Center for Global Policy Podcasts

This week in the Middle East, Israel carried out unilateral strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities and killed top Iranian military officials, leading to Iranian retaliation with drone strikes against Israel. In the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. and China both confirmed they reached a trade deal framework involving a resumption of rare earth elements exports and a reduction in tariffs, while newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung conducted diplomatic outreach to the U.S. and China. In Ukraine, Russia launched some of the most extensive missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities since the start of the war, while the European Commission proposed a new round of sanctions against Moscow. In the U.S., the National Guard and Marines were deployed to Los Angeles amid ongoing protests over an immigration crackdown. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-202506013/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center's Post-Assad podcast series, New Lines Senior Director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with Senior Resident Fellow Murad Batal Shishani to analyze the opportunities and challenges for Syria after President Donald Trump's meeting with interim Syrian President Ahmad Al Sharaa. Shishani also provides a detailed debrief on his recent trip to Syria; assesses the progress of post-Assad Syrian society, politics, and security dynamics; and explains where Sharaa might take Syria next.

This week, Ukraine conducted multiple sabotage operations across Russia, including attacks on Russia's strategic bomber fleet and infrastructure, while representatives from both countries agreed on a prisoner exchange. In the Indo-Pacific, China's slow resumption of rare earth elements exports has led industries to warn of potential shutdowns. U.S.-China trade negotiations continued, and the U.S. doubled tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports. In the Middle East, Iran rejected U.S. terms for a nuclear deal, while Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to assist in negotiations during a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250606/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that there was no legal basis under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act for U.S. President Donald Trump to impose global tariffs, complicating the U.S.'s trade negotiations. In the Indo-Pacific, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced of the U.S. would begin revoking Chinese student visas, while Trump ordered the suspension of exports of jet engines and semiconductors to China. In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, Russia prepared for an offensive in Sumy, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed another meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials on June 2. In the Middle East, efforts at another Gaza ceasefire stalled, while the U.S. and Iran continued their nuclear negotiations over Iran's nuclear enrichment program. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250530/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode of the Bridging the Gap podcast, host Rachel Nelson sits down with Zara Farouk, a Middle East analyst at New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, to discuss the recent escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan, the past and present relationship between India and Israel, and the similarities of India's and Israel's occupations in Kashmir and the occupied Palestinian territories.

This week, Israel intensified its military campaign in Gaza as the U.K., EU, and Canada threatened economic restrictions against Israel. In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, the EU and U.K. issued new sanctions against Russia, while U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would scale back mediation efforts following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the Indo-Pacific, the EU proposed tariffs on China in alignment with Washington, while China expressed disapproval of U.S. plans to build a new missile defense system and to ban the use of Chinese microchips in the U.S. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250523/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode of New Lines Institute's "Lebanese Logic" podcast, Resident Senior Fellow Faysal Itani and Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dania Arayssi discuss ways the United States can support Lebanon's people and institutions without giving Hezbollah and the country's corrupt oligarchy a boost.

On his diplomatic tour of the Middle East's Gulf region this week, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will lift sanctions against Syria. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, meanwhile, presented Iran with a written proposal for a nuclear deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not show up to planned negotiations with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul, though diplomacy was held among officials from Russia, Ukraine, the U.S., and Türkiye. The U.S. and China agreed to pause reciprocal tariffs for 90 days and remove key export and import bans as trade negotiations progress, and China pledged increased investment to Latin American countries. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250516/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, the conflict between India and Pakistan escalated with India launching multiple military strikes against its neighbor. Meanwhile, the U.S. agreed to hold high-level trade talks with China for the first time this weekend in Geneva. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for Moscow's Victory Day parade, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed establishing a demilitarized zone between Russia and Ukraine. In the Middle East, the U.S. agreed to a cease-fire with Yemen's al-Houthi forces after a successful mediation by Oman as it plans to continue nuclear negotiations with Iran this weekend. Israel called up reservists to prepare for its incursion into Gaza. The U.K. was the first country to conclude a trade deal with the U.S., securing a reduction in tariffs on the hardest hit sectors of steel and cars. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250509/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, the U.S. and Ukraine signed a critical minerals deal after months of tense negotiations, while Russia proposed a ceasefire from May 8 to 10. In the Indo-Pacific, effects of the U.S.-China trade dispute are being felt across export sectors, while Pakistan warned of imminent attacks from India following last week's mass shooting in Kashmir. In the Middle East, the U.S. and Iran are set to continue nuclear negotiations following recent progress in talks, while British and American forces launched new airstrikes against al-Houthi rebel targets in Yemen. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250502/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode of the Bridging the Gap podcast series, New Lines' own Rachel Nelson hosts Andrey X, an independent reporter and human rights advocate documenting Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. Together, they discuss Andrey's own move from Russia to live in Palestine, the developing volatile situation for Palestinians in the West Bank, and how the international community can respond to the crisis.

