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In this episode of ROPESCAST, ROPES CEO Ksenia Svetlova sits down with Dr. Marwan Muasher - former Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan and current Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment - for a wide-ranging and candid conversation. Dr. Muasher draws on decades of diplomatic experience, including opening Jordan's first embassy in Israel and helping shape the Middle East roadmap, to reflect on the current state and future of Israeli-Jordanian relations. The conversation covers the enduring relevance - and limitations - of the Arab Peace Initiative, whether a two-state solution remains viable today, and how the recent war with Iran has reshaped Jordan's strategic calculations and regional security concerns. This extraordinary episode offers a rare, ground-level perspective from one of the region's most experienced diplomatic minds. Listen now on ROPESCAST — the independent voice of the Middle East. Chapters: 00:47 Meet Dr. Marwan Muasher 03:00 What Was the Arab Peace Initiative? 05:24 Why Israel Rejected the Initiative 07:27 Why the U.S. Looked Away 09:42 The Road Map to Peace 14:49 Did Israel Lose Its Peace Camp? 21:48 Why Isn’t the Arab Peace Initiative Moving? 27:03 Is a Two-State Solution Still Possible? 37:23 A New Regional Security Architecture 43:38 Does Geography Still Protect Israel? 🌐 Learn more about ROPES:   📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

In this episode of ROPESCAST, Ksenia Svetlova sits down with Professor Sari Nusseibeh — Palestinian philosopher, former president of Al-Quds University, and one of the most consistent voices for a political settlement. They look at why previous peace initiatives collapsed, the reasons those efforts never took hold, and the worrying slide toward radicalization on both sides. Nusseibeh also asks a harder question: why the academic world has produced so few bold voices, and so little leadership, capable of offering a real perspective for change. A co-author of the 2002 People’s Voice initiative with ex-Shinbet chief Ami Ayalon, Nusseibeh speaks from decades of trying to make compromise thinkable — and from watching that space shrink. Tune in for a candid conversation about the peace that failed, the polarization that followed, and the work that is yet to be done. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:39 Representing Arafat in Jerusalem 03:59 When Israelis and Palestinians Still Had Hope 06:37 Why Talk About Peace During War? 08:35 The People, Not the Leaders, Hold the Key 10:49 What Happened to Academic Cooperation? 14:44 Is the Two-State Solution Still Possible? 18:28 How Israel and Palestine Lost Hope 23:29 Why Hamas Gained Strength 34:54 The Mistakes That Destroyed the Peace Process 43:04 From Enemy of Israel to Peace Advocate 45:59 “It’s Crazy Not to Do It” 🌐 Learn more about ROPES:  ropes.org 📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

What happens to one of Israel’s most important regional relationships when the Middle East is being reshaped by war, new alliances and shifting interests? In this episode of ROPESCAST, Ksenia Svetlova speaks with Amira Oron, former Israeli Ambassador to Egypt, a senior diplomat with deep expertise in the Arab world. They discuss the increasingly tense Israeli-Egyptian relationship, Egypt’s role in a rapidly changing Middle East, and how new regional alliances are affecting Cairo and Jerusalem. They also look at the consequences of the war with Iran for Egypt and its economy—from regional security to trade, energy and the Suez Canal. And, because no conversation about Egypt is complete without talking about Cairo itself, Ksenia asks Amira the ultimate tough question: What is her favorite place in Cairo? 🎧 Tune in for an inside look at Egypt, Israel and a Middle East in transformation. Chapters: 00:00 — Israel–Egypt Relations Today 01:47 — Why Ties Are Failing 05:13 — The Somaliland Divide 09:38 — Can Arab States Unite? 11:33 — Israel’s Regional Hegemony 17:53 — Iran’s Impact on Egypt 24:22 — Egypt’s New Alliances 30:47 — Egypt, Gaza & Trump’s Plan 35:44 — Rebuilding Ties with Egypt 40:07 — Amira’s Cairo 🌐 Learn more about ROPES:  ropes.org 📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

