On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman
News & Politics
About
AL-Monitor Senior Correspondent Amberin Zaman interviews newsmakers, journalists, and thought leaders from the US and Middle East about the latest news and trends in the region. Amberin travels the region for AL-Monitor, specializing in news and analysis in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and the Caucasus and writes the weekly Turkey Briefing newsletter. Prior to AL-Monitor, she covered Turkey, the Kurds, and conflicts in the region for The Washington Post, The Daily Telegraph, The Los Angeles Times and the Voice of America, and was The Economist's Turkey correspondent from 1999 to 2016.
Episodes
- Turkey's outsize influence in Somalia fuels corruption and autocracy, says MEI's Gonul Tol
MEI's Gonul Tol discusses Turkey's extensive military and economic involvement in Somalia, including its largest overseas military base and an oil deal, suggesting this engagement contributes to corruption and autocracy.
- Don’t blame the PKK for all the Kurds’ losses in Syria, says Kurdish expert Aliza Marcus
Kurdish expert Aliza Marcus argues that blaming the PKK for Kurdish losses in Syria overlooks the wider regional and political factors influencing these setbacks.
- Saudi Arabia hates Iran’s regime but did not want war, says former US ambassador to Riyadh Michael Ratney
Former US ambassador to Riyadh Michael Ratney explains that Saudi Arabia opposes Iran's regime but did not seek war. The ongoing conflict impacts Saudi Arabia, highlighting divisions with the UAE.
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ‘running the show’ despite public absence, says academic Hassan Ahmadian
Academic Hassan Ahmadian suggests that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is directing Iran’s negotiations, despite his public absence. The ongoing Iran conflict follows a ceasefire extension, with warnings of potential escalation d…
- Lebanon’s Ghassan Salame: Israel talks ‘not negotiations,’ Hezbollah disarmament by force ‘illusion’
Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame states that disarmament of Hezbollah by force is an illusion and upcoming talks with Israel are not yet negotiations. He also warns of further destabilization in Lebanon due to escalating violence.
- Ukraine is becoming the Gulf's new shield against Iran, says Yevgeniya Gaber
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” as the old adage goes — a logic Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, put into practice by offering his military’s expertise in countering Iranian drones to the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and t…
- Growing number of Iranians believe war seeks to destroy their nation, not just regime, says Vali Nasr
Iranian-American academic Vali Nasr says rising civilian deaths and the destruction of iconic sites such as the Qajar-era Golestan Palace are turning even the most anti-regime Iranians against the US‑Israeli war, which many now see as…
- Iranian children make up 15% of civilians killed since US, Israel launched war, rights monitor says
On Feb. 28, the first day of the war in Iran, at least 175 people — most of them children — were killed when a U.S. missile struck a girls’ school in Minab. Since then, the civilian death toll has steadily risen, turning even some of the r…
- Friends with some benefits: Why Russia cannot overtly support Iran
Russia has close military and diplomatic ties with Iran but it also has cordial relations with Iran's foes, notably Israel. At the same time, it is bogged down by its own war with Ukraine. So how much actual assistance can it provide to Ir…
- Partnership between Trump, Iran's Kurds still on agenda, says KDPI's Asso Hassan Zadeh
President Donald Trump says he has ruled out plans to ally with armed Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, after previously suggesting he would like them to help overthrow the Iranian regime. However, Asso Hassan Zadeh, a prominent figure in…
- Most Iranians would reject US deal, fearing it enables regime survival, says Hamidreza Azizi
Iranian political scientist Hamidreza Azizi explains that a nuclear deal with the United States would be widely opposed by Iranians. He says trust in the regime has been irreparably damaged following the mass killings of protesters. See Pr…
- Iran’s clerical regime can reform itself — provided Khamenei goes, says Iranian historian Arash Azizi
Efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the US-Iranian standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program are continuing apace. However, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remains implacably opposed to any concessions. Iranian historian Ar…
- What does future hold for Syria's Kurds after dramatic losses to Damascus?