This week, the U.S. submitted a proposal to end the war in Ukraine that was swiftly rejected by Kyiv, and the Russian military continued its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. In the Indo-Pacific, Beijing denied assertions by the Trump administration that trade negotiations were ongoing, calling for the U.S. to remove its tariffs first, while South Korean companies were warned by Beijing not to sell products containing Chinese critical materials to the United States. In the Middle East, the U.S. and Iran agreed to continue nuclear negotiations following last weekend's meeting, while Egypt and Qatar presented a plan for a five-year truce for the war in Gaza, as Israeli operations continued in the territory. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250425/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Middle East Center at The New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy is launching a new podcast series, “Lebanese Logic,” hosted by the center's Resident Senior Fellow Faysal Itani. The series focuses on Lebanon's political dynamics the future of Hezbollah, and important role in the geopolitics of the Middle East. In this inaugural episode, Itani and New Lines Institute Senior Director Nicholas A. Heras forecast Lebanon's politics and foreign policy in the context of the rapidly shifting regional developments in the Middle East.

This week, global trade tensions and market uncertainty persisted despite the U.S. pause on reciprocal tariffs, while a first round of targeted countries reached out to Washington. In the Indo-Pacific, Chinese President Xi Jinping embarked on a multistage tour of Southeast Asia, signing cooperation deals with the leaders of Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia. Bilateral trade escalations continued with the U.S., which imposed new sanctions on China. In the Middle East, U.S. and Iranian officials continued direct negotiations on a nuclear deal, and Israel announced its troops would remain in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria “indefinitely.” U.S., Ukrainian, and European officials met in Paris to discuss ongoing peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as the U.S. extended sanctions on Russian ships and Russia continued bombing Ukrainian cities. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250418/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, after U.S. President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariff announcement sent global markets tumbling, he announced a 90-day pause on the levies for countries that did not retaliate, reducing tariffs to 10% for all imports. The U.S., however, increased tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, prompting China to raise its tariffs on U.S. imports to 125% and to engage in strong outreach to the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Australia. In Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian forces launched new offensives while officials from the U.S. and Russia met in Istanbul for normalization talks and separately conducted a prisoner swap. In the Middle East, the U.S. and Iran agreed to conduct a first round of negotiations Saturday in Oman on a nuclear deal, while Israel and Türkiye discussed deconfliction of their operations in Syria. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250411/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, President Donald Trump's unveiling of reciprocal tariffs, including ones targeting China, Taiwan, the EU, and Southeast Asia, sent global markets falling and drew strong worldwide condemnation. Washington expressed frustration at Moscow's unwillingness to end the war in Ukraine, as both Congress and the White House proposed sanctions and tariffs against Russia. In the Middle East, Israel deployed additional troops to Gaza, while the U.S. deployed a second aircraft carrier near Iran and renewed its threats to bomb Iran if it refuses to discuss a nuclear deal. In the Indo-Pacific, China conducted large-scale military drills around Taiwan and struck an agreement to deepen economic ties with South Korea and Japan.