Weeks before the war broke out, Danny Citrinowicz was already warning that Israel's read on Iran was heading somewhere dangerous. In this episode of ROPESCAST, he walks through what he saw coming — and why. We cover the full landscape of options on the table for Iran, the US, Israel, and the wider region, and what each side actually stood to gain or lose from escalation. Citrinowicz also critically asseses the almost unbelievable inside story of how Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — a figure many assumed was a natural extremist — was in fact recruited by the Mossad and propped up as a possible replacement to the current Iranian regime. The conversation closes on Citrinowicz's central argument: that no strategy toward Iran can succeed in isolation. He makes the case that Israel must confront the Palestinian conflict head-on — not as a separate issue, but as the very lever Iran uses to extend its reach across the Middle East. Without addressing that core wound, he argues, Israel will keep fighting Iran's proxies while leaving Iran's actual playbook untouched. Chapters: 00:00 – The Warning Before the War 01:35 – Was This War a Mistake? 07:16 – Why Iran Won't Fold 09:55 – The Gulf's Impossible Position 13:55 – Saudi Arabia's Nuclear Future 19:22 – A New Middle East? 21:53 – The Ahmadinejad Bombshell 27:58 – Winning Battles, Losing Strategy? 30:32 – What Israel Must Do Next 35:02 – The Key to Countering Iran 🌐 Learn more about ROPES:  ropes.org 📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

Elizabeth Tsurkov has spent years doing what most researchers only read about — traveling into conflict zones, sitting with militia commanders, and listening to the people living inside the stories we think we understand. A doctoral candidate at Princeton and fellow at both the Middle East Policy Council in Washington and the Forum for Regional Thinking in Jerusalem, she is one of the sharpest independent voices on the Arab world today. In 2023, while conducting field research in Iraq, she was abducted by an Iranian-backed militia and held for 903 days before being released in 2025. In this conversation, she reflects on that heartbreaking experience — and on what Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the wider Middle East actually look like up close, beyond the headlines and the misconceptions that keep getting in the way. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:45 Surviving 903 Days in Captivity 03:43 The Dissertation That Kept Her Going 12:04 Inside Iraq's Corruption Machine 15:49 What Iraq Is Really Like 30:29 Was It Worth Going to Iraq? 34:26 How Captivity Changed Elizabeth Tsurkov 40:00 What's Really Happening in Syria? 51:03 Is Syria's New Leader Still a Jihadist? 56:08 Is Peace Between Israel and Syria Possible? 🌐 Learn more about ROPES:  www.ropes.org 📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

In this episode of ROPESCAST, Ksenia Svetlova sits down with Dr. Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, who offers an interesting perspective on the shifting strategic landscape of the region. The discussion centers on Iran’s proxies and the evolving dynamics of relations between Tehran and Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Hamas. Dr. Vakil explains how these groups have institutionalized themselves as both political, military and social forces.She paints a rather complicated picture of what has happened since the beginning of the Iran war, illustrating why a purely military approach to defeating these groups often fails to address the underlying regional reality. A significant portion of the conversation interrogates the decision-making process within the current U.S. administration. Dr. Vakil analyzes what she describes as a “hollowing out” of regional expertise in Washington and cautions against the dangerous allure of seeking “easy wins” against the Islamic Republic—a regime that operates on a strategic calculus built over decades of survival. The episode concludes with a look at the Palestinian arena and the influence of the war in Iran on it. Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome to ROPESCAST 02:13 – “Did Anyone Expect This War?” 03:50 – How October 7 Reshaped the Middle East 05:02 – Israel’s Miscalculation on Iran 06:32 – How Iran Built the “Axis of Resistance” 09:45 – Why Hezbollah & Hamas Can’t Be Defeated Militarily 15:27 – After Soleimani: The Axis Reinvents Itself 21:37 – Washington’s Iran Expertise “Hollowed Out” 26:31 – A New Middle East Security Order? 34:44 – “The Real War Was Disinformation 39:15 – Can This Conflict End Through Negotiation? 🌐 Learn more about ROPES:  ropes.org 📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