The Kurds of northeast Syria have suffered a series of humiliating setbacks over the past month, losing more than 80% of the territory they once controlled to central government forces. A US-mediated truce averted a potential bloodbath. Me…
- As violent protests continue to rock Iran, survival of country's long-reigning clerical regime has never looked as vulnerable
UK historian Christopher de Bellaige says Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will fight till the bitter end as will the formidable Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp. But their success is no longer guaranteed amid threats of US i…
- Why US pressure may finally force Israel into striking Syria security deal
A fifth round of US-brokered talks between Israel and Syria began in Paris on Jan. 5. Elizabeth Tsurkov, a senior fellow at the New Lines Institute, explains why Israel may finally yield to US pressure and sign a security agreement with Sy…
- The Saudi-UAE clash: The regional stakes and what Trump can do
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE are escalating anew in Yemen. Al-Monitor senior editor Joyce Karam says the clash is real, leaving the Trump administration torn between its top regional allies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19…
- Yazidis shunned Iraq’s corrupt practices and scored a historic win in parliamentary elections
Murad Ismael, a prominent Yazidi activist who has worked tirelessly to draw attention to his people’s ongoing plight following one of the first genocides of the 21st century, is vowing to change the way politics are practiced in Iraq. See…
- What are the stakes for Iran in Iraq's parliamentary elections
Chatham House senior fellow Renad Mansour explains why Iraq remains even more vital for Iran in the wake of its humiliating 12-day conflict with Israel, and how renewed US interest in Iraq with the appointment of a new envoy is adding to t…
- Why Syria's formal entry to anti-ISIS coalition reduces risk of US troop pullout
On the eve of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's historic meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington on Nov. 10, Al-Monitor spoke with former US Ambassador Barbara Leaf, the first senior US official to formally meet with him after t…
- Thousands slaughtered in el-Fasher as Sudan’s conflict deepens, driven by regional rivalries
The fall of el-Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces, amid renewed allegations of UAE backing, raises fears of further civilian massacres in a regional struggle for Sudan’s gold and Red Sea ports. Sudanese analyst Kholood Khair examines the f…
- Why a full repeal of US sanctions is essential for Syria's suffering to end
Vittorio Maresca di Serracapriola, lead sanctions expert at Karam Shaar Advisory, unpacks the current status of international sanctions over Syria and what they mean for its people after 14 years of civil war and 60 years of repression by…
- Rising fears of ethnic cleansing, sexual violence as Sudan's RSF closes in on El Fasher
Weam Fadul, a Sudanese feminist and activist, blames outside forces for fueling the conflict and says the Sudanese people should be left to decide their own fate. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy…
- How Trump saved Armenia from war with Azerbaijan & Russian hegemony
US President Donald Trump's foray into the Caucasus is among his most successful so far, says analyst Eric Hacopian of Armenia's CivilNet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/p…
- Why Turkey and Damascus will eventually accept Kurdish self-rule
Turkey and the interim Syrian government fiercely oppose Kurdish self-rule. Researcher Meghan Bodette argues that the current dynamics will force them into changing tack, with all sides reaping the benefits of compromise. See Privacy Polic…
- Saudi Arabia would play peacemaker between Damascus and the Kurds — if Syria's Sharaa agreed
Saudi Arabia has emerged as a critical ally for Syria's new interim government. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman played a key role in getting the United States to lift many sanctions on Syria. Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara…
- What the violent showdown among the Talabanis spells for the future of the PUK and Iraqi Kurdistan
Last week’s arrest of Lahur Talabani in a violent raid that left four dead set a dangerous precedent, one that could undermine PUK leader Bafel Talabani and the Kurdistan region as a whole, says independent analyst Shayan Talabany. See Pri…
- Turkey and the UAE's fight for regional influence: Who's winning?
Jalel Harchaoui, an expert on Gulf and North African power dynamics, unpacks the evolving relationship between the two regional rivals. While ties have improved dramatically since 2021, he warns that lingering rivalries across Africa could…
- How Syria's tribes hold the key to power
Haian Dukhan, a leading expert on Syria’s tribal dynamics, unpacks the stakes in the latest surge of violence between Sunni Bedouin tribes and the Druze minority in Suwayda. Retaining tribal support is essential for the country’s post-Assa…
- Why the PKK and its campaign for Kurdish rights are not history
On July 11, a group of PKK fighters burned their weapons in a ceremony marking the end of their forty-year-long armed campaign against the Kurdish state. Aliza Marcus, a leading expert on the militant group, says it is too early to determi…
- Will Israel attack Iran again and what can it achieve?