The second quarter of 2025 will be headlined by the reverberations of U.S. policy shifts initiated by President Donald Trump's administration in the first quarter, primarily related to global trade issues and its changing posture to hotspots around the world. Read the full 2025 Q2 Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/q2-2025-forecast/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, the Hamas/Israel ceasefire collapsed after Israeli forces launched an air and ground assault in Gaza, while the U.S. Navy engaged al-Houthi targets in Yemen. Russia and Ukraine agreed to a 30-day cessation of attacks on energy infrastructure, while Russian missile and drone attacks continued across Ukraine. In the Indo-Pacific, reports emerged that the U.S. Department of Energy designated South Korea as a “sensitive country,” potentially hindering its technology cooperation with the U.S., while the Trump administration tightened sanctions against Chinese importers of Iranian oil. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250321/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, the U.S. agreed to a resumption of Ukrainian military and intelligence aid as a 30-day cease-fire was discussed with Ukraine and Russia. In the Indo-Pacific, China's retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. went into effect, and the Taiwanese government announced a series of measures designed to curb Chinese espionage and influence operations. In the Middle East, the U.S. pushed for an extension of Phase I negotiations between Israel and Gaza, while Israeli and Lebanese officials began discussions over the normalization of bilateral relations. In global trade, the U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports, prompting strong reactions and announcements of retaliation from Canada and the EU. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250314/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode of the Contours podcast, host Caroline Rose and Tammy Palacios, senior analyst of New Lines' Priority Sustainable Counterterrorism portfolio, to discuss the history of the French involvement in the Sahel, the security implications of the French departure from the region, and how it affects U.S. security.

This week, the United States suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, while European leaders proposed initiatives on Ukrainian and European security. In the Indo-Pacific, China announced it will impose retaliatory tariffs of 15% on key U.S. agricultural imports, and Taiwan announced it will increase its investment in the U.S. semiconductor industry. In the Middle East, Israel cut off humanitarian aid into Gaza, while the U.S. and Arab states contended over a Gaza reconstruction plan. President Donald Trump imposed his previously delayed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico before making exemptions for car imports following a steep drop in the U.S. stock market. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250307/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Middle East Center at The New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy is proud to initiate a special new podcast series, “Bridging the Gap: Conversations on Israel and Palestine.” This series is led by Rachel Nelson, the Analyst in the Middle East Center, and will provide nuanced, detailed, and on-the-ground perspectives on the situation in Israel and Palestine. In this episode, Rachel sits down with Destiny Magnett, the Programs and Outreach Manager at Churches for Middle East Peace, to discuss Christian Zionism, its current manifestations, and the work that Destiny and CMEP do to foster and advocate for peace in Israel and Palestine.

This week, the United States conducted Ukraine-related diplomacy with Russia, France, and the U.K., while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Washington to finalize a critical minerals deal. In the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan is investigating a Chinese ship's possible role in recent damage to one of its undersea cables, while the Trump administration unveiled sanctions against entities in the Chinese oil industry. In the Middle East, the first phase of hostage and prisoner swaps between Hamas and Israel was completed, and Israel deployed tanks into the West Bank. Global trade escalations continued as U.S. President Donald Trump announced he will impose 25% tariffs on EU imports, drawing promises of retaliation from the bloc, and that he will press ahead with tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China on March 4. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250228/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center's Post-Assad Podcast series, Middle East Center co-director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with Voice of America (VOA) reporter Sirwan Kajjo to assess how the emerging regime in Damascus will engage with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in Northeast Syria. Sirwan, a well-known Syrian-American intellectual and journalist, works for the Extremism Watch Desk at VOA where he focuses on Islamic militancy, extremism, and conflict in the Middle East and beyond that region. Heras and Kajjo also discuss how the emerging government in Damascus will lead the process of creating a post-Assad order and whether that order can successfully incorporate all the country's different communities.

This week, U.S. and Russian officials met in Riyadh without any Ukrainian representation to discuss first steps for a Ukraine cease-fire, while U.S. President Donald Trump caused a diplomatic stir by calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator.” In the Middle East, Israel and Hamas continued their prisoner exchanges and agreed to commence with the second phase of their cease-fire agreement by the end of the week, while regional states discussed alternative plans for the future of Gaza. In the Indo-Pacific, China filed official complaints with the World Trade Organization against U.S. tariffs, as Trump suggested he would expand tariffs to include 25% taxes on all imports of automobile, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical products. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250221/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, the U.S. floated the conditions for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine as President Donald Trump held phone calls with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In the Middle East, Trump threatened Hamas if the group did not surrender all its hostages as scheduled and further threatened to cut off aid for Jordan and Egypt if they did not agree to take in Palestinian refugees from Gaza. In the Indo-Pacific, China's tariffs on select U.S. imports went into effect, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Trump in Washington. Trump announced he would impose 25% tariffs on all U.S. imports of steel and aluminum, drawing strong reactions globally. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250214/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode of Gendering Geopolitics, New Lines' own Emily Prey sits down with Rajaa Altalli, the co-founder of the Center for Civil Society and Democracy and member of the Syrian Women's Advisory Board for the U.N. Special Envoy for Syria. Together, they discuss the potential roles that women should play in Syria's politics moving forward, the process of reconciliation in the country, and need for the establishment of representative democracy in the post-Assad era.