In a special 50th episode of ROPESCAST, Ksenia Svetlova sits down with Ahmed Khuzaie, a strategic analyst from Bahrain who doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the reality of Gulf security. We recorded this as the region continues to deal with the messy aftermath of the war in Iran and the persistent weight of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ahmed has a fascinating take on the Abraham Accords—he respects the history they made but argues they’ve already reached their limit. He walks us through his vision for "Abraham Accords 2.0," a necessary evolution designed to handle the much more complex security threats we’re seeing today. One of the most striking parts of our conversation is how he clarifies Bahrain’s stance on Tehran. While some neighbors have wavered or tried different diplomatic paths, Ahmed explains why Manama has stayed remarkably consistent. For Bahrain the Iranian threat was never a theory; it’s a reality they’ve lived with, which is why they’ve maintained a firm policy against normalization with the Islamic Republic. We also talk about how the war has fundamentally shifted what the Gulf cares about most, and whether the Accords can actually help stabilize the Palestinian arena. Chapters: 00:00 — Welcome to ROPESCAST 00:50 — Bahrain Under Fire 03:33 — Why Iran Targets Bahrain 07:12 — The Myth of Bahrain’s “Shia Majority” 12:28 — Did the Abraham Accords Make Bahrain a Target? 15:25 — “The Gulf Will Never Be the Same Again” 16:34 — Was the Iran War Worth It? 24:26 — Inside Iran’s Fragile Power Structure 28:21 — Abraham Accords 2.0 36:14 — Can Arabs Ever Accept Israel? 🌐 Learn more about ROPES:  ropes.org 📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

Our new ROPESCAST episode features a high-stakes dialogue between host Ksenia Svetlova and Elliott Abrams, a veteran U.S. diplomat and foundational figure in American foreign policy who served as Deputy National Security Advisor and Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela. The discussion offers an analysis of the recent conflict with the Iranian regime, interrogating the strategic paradox of an American kinetic campaign that successfully neutralized key military assets while intentionally eschewing a ground invasion, thereby leaving the regime’s governance structures and its control over the Strait of Hormuz effectively intact. Moving beyond the tactical, Abrams—now a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations—analyzes the ties between Israel and the US and discusses the military aid to Israel, settler violence and upcoming elections in Israel. The dialogue concludes by evaluating the Abraham Accords’ durability after the war with Iran, illustrating how the framework navigated its most severe geopolitical stress test to date. Chapters: 00:00 — Meet Elliott Abrams: Inside U.S. Middle East Strategy 08:16 — Why Trump Went to War Without Europe 13:31 — Gulf States Tried to Stop the War — Then Got Hit Anyway 17:34 — “We Cannot Afford Another North Korea” 20:36 — Did Netanyahu Convince Trump to Attack Iran? 23:22 — The Truth About Iran’s “Destroyed” Nuclear Program 27:45 — Is America Turning Against Israel? 35:30 — Has Israel Lost the Democratic Party? 40:35 — Elliott Abrams on Settler Violence & Qatar’s Influence 45:33 — Will Saudi Arabia Ever Normalize With Israel? 48:23 — The Future of the Middle East After the Iran War 🌐 Learn more about ROPES: ⁠ropes.org⁠ 📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

What happens when the "ghosts" of history dictate the wars of the future? In this episode of ROPESCAST, Ksenia Svetlova sits down with a man who has lived through the heart of the Iranian fire: Ambassador John Limbert. A veteran diplomat and scholar, Limbert holds a perspective few on earth possess—having spent 444 days as a hostage in Tehran during the 1979 crisis. Together, we go beyond the headlines to exercise the historical traumas that continue to haunt the Middle East today. We explore the enduring legacy of the 1953 coup that toppled Mohammad Mosaddeq and the seismic shift of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, analyzing how these "ghosts" still drive the strategic logic of the regime in Tehran. Turning to the present, Ambassador Limbert provides a masterclass in diplomacy and realism as we analyze the current US-Israeli war. Is the region trapped in a cycle of "kinetic deterrence," or is there an exit ramp from the escalating chaos in the Gulf? From the revolutionary DNA of the IRGC to the possibility of a regime demise, this is a deep-dive into the quagmire that has defined the last half-century—and the forces that will shape the next. Tune in for a conversation that bridges the gap between the trauma of the past and the high-stakes strategy of 2026. Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome to ROPESCAST 00:34 – Meet Ambassador John Limbert: Diplomat, Hostage, Iran Expert 01:50 – Is War with Iran Inevitable? A Diplomat’s Perspective 03:55 – A “Greek Tragedy”: 47 Years Leading to Conflict 05:41 – Why Do So Many Support the War? 07:07 – Iran’s Rhetoric & the Road to Escalation 10:38 – The 1979 Revolution: How Iran Transformed Overnight 18:11 – Two Irans: Modern vs. Traditional Society 23:15 – 444 Days Hostage: Inside the U.S. Embassy Crisis 39:11 – Can This Regime Fall? 44:13 – What Could Actually Bring Change in Iran? 50:35 – Final Prognosis: What Happens Next? 🌐 Learn more about ROPES: ropes.org 📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

