Podcast appearances and mentions of dina esfandiary

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dina Esfandiary, the Middle East Geoeconomics Lead at Bloomberg. Previously, Dr. Esfandiary served as a senior adviser for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group and was a fellow at The Century Foundation. Her research focuses on security in the Persian Gulf and Iran's foreign relations. Together, they discuss why the United States and Iran are negotiating again, how Tehran's position has changed since 2015, and the different strategies both countries are likely to pursue at the negotiating table. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Ninar Fawal and Will Todman to discuss how regional and international actors are responding to the ongoing nuclear talks. Transcript: "⁠Dina Esfandiary: Will Iran Make a Deal with Trump?⁠," CSIS, May 1, 2025. Dr. Esfandiary's latest work: available via Bloomberg Terminal.

Israel has told the residents of more than twenty locations in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately. Its forces have been carrying out what it describes as limited, localised raids across the Lebanese border against Hezbollah. We hear from Peter Lerner of the IDF, Lebanese businessman and independent MP Neemat Frem, and Dina Esfandiary of the Crisis Group on how Iran may respond to Nasrallah's killing. Also in the programme: the BBC's Barbara Plett Usher reports from Sudan, where famine is spreading as the civil war goes on; and a look at water worries in Panama, one of the world's wettest countries.(IMAGE: Palestinian refugee camp has hit in Lebanon / CREDIT: EPA)

A surprise deal between golf's two main tours and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund sent shockwaves through the world of men's professional golf at the start of June. It came as increasing numbers of players move to Saudi Arabia's football league, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has become a more visual presence on the sporting scene, hosting Formula 1 races and high-profile world title boxing bouts. The controversial purchase of Newcastle United was further evidence of a growing interest in using sport to project Saudi Arabia to a wider audience. But human rights campaigners say Saudi Arabia is trying to sports-wash its poor human rights record. On the Real Story this week, we examine the reasons behind Saudi Arabia's increasingly prominent presence on the international sporting scene. How does it link to the domestic and geopolitical ambitions of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman? And what impact could it have on international sport going forward? Shaun Ley is joined by: Dina Esfandiary, advisor to Crisis Group's Middle East and North Africa Program on research, analysis, policy prescription and advocacy. Matt Slater, a senior football news reporter with the sports website and podcast, The Athletic. Aziz Alghashian, a Saudi foreign policy analyst and a fellow at the Sectarianism, Proxies and De-Sectarianisation project at Lancaster University. Also featuring: Dan Roan, BBC sports editor. Lina al-Hathloul, Saudi activist and head of monitoring and communications for ALQST, a non-profit organization promoting human rights in Saudi Arabia. (Photo: Al-Ittihad officially present Karim Benzema as their new player, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - 08 Jun 2023. Credit: EPA)

Negar Mortazavi speaks to Dina Esfandiary, Senior Advisor in the Middle East and North Africa department of the International Crisis Group, about the new agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia that was brokered by China, Tehran's regional policy towards the Middle East, and Iran's shift away from the West and towards the East. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theiranpodcast/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theiranpodcast/support