This week, President Donald Trump suggested the United States could take ownership of Gaza during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while negotiations continued in Doha on the implementation of the next phase of Israel's cease-fire deal with Hamas. In the Indo-Pacific, China announced several retaliatory measures following Trump's implementation of 10% tariffs on all Chinese imports. In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would be willing to meet directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while the White House announced preparations to send a delegation to Kyiv. Trump postponed 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada by one month, following assurances from both countries they would commit more resources to monitor their respective borders. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250207/

This week, in the Middle East, Israel and Hamas continued to conduct prisoner exchanges while Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their cease-fire. In the Indo-Pacific, U.S. President Donald Trump announced possible tariffs on Taiwan's semiconductor industry, and the emergence of a new Chinese AI model sent shocks through the U.S. tech and financial sectors. In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the EU discussed resuming Russian natural gas imports in exchange for a cease-fire in Ukraine, while Latvia reported another incident of damage to underwater internet cables in the Baltic Sea. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250131/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center's Post-Assad Podcast series, Middle East Center co-director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with Sasha Ghosh-Siminoff to analyze how humanitarian and economic rehabilitation efforts can support peacebuilding in Syria. Sasha is a Nonresident Fellow with the Middle East Center at The New Lines Institute who has a granular and nuanced perspective on Syria that comes from his oversight over targeted civil society capacity building and humanitarian assistance programs throughout Syria. He is also currently the Middle East and North Africa Program Director for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and a Security Fellow at the Truman National Security Project. Heras and Ghosh-Siminoff also assess what should be the priorities for international organizations looking to support the rehabilitation of Syria.

After taking office Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed several executive orders addressing domestic policy issues and vowed to place tariffs on goods from China, the EU, Canada, and Mexico. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with foreign ministers from the Quad countries, and Trump threatened Russia with further sanctions if it refused to negotiate over Ukraine. In the Middle East, prisoner exchanges continued between Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces, and the U.S. denied Israel's request to postpone its withdrawal from Lebanon. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250124/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Middle East Center at The New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy is proud to initiate a special new podcast series “Bridging the Gap: Conversations on Israel and Palestine.” This series is led by Rachel Nelson, the Analyst in the Middle East Center, and will provide nuanced, detailed, and on-the-ground perspectives on the situation in Israel and Palestine. In this inaugural episode, Middle East Center co-director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with Rachel Nelson to learn more about her extensive experience in the West Bank and to gain her analysis on the metastasizing conflict there. Heras and Nelson also explore why the tensions between the expanding Israeli settler community and the local Palestinian population in the West Bank could devolve into a larger war that would end the prospects for the Two State Solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

This week, Hamas and Israel tentatively agreed to a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, while Israel continued its operations in the West Bank and in Lebanon. Russia and Iran made plans to sign a new strategic partnership agreement, while NATO launched its new naval patrolling mission in the Baltic Sea. In the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. and China exchanged new rounds of trade sanctions and restrictions, and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was arrested in his compound after a week-long standoff with authorities. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here:https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250117/

In this edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center's Post-Assad Podcast series, Middle East Center co-director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with Dr. Sultan Alamer to assess how the new governing authorities in Damascus can reimagine Syrian nationalism after Assad and build an inclusive state for all Syrians. Dr. Alamer is a Resident Senior Fellow with the Middle East Center at The New Lines Institute, and a senior member of the editorial committee of Alpheratz, an Arabic language magazine. He is also a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University's Center of Middle East Studies, an executive committee member of the Arab Political Science Network, and a Bucerius Fellow at the Zeit-Stiftung Ebling und Gerd Bucerius. Heras and Dr. Alamer analyze the potential scenarios where the successful Syrian revolution could result in new mass movements for political reform, or even revolution, in other states in the wider Middle East.

