Shows / On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman
On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman
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…
Episodes
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanNew round of war with Iran 'almost' inevitable, says award-winning author Kim Ghattas
Kim Ghattas is the author of "The Best Kind of American," her most recent book that reveals shocking new details of the 1984 murder of Malcolm Kerr, the dean…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanTurkey's regional rise seems unstoppable after maritime deal with Libya's Haftar
Libya analyst Jalel Harchaoui explains how Turkey's courting of Libya's eastern warlord has cemented Turkish influence in North Africa and beyond. See Privacy…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanKurdish integration with Syria’s central government remains far from complete
Syria-based American researcher Alexander McKeever, author of the This Week in Northern Syria Substack, says recent violence between Arabs and Kurds has…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanSaudi Arabia's escalation against the Houthis is unlikely to deliver victory, says Danny Citrinowicz
Israeli analyst Danny Citrinowicz says that while the US blockade and sanctions on Iran have been effective, these don’t change Tehran’s calculations and there…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanStraight from Putin's playbook: Turkey's Islamists are jailing LGBTQ activists in ‘morality’ drive
Leading Turkish LGBTQ activist Yildiz Tar explains why Turkey's authoritarian government is escalating repression of their community. The crackdown has less to…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanThree million views in 24 hours: Turkey's curiosity about Syrian Kurdish leader Kobane explodes in first TV interview
Banu Guven, a widely respected TV presenter, became the first Turkish journalist to host Kurdish leader Mazlum Kobane on national TV in Turkey. Until recently…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanNeither victory nor defeat: SDF's dissolution marks new phase for Syria's Kurds, says Al Majalla's Ibrahim Hamidi
Many Kurds across the region feel angered by the Aug. 25 announcement by Syrian Democratic Forces commander-in-chief Mazlum Kobane that the force has been…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanA clash between Turkey, Israel ‘only a matter of time’ says Israeli analyst Danny Citrinowicz
Tensions between Turkey and Israel have been spiraling over Gaza, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Horn of Africa and above all in Syria. Fears of a…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanIran sees threats, opportunities but little deterrence in Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact, says Hamidreza Azizi
The mutual defense pact signed between the regional Muslim powers comes against the backdrop of the Iran war, which has hurt Gulf countries more than any…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanUS troop withdrawal leaves Kurds at mercy of Iran & Baghdad, says former State Department official Victoria Taylor
The withdrawal of the last US troops from Erbil marks the end of an era in which the Kurds were the United States' closest ally in Iraq, says Victoria Taylor…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanPakistan will defend Saudi Arabia against Israel says former Pakistani FM Kasuri
Former Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri says Pakistan welcomes Saudi Arabia's nuclear agreement with the United States and says Pakistan is…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanAward-winning author Suzy Hansen says Turkish President Erdogan's grip on power not necessarily assured
Hansen, who spent more than a decade reporting from Turkey for The New York Times Magazine, is the author of a widely acclaimed new book on the country under…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanTurkey’s World Cup Meltdown is a Milestone in Unraveling of Erdogan’s Reign, Says Selim Koru
Selim Koru, founder of the Kulturkampf Substack, argues that Turkey’s World Cup loss is emblematic of the failure of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanUS-Iran peace deal a blow to the Kurds but their struggle will continue, says Wladimir van Wilgenburg
President Donald Trump sought Kurdish support in efforts to topple Iran’s regime, only to drop them like hot potatoes amid pressure from Turkey, a key NATO…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanArmenia's pro-Western prime minister won elections, but peace with Turkey & Azerbaijan remains a challenge
Tigran Grigoryan, director of the Center for Democracy and Security, a Yerevan-based think tank, argues that the road ahead for Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanTurkey's outsize influence in Somalia fuels corruption and autocracy, says MEI's Gonul Tol
Somalia is home to Turkey’s largest overseas military base. It has signed an oil exploration and production deal with Ankara that has sparked protests from the…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanDon’t blame the PKK for all the Kurds’ losses in Syria, says Kurdish expert Aliza Marcus
Kurds in northeast Syria have suffered significant territorial and political setbacks, while Kurds in Turkey continue to lack meaningful rights. A growing…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanSaudi Arabia hates Iran’s regime but did not want war, says former US ambassador to Riyadh Michael Ratney
With no resolution in sight, the conflict is taking a heavy toll on Saudi Arabia amid widening fissures with its Gulf neighbor the United Arab Emirates. See…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanIran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ‘running the show’ despite public absence, says academic Hassan Ahmadian
The Iran conflict is entering its second month with no resolution, despite a ceasefire extension announced by the United States on April 8. Iranian negotiators…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanLebanon’s Ghassan Salame: Israel talks ‘not negotiations,’ Hezbollah disarmament by force ‘illusion’
Lebanon faces escalating violence and mounting displacement as Israeli airstrikes and Hezbollah rocket attacks intensify ahead of planned US-backed talks in…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanUkraine 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanGrowing 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanIranian 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanFriends 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanPartnership 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanMost 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanIran’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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanWhat 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanAs 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanWhy 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanThe 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanYazidis 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanWhat 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanWhy 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanThousands 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanWhy 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanRising 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanHow 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanWhy 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanSaudi 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanWhat 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanTurkey 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanHow 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanWhy 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanWill 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanTurkey'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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanIran 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanIsrael 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanWhy 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanKashmir 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanHow 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanUS 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanGaza'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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanWhat 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanSyria'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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanFrench 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanHow 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanRussian 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanPKK 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…
On the Middle East with Amberin ZamanFor 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…