In this deeply personal and high-stakes conversation, Iranian activist and former political dissident Dr. Daniel Dana joins the ROPESCAST to discuss what he believes is the imminent collapse of the Islamic Republic—and what comes next. Sentenced to death three times and forced into exile, Dana shares his decades-long fight against the regime, offering a rare insider perspective on Iran’s opposition movement, the role of the diaspora, and the possibility of a democratic future. We dive into the critical questions shaping this moment:Can external pressure and internal unrest truly topple the regime? What are the real risks of civil war or another authoritarian replacement?And is Iran on the brink of becoming the first democratic model in the region? The conversation also explores the deeper historical ties between Iran and Israel, the vision of renewed relations, and how a post-regime Iran could transform the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. Chapters: 0:00 – Welcome to the ROPESCAST & Intro to Dr. Daniel Dana 1:04 – From Champion Gymnast to Anti-Regime Activist 3:01 – The Human Side of War in Iran Today 8:01 – Could Democracy Survive in Post-Regime Iran? 13:08 – How He Imagines the Regime Will Collapse: Step by Step 16:00 – Role of the Diaspora in Iran’s Future 21:38 – Reimagining Iran-Israel Relations & Ending Anti-Semitism 28:03 – Life in Pre-Revolution Iran: Freedom and Women’s Rights 30:13 – The Middle East After Iran: Proxies, Peace, and Democracy 32:58 – Closing Thoughts & Where to Learn More About Danny Dana 🌐 Learn more about ROPES: ropes.org 📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

In this urgent and deeply personal episode of the ROPESCAST, we sit down with Nivine Sandouka of ALLMEP and Aviv Tatarsky of Ir Amim and Engaged Dharma to confront the accelerating reality of settler violence in the West Bank—and the growing evidence that it is not only unchecked, but increasingly state-sanctioned. Together, we unpack what’s happening on the ground: the patterns, the impunity, and the broader political system enabling it. What does this surge in violence mean for Palestinians living under constant threat? And what does it reveal about the trajectory of the conflict as a whole? This episode is dedicated to the memory of Muhammed and Fahim Muammar, brothers from Quiryat village who were killed by settlers at the beginning of March. Muhammed welcomed our team into his home during a ROPES solidarity visit just months earlier—a reminder that behind every headline are lives, families, and human connections that cannot be reduced to statistics. This is a difficult but necessary conversation—one that asks not only what is happening, but what it means for the future of the region. Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction: Remembering Muhammed & Fahim 1:00 – Guests on the Ground 2:30 – Aviv’s Experience Under Attack 4:00 – Protective Presence Explained 5:25 – The Rising Tide of Settler Violence 8:50 – State Sanctioned Violence 12:00 – Economic & Social Impact on Palestinian Village 16:20 – Settlement Expansion & Ethnic Cleansing 20:00 – Hope, Cooperation & Regional Responsibility 🌐 Learn more about ROPES: ropes.org 📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