This week, Ukrainian forces initiated new offensive operations in Russia's Kursk region while NATO ships deployed to the Baltic Sea to protect critical infrastructure from suspected Russian sabotage attempts. In the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan is investigating a Chinese vessel's suspected role in damage to undersea internet cables, while the U.S. Treasury announced further sanctions against Chinese tech companies. In the Middle East, Hamas listed hostages it would be willing to release, while the UAE proposed a framework for the governance in Gaza in a post-conflict scenario. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250110/

In this episode of the Contours Podcast, New Lines Director of the Strategic Blindspots portfolio Caroline Rose sits down with Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dr. Karam Shaar and U.S. Department of State counter-narcotics expert Jonathan Earles. Together, they discuss how the fall of Assad's Syria may affect the captagon trade, including its production and state-sponsored distribution, and the demand for the drug in the region.

2025 will be headlined by the domestic and global impact of Donald Trump's return to the U.S. presidency. Key diplomatic and security shifts will occur in the Russia/Ukraine conflict as well as in the Middle East, while geopolitical tensions between the United States and China will intensify, both bilaterally and in the wider Indo-Pacific. Read the Annual Forecast here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/2025-annual-forecast/

In this edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center's Post-Assad Podcast series, Middle East Center co-director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with Dr. Kamran Bokhari to develop a strategic forecast for Syria in the upcoming year. Dr. Bokhari is a Senior Director at the Institute who is a specialist on Eurasian politics with a particular focus on the Middle East with over three decades experience in the intelligence analysis community providing strategic assessments on global events. A distinguished professor at the Institute's M.A. in Strategy and Policy program, Dr. Bokhari also teaches a course on Central Asia at Georgetown University's Security Studies Program. Heras and Dr. Bokhari investigate the key dynamics that will shape post-Assad Syria in 2025, and present especially important context on events in Syria that are not being widely discussed that will be essential to understanding the trajectory of the country.

This week, Western countries have organized diplomatic outreach to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz expressed hope for a potential cease-fire with Hamas. In the Indo-Pacific, members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue finalized plans to hold joint military exercises for the first time, while the U.S. stated it would take necessary steps to prevent further coercive action from China following the latter's recent critical minerals ban. In Russia, Ukrainian agents assassinated a top Russian general in Moscow, and North Korean troops participated in intense fighting in Russia's Kursk region. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241220/

In this edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center's Post-Assad Podcast series, Middle East Center co-director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with Nidal Betare to assess the potential for a Syrian-led, inclusive process of democracy-building in post-Assad Syria. Betare is a Palestinian-American who was born and raised in Syria, and a well-known expert on civil society and the Syrian political opposition. They engage on a wide-ranging discussion on how Syrian civil society can lead its country to engage in a process of reconciliation across Syria's diverse communities after a decade and a half of war, and a half-century of the rule of a brutal authoritarian regime. Betare and Heras also tackle the subject of what the vibrant and active Syrian-American community can do to help rebuild the country and make it more prosperous than ever before.

In this inaugural edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center's Post-Assad Podcast series, Middle East Center co-director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with the Center's Resident Senior Fellow Murad Batal Al Shishani and the Institute's Priority Sustainable Counterterrorism Portfolio head and Senior Analyst Tammy Palacios to discuss the prospects for stability in post-Assad Syria. These two institutional experts on global Salafist-Jihadist movements and the Syrian conflict assess the likelihood that former Al Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir Al Sham will be able to turn its shocking military victory over the former Assad regime into a sustainable and inclusive governance system in Syria.

This week, Syrian rebel groups captured Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad sought asylum in Moscow, and Israeli forces struck key military targets across Syria. In the Indo-Pacific, China held its largest military drills to date in response to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's recent Pacific tour, while the U.S. increased funding for key initiatives for Taiwan. In Ukraine, Russia made significant advances in Donetsk towards the city of Pokrovsk, while French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Paris. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241213/

