Advertise on podcast: On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman

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★★★★☆

4.3

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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.

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Check latest episodes from On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman podcast

Saudi Arabia's escalation against the Houthis is unlikely to deliver victory, says Danny Citrinowicz

2026/10/08

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 is a still a high risk of further escalation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Straight from Putin's playbook: Turkey's Islamists are jailing LGBTQ activists in ‘morality’ drive

2026/09/16

Leading Turkish LGBTQ activist Yildiz Tar explains why Turkey's authoritarian government is escalating repression of their community. The crackdown has less to do with public morals than an effort to divert public attention away from soaring inflation, poverty and joblessness, Tar notes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Three million views in 24 hours: Turkey's curiosity about Syrian Kurdish leader Kobane explodes in first TV interview

2026/09/08

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, interviewing the former commander of the now dissolved Syrian Democratic Forces was a punishable offense. But with Kurdish peace talks underway in Turkey and the integration of Kurdish structures in Syria's northeast advancing, the mood has shifted. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neither victory nor defeat: SDF's dissolution marks new phase for Syria's Kurds, says Al Majalla's Ibrahim Hamidi

2026/08/27

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 formally dissolved. Ibrahim Hamidi, a veteran Syrian journalist and editor-in-chief of Al Majalla, argues that the push for Kurdish rights is by no means over, and that Kobane's new role as an advisor to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will present the Kurds with fresh opportunities. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A clash between Turkey, Israel ‘only a matter of time’ says Israeli analyst Danny Citrinowicz

2026/08/20

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 confrontation between the US allies grew this week after Israel bombed a military airport near the Turkish border, saying Turkish forces were about to move in. Israeli analyst Danny Citrinowicz believes that with no active deconfliction mechanism in place a hot clash is imminent if not inevitable. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Iran sees threats, opportunities but little deterrence in Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact, says Hamidreza Azizi

2026/08/11

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 others. Saudi Arabia's oil sales have plummeted. Its energy infrastructure is badly damaged. It hopes Turkey and Pakistan's help will deter further attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis as well. Iran scholar Hamidreza Azizi discusses what the pact means for Tehran 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.

US troop withdrawal leaves Kurds at mercy of Iran & Baghdad, says former State Department official Victoria Taylor

2026/08/04

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, former deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran affairs. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pakistan will defend Saudi Arabia against Israel says former Pakistani FM Kasuri

2026/07/24

Former Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri says Pakistan welcomes Saudi Arabia's nuclear agreement with the United States and says Pakistan is bound by its treaty obligations to defend the Kingdom should it come under attack. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Award-winning author Suzy Hansen says Turkish President Erdogan's grip on power not necessarily assured

2026/07/15

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 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. She explains how his core supporters are feeling betrayed by the Turkish leader and how his reign might yet end. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Turkey’s World Cup Meltdown is a Milestone in Unraveling of Erdogan’s Reign, Says Selim Koru

2026/06/25

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 civilizational project and may prove to be a milestone in the unraveling of his 24-year reign. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

US-Iran peace deal a blow to the Kurds but their struggle will continue, says Wladimir van Wilgenburg

2026/06/18

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 ally. Now, after signing a peace deal with Tehran, Trump has left Iran’s Kurds more isolated than ever. But Dutch scholar Wladimir van Wilgenburg says the agreement will not stop the Kurds from continuing their struggle for recognition and rights. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Armenia's pro-Western prime minister won elections, but peace with Turkey & Azerbaijan remains a challenge

2026/06/10

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 Pashinyan is fraught with risk. Pashinyan won by a wide margin in the June 7 election, but failed to clinch the super majority needed to push through peace with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Economic pressure from Russia is adding to his woes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Turkey's outsize influence in Somalia fuels corruption and autocracy, says MEI's Gonul Tol

2026/05/15

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 opposition. The Middle East Institute’s Gonul Tol unpacks the drivers of Turkey’s Africa policy, noting that Turkish engagement comes at a cost. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Don’t blame the PKK for all the Kurds’ losses in Syria, says Kurdish expert Aliza Marcus

2026/05/05

Kurds in northeast Syria have suffered significant territorial and political setbacks, while Kurds in Turkey continue to lack meaningful rights. A growing number of Kurdish voices are blaming the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and its imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan for what they see as betrayal. However, Kurdish expert Aliza Marcus argues that such accusations overlook the broader regional and political context in which these losses have unfolded. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Saudi Arabia hates Iran’s regime but did not want war, says former US ambassador to Riyadh Michael Ratney

2026/05/04

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 Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Podcast reviews

Read On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman podcast reviews

4.3 out of 5

43 reviews

★★★★★

Kjgdrfcbvj 2026/06/21

Always insightful & original

Much worth listening to podcast with Middle East expert Amberin Zaman. Never fails to be engaging and original. Nothing else like it for understanding...

★★★★★

shahzeeshan 2026/06/21

One of the best journalists covering the Middle East

Amberin Zaman’s podcasts are always very informative and her interviews insightful with scholars, diplomats, and analysts from the Middle East

★☆☆☆☆

Jim from Silicon Valley 2026/04/02

Pathetic Iran Apologists

What a clown show. Zaman and the moderator are despicable. They whine over 1500 alleged deaths in Iran and are indifferent to 35,000 brutal murders by...

★★★★☆

Maddie445 2025/06/25

Shameful Vali Nasir Iran apologists

Love the show but getting Vali Nasr’s take on Iran is one step away from the regime. He’s a well know Iranian regime apologist who unwilling to admit ...

★★★★★

leylaamur 2023/03/24

Great coverage of Turkey’s election

Love the in-depth coverage of Turkey’s general election - it’s important to be able to sort through the noise!

★☆☆☆☆

Brargis 2022/08/04

Propaganda

The last episode about Tunisia was shameful. I have never heard so much doublespeak. This was pure propaganda. Shameful indeed.

★★★★★

Peter Jarka-Sellers 2021/11/30

Great podcast

Really good, nuanced coverage of middle eastern geopolitics