The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicked off this week in the Qatari capital Doha. The tournament comes at a time of fast-evolving politics in the region. Just a few years ago, a spat within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) saw Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) break diplomatic ties with and blockade Qatar, frustrated in part by Doha's support for Islamists across the Middle East and North Africa. The crisis was mostly resolved in early 2021, and diplomacy ahead of the World Cup has further calmed intra-GCC relations, though differences remain, particularly between Qatar and the UAE. The World Cup also comes amid other changes nearby: Iran is convulsed by mass protests; talks involving Tehran and world powers over Iran's nuclear program have fizzled out; and Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to return to power in Israel at the helm of the most right wing government in the country's history – all at a time when Gulf monarchies have taken some steps to calm tensions with Iran and, in some cases, improve relations with Israel. It also comes amid Saudi-U.S. friction. Riyadh's decision, together with other oil producers, to cut oil production against Washington's wishes has further tested relations that were already strained over the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, for which U.S. intelligence blames powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood is joined by Joost Hiltermann and Dina Esfandiary, Crisis Group's Middle East & North Africa director and senior adviser, respectively, to talk about the World Cup and Gulf Arab states' external relations. They discuss how ties between countries in the region have evolved since the GCC spat and their different interests in the region. They examine how Gulf Arab countries view developments in Yemen and Iran and the changing relationship between some Gulf capitals and Israel. Finally, they look at the ups and downs of U.S.-Saudi ties during U.S. President Joe Biden's tenure in office thus far. They talk about how Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region are navigating Washington's changing role in the region, big-power tensions and multipolarity. They discuss Prince Mohammed bin Salman's plans for Saudi Arabia and ask what the future holds for relations between Riyadh and Washington. For more on the situation in the Gulf region, check out Crisis Group's extensive analysis on our Gulf and Arabian Peninsula regional page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retired US Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling assesses Ukraine's counteroffensive strategy against Russia. David Rennie, The Economist's Bejing Bureau Chief, discusses China's slow growing economy and whether it poses any risk to Xi Jinping. Then, will Iran accept a revived nuclear deal? Dina Esfandiary of the International Crisis Group and Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace offer their opinions. Plus, as some Americans ask whether its constitution needs a refresh, a look at a country that is trying to rewrite its own central document. Fareed talks to Andres Velasco, former Chilean finance minister and current London School of Economics public policy dean. And, space as you've never seen it before, a conversation with Mike Menzel, NASA's lead mission systems engineer for the James Webb Space Telescope.  GUESTS: Mark Hertling (@MarkHertling), David Rennie (@DSORennie), Dina Esfandiary (@Desfandiary), Andrés Velasco (@AndresVelasco), Mike MenzelTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Dr. Dina Esfandiary, Senior Advisor for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group, discusses the latest round of indirect talks between Iran and the US about the Iran nuclear deal; Iran's policies in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen; and how Iran is managing its ties with Russia and China following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez, representative for New Mexico's 3rd District, discusses the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act with guest host Lilly Adams. On Early Warning, Dina Esfandiary of International Crisis Group joins Michelle Dover to discuss what is driving tensions in the Persian Gulf as negotiations to renew the Iran deal remain on hold. And a listener asks, what are the biggest misconceptions about nuclear weapons?

Ambassador Patrick Theros hosted Gissou Nia, Dr. Dina Esfandiary, and Maysam Behravesh to discuss the upcoming Iranian presidential elections.

Regional powers Iran and Saudi Arabia have a hand in nearly every hot spot around the Middle East. The two rivals don’t control what happens, but they can play a major role in destabilizing battleground states—or calming tensions. There are many spots ripe for diplomacy: the war in Yemen, the simmering instability in Iraq and Syria, the political crisis in Lebanon. On this episode of Order from Ashes, we hear Middle East expert Dina Esfandiary and Iraqi analyst Sajad Jiyad about the new round of diplomacy. What has prompted Iran and Saudi Arabia to be willing to talk, and where might they be willing to calm tensions? Participants include: Dina Esfandiary, senior adviser for the Middle East and North Africa, International Crisis Group Sajad Jiyad, fellow, The Century Foundation Thanassis Cambanis, senior fellow, The Century Foundation  

This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood and Naz Modirzadeh talk to Crisis Group’s Senior Adviser for the Middle East and North Africa, Dina Esfandiary, about what drove Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among other Gulf states, to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in 2017, why the Gulf Arab countries announced an end to the crisis in January 2021 and whether the rift is truly over.  They reflect on what this means for the foreign policies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and how their leaders see their priorities and challenges in the region. They also discuss what the spat has meant for crises across the region where the GCC countries are involved. 