This week, rebel groups in Syria captured Aleppo and other areas in a renewed push against Bashar al-Assad's government, while Israel bombed Lebanon despite the cease-fire. In the Indo-Pacific, China vowed to halt all exports of critical raw minerals to the U.S. in response to the latter's new batch of export controls targeting Chinese tech companies, while South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol is facing possible impeachment after having imposed martial law, a decision quickly repealed by lawmakers. In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, President Vladimir Putin threatened renewed IRBM strikes against Kyiv as Ukrainian officials met with incoming Trump administration officials in Washington. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241206/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a U.S.-mediated cease-fire, while fighting continued in Gaza, with Hamas signaling it could agree to cooperate on ceasing hostilities. In Ukraine, Kyiv experienced the largest drone bombing since the start of the war, and the U.K. unveiled additional sanctions against Russia. In the Indo-Pacific, Taiwanese President William Lai is planning a visit to his diplomatic allies with a possible stop-over in the U.S., and Washington is making additional plans to deter China with the Philippines and Japan. In the U.S., President-elect Donald Trump threatened additional tariffs against China, Mexico, and Canada. In the closing of the U.N. COP29 climate conference, richer countries agreed to finance $300 billion per year to assist poorer countries with climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241127/

On this episode of the Contours podcast, host Tammy Palacios sits down with Paul N.K. Aborampah Mensah, senior program manager for Ghana's Center for Democratic Development. Through their talk, they hone in on the situation and challenges ahead of Ghana's 2024 elections, including the Vigilantism Law, approaches to civic education, and how civil society groups can improve their effectiveness.

This week, Ukraine received authorization from the U.S. to use U.S.-supplied ATACM weapon systems to strike deep into Russia's Kursk region, followed by the authorization to use British/French Storm Shadow missiles. In the Middle East, U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein visited Beirut and Jerusalem to propose ceasefire conditions for Hezbollah and Israel, while Israel continued its bombardments in Gaza and Lebanon. In the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. announced new military aid and cooperation with the Philippines, and China signed several agreements with global partners during the G20 summit and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Brazil and Peru. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241122/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, New Lines' Gender Policy Director Kallie Mitchell, along with guests Ruth Whippman and Cait Dallaire, explore the hidden dynamics of identity and power that are reshaping global security, democratic movements, and the future of political engagement.

This week, President-elect Donald Trump nominated members of his incoming government, and the Republican Party retained control of the House of Representatives. In the Middle East, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the annexation of the West Bank amid conflicting reports of a potential ceasefire in Lebanon. In Russia, Ukrainian forces conducted large-scale drone attacks against Moscow, and Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly spoke with Trump about potential resolutions to the war. In the Indo-Pacific, China posted new delimitations around the contested Scarborough Shoal near the Philippines, and U.S. President Joe Biden is set to attend the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241114/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Much attention has been paid to the supply of illicit drugs in the Middle East and war-torn Syria, but little has been focused on the patterns and implications of drug consumption in the region. However, a recent MedGlobal report reveals insightful data about Syria's emerging addiction crisis. The report notes that drug consumption has increased 300% since the outbreak of Syria's civil war, with high addiction rates associated with illicit substances, including captagon, crystal meth, heroin, cannabis, and other volatile substances. In this episode of the Contours podcast, the New Lines Institute's Caroline Rose and Senior Non-Resident Fellow Dr. Karam Shaar discuss the report's findings with MedGlobal President Dr. Zaher Sahloul and talk about the future of drug demand in Syria and beyond.

This week, former President Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election, while the Republican Party won a Senate majority. In Russia, North Korean troops were reported to have entered combat with Ukrainian forces in Kursk, and Ukraine expressed interest in a Qatari-mediated agreement on the exclusion of energy targets. In the Middle East, Israel continued its assault in Lebanon while an unconfirmed report indicated the U.S. has deployed F-15 jets to Jordan to defend Israel from retaliatory attacks. In the Indo-Pacific, South Korea was hit by cyberattacks, while North Korea launched several short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan and the U.S. held long-range bomber drills with South Korean and Japanese forces. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241108/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, hosts Miloš Maggiore and Andrew Loftesnes provide updates on U.S. domestic developments and examine some of the scenarios that the different U.S. election outcomes could entail across global hotspots. They further look at updates from this week. In Russia, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that North Korean troops have been deployed in Russia's Kursk region, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed with his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol to deepen intelligence exchanges. In the Middle East, Israel conducted air strikes against Iranian military infrastructure and passed a law preventing UNRWA operations in Israel. Finally in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. approved military aid packages to Taiwan and the Philippines, while Japan's long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party failed to gain a majority in this week's parliamentary elections. Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitory here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20241101/ Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/