Sanam Vakil: Iran's Trajectory after Raisi

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

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

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

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

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

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