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss Turkey’s role in the Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal, including what it means for the future of relations with Israel and the Trump administration, the role Ankara is eyeing in the Palestinian enclave, and potential risks related to Turkish ties with Hamas. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Oct 10, 2025•12 min•Ep. 154
Al-Monitor’s Israel Pulse chief, Rina Bassist, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss the latest in the Gaza ceasefire and hostage talks, including points of contention over an Israeli withdrawal and Hamas’ demands for prisoners to be released, as well as the effects of pressure from the Trump administration. Editor’s note: This episode was updated on Oct. 8, 2025 to include US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Israel and Hamas had agreed on phase one of his Gaza ceasefire and hostage-relea...
Oct 08, 2025•11 min•Ep. 153
Al-Monitor’s Pentagon correspondent, Jared Szuba, joins host Adam Lucente to discuss the pause in the US troop drawdown in Syria , including concerns about spiraling sectarian violence in the country, the negotiations between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, and the central government, and the safety of US troops in both Syria and Iraq due to the conflict with Iran. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-...
Oct 04, 2025•13 min•Ep. 152
Al-Monitor’s Daoud Kuttab and Elizabeth Hagedorn join host Adam Lucente to discuss the new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release plan presented by US President Donald Trump, including whether Hamas would agree to a deal that would remove them from power in the Palestinian enclave, how pressure from Arab and Muslim states could influence the group, and the obstacles in implementing an end to the war. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/p...
Sep 30, 2025•15 min•Ep. 151