Airdate December 6, 2020: Iran's Supreme Leader, its President and other senior officials have vowed to avenge the assassination of the country's chief nuclear scientist. A top U.S. official says Israel is behind it. Fareed, Dina Esfandiary, Ronen Bergman and Martin Indyk talk about vast implications of the killing. Then, the U.S. is seeing a sharp rise in deaths and hospitalizations from Covid. Michael Mina tells Fareed his plan for how America can reverse course. And, the destructive power of political lies.  As President Trump and his allies keep offering untruths in claiming the election was stolen, a look a political lie from last century that helped propel Hitler into power. What can we learn from history? Margaret MacMillan and Fareed discuss. GUESTS: Dina Esfandiary, Ronen Bergman, Martin Indyk, Michael Mina, Margaret MacMillan  To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

With the US as an all-powerful neighbour and main trading partner, Canadian analyses of the US elections are naturally focused on what’s at stake for Canada and Canadians. But the November 2020 elections are also eagerly watched in other parts of the world, where the outcome could have important implications. With this series of podcasts, CIPS shifts the spotlight away from Canada to ask what’s at stake in the US elections for other regions of the world and for international cooperation more generally? In the sixth and final episode, Thomas Juneau asks what’s at stake for the Middle East in the forthcoming elections. His guests are Farea al-Muslimi and Dina Esfandiary, who together provide a thought-provoking and comprehensive analysis of the region’s past, present and future relationship with the US. For more information on our host and guests: Thomas Juneau: https://uniweb.uottawa.ca/members/1028 Farea al-Muslimi: https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/farea-al-muslimi Dina Esfandiary: https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwizz6Cr77bsAhUMWs0KHTnPDaoQFjABegQIBRAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.belfercenter.org%2Fperson%2Fdina-esfandiary&usg=AOvVaw1RqJU3-gLo0K5FDN9bi_4y

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, displaced populations and conflict zones were considered especially vulnerable, driving early fears that the Middle East would be especially hard hit. The first wave of the pandemic shook Iraq and Iran, but the worst fears did not materialize, at least not initially.  Now, however, cases are increasing across the region. The pandemic is straining areas already buckling under sanctions, armed conflict, regional rivalries, corruption, and economic depression. On this episode of Order from Ashes, international affairs researchers at The Century Foundation discuss how the pandemic is accelerating regional crises and why it has not yet led to any systemic change. (There’s more TCF analysis of the pandemic in the Middle East in the new roundtable, “Middle East Strained by COVID-19, But Not Transformed.”) Participants include: Dina Esfandiary, fellow, The Century Foundation Michael Wahid Hanna, senior fellow, The Century Foundation Aron Lund, fellow, The Century Foundation Thanassis Cambanis, senior fellow, The Century Foundation

Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran now has enough low-enriched uranium to manufacture a nuclear weapon with three or four months. For this week’s interview on Trend Lines, Dina Esfandiary joins WPR’s Elliot Waldman for a conversation about recent developments in Iran. If you like what you hear on Trend Lines and what you’ve read on WPR, you can sign up for our free newsletter to get our uncompromising analysis delivered straight to your inbox. The newsletter offers a free preview article every day of the week, plus three more complimentary articles in our weekly roundup every Friday. Sign up here. Then subscribe. Relevant Articles on WPR: Trump’s Iran Strategy Is Still Just an Anti-Obama Vendetta How a Coronavirus Outbreak Could Add to Iran’s Many Troubles Reformists Are Dispirited and Hard-Liners Resurgent Ahead of Iran’s Election Why Hitting the Pause Button Is the Best the U.S. and Iran Can Hope For Why Iran May Be Locked Into a Future of More Protests Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie. To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.

