Tag: Iran

In this episode, the guest is Amar Dank, a researcher of war termination, for a conversation about how leaders make decisions on continuing or ending a military conflict. The discussion focuses on the concept of the "gambler's dilemma," taken from Kahneman and Tversky's prospect theory, and examines how loss aversion can lead leaders to continue and escalate wars in the hope of erasing prior losses, even at the cost of taking greater risks. The model is applied to the Russia-Ukraine war, the "Swords of Iron" war, and the conflict with Iran.

In this episode of "This Week in the Middle East," Dr. Tamar Eilam Gindin, a Middle East scholar and Iran expert, joins the show to discuss the meaning of new years in the region's cultures. The conversation moves from the myths of the ancient Near East, through the different calendars, to the political and social reality of present-day Iran.

In this episode, based on listener questions, the guest is Dr. Yaron Friedman, a lecturer in Arabic at the University of Haifa, a researcher of Shia Islam and the Alawite community, and a co-founder of the podcast. The conversation, recorded on July 8, deals with the power struggles in Iran after the death of the Supreme Leader, the new situation in Syria under rebel rule, the future of Hezbollah, and the fate of the Alawite community.

This episode's guest is Mor Shapira, a lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University and a researcher at the MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute). The conversation deals with how the agreement between the United States and Iran is covered and received in the Arab world, and with the new strategies the region's countries are adopting in its wake.

Dr. Tamar Eilam Gindin, an expert on Iran, is the guest on this episode. The conversation, recorded on the eve of Ashura, deals with the meaning of the Battle of Karbala and the death of Imam Hussein for the Shi'a. Dr. Eilam Gindin analyzes the mythological roots of the story, its influence on the mentality of the Iranian regime, and the way it is expressed in the internal rifts at the top, in negotiations with the West, and in the perception of governance and the constitution.

In this episode of "This Week in the Middle East," Professor Amatzia Baram, an expert on Iraq, joins the show to discuss the reasons that led to the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in 1980. According to Baram, it was a "strange war": an initiative by one country, Iraq, to attack a country three times its size, Iran, which was in the midst of a vibrant Islamic revolution. Baram explains the chain of events and motives that led Saddam Hussein to make this risky decision.

The episode features Colonel (ret.) Pesach Malovany, a former Aman officer and a researcher of Arab armies, for a conversation about the Iran-Iraq War. Malovany, author of the books "The Wars of Modern Babylon," "From the North Evil Shall Break Forth," and others, served as an Aman officer dealing with Iraq at the beginning of the war. In the conversation, he analyzes the reasons for the outbreak of the war, which was the longest in the Middle East in the 20th century, its main developments, and its outcomes.

The episode features Dr. Nir Reichental, an expert on Pakistan and nuclear non-proliferation. The conversation covers the history of Pakistan, the circumstances that led it to become a nuclear power, and the complex interests guiding it today, as it finds itself in the role of the main mediator between Iran and the United States.

In this episode, Dr. Haim Koren, a diplomat and Middle East scholar, returns for a conversation about the civil war in Sudan. The conversation covers the causes of the war, the extensive international involvement in the conflict, and its implications for the regional and global balance of power, including for Israel.

The episode features Dr. Tzamarat Levy-Daphny, a researcher from the Deborah Forum and Forum 1325, for a conversation about Turkey's foreign policy. The conversation covers Ankara's position on the conflict between Israel and Iran, its complex relations with Tehran, and its role as a regional power trying to navigate between conflicting alliances and interests. At the beginning of the conversation, Dr. Levy-Daphny explains that Forum 1325, of which she is a member, works to include women in political negotiation processes, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

In this episode, the guest is Middle East scholar and Iran expert Alex Grinberg. The conversation deals with the campaign against Iran, the future of the Islamic regime, and the question of who will declare the end of the war. Grinberg argues that the regime is not expected to fall officially, but rather to be gradually eliminated, and that Iran is expected to remain a unified country even on the day after.

In this episode, the guest is Omer Dank, a security researcher, to discuss the question of how wars come to an end. The conversation reviews the various ways wars have ended in the modern era, and examines the possible scenarios for the end of the current (hypothetical) war between the United States and Israel and Iran.

In this episode, Dr. Yaron Friedman joins the show to discuss the economic war being waged in parallel with the military conflict with Iran. The conversation focuses on the consequences of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for the economies of Iran, the Gulf states, Iraq, and other regional actors, and examines who the main losers and winners are from the situation.

This episode's guest is Dr. Yaron Friedman from the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Haifa. The conversation deals with Iran's parade of strategic mistakes, which Dr. Friedman likens to a modern, but fake, Battle of Karbala. According to him, this is a pre-lost war that the Iranian leadership entered after believing its own propaganda.

In this episode, recorded as the military campaign against Iran was unfolding, the guest is Eran Efrat, an expert in energy economics. The conversation revolves around the immediate economic consequences of the conflict, primarily the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and examines the dramatic changes that could occur in the global economy the day after the fall of the ayatollahs' regime.

In this episode, the guest is Iran expert Dr. Tamar Eilam Gindin. The conversation, scheduled months in advance, naturally turned to the wave of protests and violence that has swept Iran. According to Dr. Eilam Gindin, Iran's mythology and ancient history are surprisingly intertwined with current events and provide a key to understanding them. The conversation examines the nature of the regime's violent oppression, the West's fear of its collapse, the emerging governing alternative, the issue of ethnic minorities, and the connection between the Book of Esther and current American policy.