Professor Mohsen Milani, the author of the recently published, "Iran's Rise and Rivalry with the U.S. in the Middle East," explains that airpower alone cannot dislodge Iran's clerical regime. With Iran capable of relaunching its nuclear pr…
- Turkey's military might will never open doors to EU membership, says Euro-MP Nacho Sánchez Amor
Nacho Amor is the European Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey. Speaking to Al-Monitor, he blasts EU leaders for their silence over Turkey's appalling human rights record, including the jailing of more than a dozen democratically elected may…
- Iran was battered by Israel and US, but its regime is intact as Iranians rally around flag, says Vali Nasr
Israel’s conflict with Iran has wiped out dozens of top military leaders and scientists and inflicted major damage on critical facilities, yet the regime has survived. The Iranian people have not risen up; to the contrary, they have rallie…
- Israel wants regime change or a failed state in Iran
As the Iran-Israel conflict enters its fifth day, there are growing signs that the United States will intervene on the side of its Israeli allies. Iranian scholar Hamidreza Azizi says Israel is aiming for regime change or to turn Iran into…
- Why Trump’s bromance with Erdogan is risk to Syria’s Kurds as Turkey seeks to dismantle PKK
Ankara's latest effort to end a four decades long Kurdish insurgency is opaque and is full of risks and opportunities for Turkey and Syria's Kurds says lawmaker Cengiz Candar. See Privacy Policy at https://art…
- Kashmir conflict a reminder of why Saudi Arabia & other Gulf nations favor India over Pakistan
Talmiz Ahmad, a former Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, explains why Gulf nations led by Saudi Arabia tilt in favor of India despite long-running ties with Muslim Pakistan. Pakistan's refusal to join Saudi Arabia in…
- How power is reshaping Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa & why he’s not ‘a Turkish puppet’
Charles Lister, the head of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute in Washington, argues that after five months in power Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the ultimate pragmatist, is adjusting to the complexity of governing his…
- US diplomacy can end sectarian clashes between Druze, Syrian government forces
Makram Rabah, an assistant professor at the American University in Beirut, says that Syria's interim president lacks the power to control his own army and that Washington needs to engage with Syria's new government to help defuse sectarian…
- Gaza's children bear brunt of Israeli impunity, says Arwa Damon
Starvation, disease, mutilation and death have become the norm for children in Gaza, says Arwa Damon, founder of the INARA charity. She warns that aid workers, journalists and medics are also being targeted, making it nearly impossible to…
- What do the mass protests mean for future of Turkey & Erdogan?
Since last week, Turkey has been rocked by mass protests over the jailing of Istanbul's opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, on thinly-evidence corruption and terrorism charges. These protests are widely seen as the most significant challenge…
- Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa will keep Russia in the game
Russia is seeking to keep its naval bases in Syria, viewing them as a vital strategic asset. Syria's interim president, a hard nosed pragmatist, will likely strike working relations with the Kremlin while trying to defuse tensions with Isr…
- French academic Fabrice Balanche: Syria's Islamist leader wants to make example of Alawites
The wave of sectarian violence that gripped Syria last week has marred the image of the country's new Islamist president, Ahmad al-Sharaa. Could the government have done more to prevent it? French academic Fabrice Balanche says it absolute…
- How Israel is driving Syria’s new leadership into Turkey’s arms
Israel's expansionist policy in Syria's Golan Heights and its support for the Druze and Kurdish minorities are justified by Israeli officials on the grounds that they are protecting natural allies and countering Turkish influence. Yet Syri…
- Russian mercenaries remain in business even after death of Wagner's Prighozin
Private military contractors are changing the nature of warfare as national governments outsource fighting to mercenaries, especially in the Middle East and Africa. None has elicited as much interest as Russia's Wagner Group and its founde…
- PKK leader Ocalan has the power to deliver peace, but is Turkey sincere?
Since April last year, the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in talks with imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. The goal is to get his organization to end its 40 year-long armed campaign against the Turkish st…
- For some in Iran, Turkey is a bigger threat than Israel as its regional influence rises
The surprise fall of Iran's close regional ally Bashar al-Assad has dealt a huge blow to Tehran's so called axis of resistance running through Iraq onto Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran's loss is Turkey's gain and Tehran is increasingl…
- What Trump means for Iran
Iran is badly weakened by Israel's pummeling of its Shiite allies in the Levant. Yet, unlike during Trump's first presidential term, Gulf powerhouse Saudi Arabia has been mending relations with the Islamic Republic. Vali Nasr, a leading ex…
- Why Syria's new Islamist leaders deserve Western support
Nikolaos van Dam, the Netherland's former Syria envoy and an acclaimed Arabist who has authored several books on the country, says Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's new ruler and the leader of the al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, ought to be…
- Will Turkey and Israel go to war over Syria?
Turkey expert Gallia Lindenstrauss, who is a senior fellow at Israel's National Institute of Security Studies, says Israel is concerned about Turkey's expanding influence in Syria with the rise to power of the Al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahri…
- Turkish lawmaker Cengiz Candar: 'Turkey's endgame is to destroy Kurdish autonomy in Syria'
Cengiz Candar is a lawmaker for the pro-Kurdish DEM party in Turkey who has spent long years in the Middle East. Candar outlines how Israel has hugely benefited from the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, while Turkey — another big winner…
- How Turkey is playing with fire in Syria with its backing of new anti-Assad offensive
French academic Fabrice Balanche, who has written extensively on Syria and just returned from a ten-day -long trip there, believes Turkey is paying a high stakes poker game in Syria through its backing of a Salafist group that has made stu…