In a visceral and urgent conversation recorded under fire in the Lebanese capital, Hussein Ibish joins The ROPESCAST to map out the "Day After" for Lebanon. We dive into the internal Lebanese struggle for sovereignty, the chances of Hezbollah laying down its arms, and the potential for a historic shift in relations between Jerusalem and Beirut. Chapters: 00:00 ROPESCAST Introduction 01:03 Live & Under Fire from Beirut 04:03 Lebanon Turns Against Hezbollah 05:22 Mass Displacement Crisis 08:03 Hezbollah’s Strategic Failure 12:07 Israel’s Military Strategy in Lebanon 16:40 Lebanon’s Proposal to Negotiate with Israel 30:18 The Iran War and Trump’s Strategy 34:35 Gulf Views on Israel After October 7 🌐 Learn more about ROPES: ropes.org 📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

In this new episode of the ROPESCAST , we talk with Mandana Irandoost – Iranian-British activist, media personality, and alum of the ROPES media program. We get into what’s happening right now inside Iran, the real challenges the anti-regime activists are dealing with, and whether change can actually come from within: through regular Iranians, protests, civil society pushing back enough to actually topple the regime. We also cover the IRGC’s reach into the West – especially here in Great Britain – and how their elements operate, influence, or intimidate even outside Iran. And we finish looking ahead: what an Iran could be like tomorrow that doesn’t threaten its neighbors anymore, one where people can live freely without exporting instability. It’s straightforward conversation from someone with roots in both worlds. If you’re following Iran closely, this one’s worth hearing. Chapters: 00:00 Meet the Iranian Activist Challenging the Regime01:20 Why Iranian Protesters Rally Around the Lion & Sun Flag05:39 The Killing of Mahsa Amini That Ignited a Revolution08:07 “Iranians Just Want a Normal Life” – Life Under the Regime11:49 “We Warned the World” – Iran’s Threat Beyond Its Borders15:08 Mass Killings & Internet Blackouts Inside Iran20:15 IRGC Influence in Britain – How the Regime Operates in the West 🌐 Learn more about ROPES:  📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

In this episode of the Ropescast we explore the current military turning point by analyzing reports of massive Israeli "softening" strikes against Iranian regime targets along the Iraqi border, which are reportedly designed to facilitate the entry of Kurdish militias. The conversation also examines the high-stakes possibility of the US administration directly arming Kurdish forces to dismantle regime control in western Iran. Finally, we delve into the "Kurdish Dream" by looking at the realistic prospects for Kurdish self-rule and independence within the framework of a liberated, democratic Iran, as our guest Suzan Quitaz offers a nuanced look at whether these events signify the beginning of the end for the regime. Chapters: 00:00 Arming Kurdish Forces Against the Iranian Regime 01:31 Kurdish Reactions to the U.S. Plan 03:57 Can Kurds Trust the United States? 08:42 Kurdish Life Under the Iranian Regime 13:22 Kurdish Militias Preparing to Fight 17:20 Kurdish Female Fighters: Their Unique Role 23:21 Can Armed Protestors Win Against the Iranian Regime? 🌐 Learn more about ROPES: ropes.org 📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.

Is a direct war with Iran inevitable, and what happens the day after the first strike? In this episode of the ROPESCAST, we sit down with Sima Shine, former senior Mossad official and leading Iran expert at the INSS institute, to cut through the rhetoric and look at the hard calculus of a regional conflict. We break down the realistic scenarios of an escalation, analyze the current risk appetite in Washington, Jerusalem, and Tehran, and examine how a war would fundamentally redraw the Middle East’s security architecture. A sober, intelligence-driven look at the interests, the risks, and the timeline. Chapters: 0:38 – Who Is Simma Shine? 1:10 – Is War With Iran Really Imminent? 2:28 – Massive U.S. Military Buildup: What Does It Mean? 4:02 – Inside the U.S.–Iran Negotiation Gap 8:04 – The Regional & Domestic Pressures on Trump’s Decision 14:11 – Understanding Iran’s Mindset 19:04 – Iran’s Internal Crisis: Economy, Protests & Regime Fragility 27:16 – Would a Deal With Trump Endanger the Regime?🌐 Learn more about ROPES: ropes.org📩 Don’t forget to subscribe to the ROPESCAST for more stories of peace, dialogue, and impact across the Middle East.