In this episode, Dr. Yaron Friedman is a guest, discussing Saudi Arabia's surprising position on the protests in Iran. According to him, contrary to expectations, it seems the Saudis are working to prevent the fall of the ayatollahs' regime for several strategic, economic, and ideological reasons.

This episode's guest is Alex Grinberg, an Iran scholar at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS). The conversation deals with the recent protests in Iran, examining the stability of the Islamic regime, the chances of its collapse, and the factors influencing this, including the economic situation, national identity and ethnic minorities, and external pressures.

In this episode, linguist and Iran expert Dr. Tamar Eilam Gindin joins the podcast for a conversation about the situation in Iran following the recent war. Dr. Eilam Gindin analyzes the regime's response to the war, its surprising use of pre-Islamic Iranian nationalism, social media dynamics, scenarios for the regime's future, and the country's severe internal crises, particularly the water crisis.

In this episode of "This Week in the Middle East," Boris Gorelik speaks with Dr. Gallia Lindenstrauss, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), about Israel's complex relationship with Azerbaijan. The conversation covers the security, economic, and diplomatic aspects of the connection, and examines Azerbaijan's place in the geopolitical landscape of the Caucasus and the Middle East, against the backdrop of its relations with Iran, Turkey, and the major powers.

This episode's guest is Idit Sharoni, curator at the Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem. She talks about the museum's new exhibition, "Love Stories", which explores and presents tempestuous love stories from the medieval Middle East. The exhibition focuses on illustrated manuscripts and touches on themes like forbidden love, madness, and death.

This episode's guest is Alex Grinberg, a Middle East scholar and researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. The conversation deals with the stability of the regime in Iran despite popular unrest, and moves on to analyze the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria as a basis for discussing power dynamics, alliances, and the required Israeli strategy in the new Middle East.

This episode features Dr. Yaron Friedman. According to Friedman, the collapse of the Iranian Axis of Resistance in recent months can be explained by a chain of betrayals and broken agreements. He reviews these betrayals, which began during the Syrian civil war and culminated in the current war.

This episode's guest is Mor Shapira, a lecturer in Arabic at Bar-Ilan University and a researcher at the MEMRI institute. Shapira analyzes how the media and public in the Arab world and Iran reacted to the Israeli attack on Iran, the collapse of the Iranian deterrence myth, and the various narratives that developed following the events.

In this episode, Eran Efrat, an expert on the global energy market, joins the podcast for a conversation about Iran and its influence on the oil and gas markets. The discussion covers the Iranian threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, the interests of powers like China and the United States, and the possible consequences of the regime's fall in Tehran for the global energy map.

In this episode of "This Week in the Middle East", the guest is Mariam Younes, a peace activist and expert on Lebanese society and Israel-Lebanon relations. Younes, a native of Lebanon, analyzes the reactions and trends in Lebanese society since the events of October 7, through the elimination of Hezbollah's leadership and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, to the campaign against Iran.

In this episode of This Week in the Middle East, the guest is Dr. Haim Koren, a lecturer at Reichman University, former Israeli ambassador to South Sudan and Egypt, and a Middle East scholar. The conversation covers the bloody civil war raging in Sudan, the severe humanitarian crisis it has created, and the tangle of interests of regional and global powers involved in the conflict.

In this episode, Dr. Yaron Friedman is a guest for a broad review of developments in the Middle East. The conversation covers the expected change of leadership in the Palestinian Authority, the fragile situation in Syria and Lebanon, and trends in the second and third circle countries, from Egypt and Jordan to Iran, Turkey, and North Africa.

The episode hosts Dr. Yael Finko, a former senior official in the defense establishment and currently a researcher at Bar-Ilan University and a cyber expert. The conversation deals with Iran's efforts to influence and spy on Israel, beyond the familiar military threats like missiles and proxy organizations. Finko analyzes Tehran's concept of "soft power," its methods in the fields of cyber and human espionage, and the psychology behind recruiting Israeli agents.

The episode hosts Dr. Tamar Eilam Gindin, an Iran expert and linguist, for a conversation about the secularization processes underway in Iranian society. According to her, the Islamic Republic, through its religious coercion, is the best thing that ever happened to secularism in Iran, and the worst thing that ever happened to Islam. The conversation deals with the tension between the ancient Iranian identity and the Muslim identity, the people's attitude toward the regime and Israel, and Iran's future.

The episode features Alex Grinberg, an expert on Iran. The conversation begins with an incident in which an Azeri passenger plane was hit over Chechnya, and from there develops into a discussion about Russia's conduct, Azerbaijan's diplomacy, and the possible implications of Turkey's growing strength in Syria for Israel's northern border.

In this episode, Yaron Friedman reviews the events of 2024 in the Middle East, a year characterized by a multi-front war and regional upheavals, and tries to assess the expected developments in 2025. The conversation moves between the different fronts, from the inner circle of Gaza and the West Bank to the wider circles of Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and the Gulf states.

The episode features Dr. Mor Shapiro, a lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University and a researcher at the MEMRI Middle East Media Research Institute. Shapiro analyzes the diverse reactions in the Arab world to Donald Trump's victory in the United States presidential election, and explains why different countries and actors view his return to the White House in different lights.