This event will explore the fallout of the recent murders of Qasim Soleimani, Commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the senior commander of al-Hashd al-Shaabi and the founder of Kata'ib Hezbollah. The assassination, on 2 January 2020, of Qasim Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis has thrown Iraqi and wider regional politics into turmoil. Soleimani was one of the most senior figures controlling Iranian foreign policy. Al-Muhandis, as the senior military commander in al-Hashd al-Shaabi, wielded as much if not more influence in Iraq than any other government figure. The speakers will discuss the likely regional and Iraqi fallout from their murders, how Soleimani’s death will influence Iranian power projection across the region, what retaliatory moves Iran is likely to undertake, the ramifications for Iraqi politics and security and how the ongoing protest movement will be affected. Toby Dodge is Kuwait Professor and Director of the Kuwait Programme at the LSE Middle East Centre. He is also Professor in the Department of International Relations. Toby currently serves as Iraq Research Director for the DFID-funded Conflict Research Programme (CRP). From 2013–18, Toby was Director of the Middle East Centre. He has been visiting, researching and writing about Iraq for over twenty years and his main areas of research include the comparative politics and historical sociology of the Middle East, the politics of intervention, the evolution of the Iraqi state, state-society dynamics and political identities in Iraq. Dina Esfandiary is a Director at Herminius and a Fellow in the Middle East department of The Century Foundation (TCF). Previously, she was an International Security Program Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and an Adjunct Fellow in the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Middle East Program. Prior to this, she worked at the Centre for Science and Security Studies (CSSS) in the War Studies Department at King’s College London from February 2015, and in the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament programme of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London from October 2009. Dina is the co-author of Triple-Axis: Iran’s Relations with Russia and China, and Living on the Edge: Iran and the Practice of Nuclear Hedging. She is completing her PhD in the War Studies department at King’s College London. Patrick Porter is Professor of International Security and Strategy at the University of Birmingham. He is also Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, London. His research interests are great power politics, US/UK foreign and defence policy, and the interaction of power and ideas in the making of them. His book Blunder: Britain's War in Iraq (Oxford University Press, 2018) was shortlisted for the British Army Military Book of the Year Prize, 2019. He has appeared as an expert witness before the parliamentary Defence Select Committee, the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy. Ghoncheh Tazmini is a Visiting Fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre. Formerly an Associate Member at the Centre for Iranian Studies at SOAS, where she was Iran Heritage Foundation Fellow, Ghoncheh conducts research on Iran-related themes as a British Academy grant-holder. She is currently researching Iranian-Russian alignment in the Middle East. Join the conversation on Twitter using #LSEMiddleEast

Iran analyst Dina Esfandiary explains why the killing of Qassem Soleimani was “the greatest gift the Trump administration could have given the Iranian government.” And an Iranian-American family disagrees on the meaning of Soleimani’s death. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an exclusive interview, former British Prime Minister David Cameron talks about Brexit (which began under his watch), the US House's impeachment inquiry and Ukraine's role in it. Then Anne Applebaum with more on Ukraine, Dina Esfandiary on Iran and Tom Friedman on Israel. GUESTS: David Cameron, Anne Applebaum, Dina Esfandiary, Tom Friedman

Inside the Trump administration's deal with Mexico - will it solve the troubles at the border? Fareed and a panel discuss. And, can Kushner's plan deliver peace in the Middle East? Or is it dead on arrival? Guests: Shannon O'Neil, Jorge Castañeda, Dan Senor, Hanan Ashrawi, Dina Esfandiary, Nigel Hamilton

Last year, the much-vaunted Iran nuclear deal fell apart when President Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement, imposed new sanctions, and pressured American allies to stop doing business with Iran. With Trump’s policy now seemingly settled, what is going to become of Iran’s relations with Europe and other major powers, such as Russia and China? On this episode, Dina Esfandiary examines the challenges Iran faces with regional and global powers following the United States’ withdrawal from the Iran deal. Dina Esfandiary is a fellow at The Century Foundation. Her research focuses on Persian Gulf security, Iran’s foreign relations, and relations between states and non-proliferation in the Middle East. She is also an international security program research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and an adjunct fellow in the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Middle East Programme. Participants: Dina Esfandiary, The Century Foundation Thanassis Cambanis, The Century Foundation

Within hours of President Trump's announcement that the United States would withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal, Iran's foreign minister was on a plane, first to China and then to Russia. This often overlooked but important geopolitical trio, Iran, Russia, and China, is the subject of a new book by Dina Esfandiary and Ariane Tabatabai.

As tensions flare between Iran and the United States, TCF takes a look at Iran’s record in Iraq. Some critics of American policy say that Washington “lost Iraq,” and paint Tehran as a master puppeteer controlling every development in the country. Two scholars of Iran and Iraq examine the situation, and the picture they paint is decidedly more mixed. On this podcast they discuss Iran’s missteps, as well as the ways it has successfully extended its power in the MIddle East. Iran might have edged out the United States in Iraq, for now, but it hasn’t established anything close to hegemony. Participants include: Dina Esfandiary, a CSSS fellow in the war studies department at King’s College London, and an adjunct fellow in the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Middle East Programme. Renad Mansour, research fellow, Chatham House Thanassis Cambanis, senior fellow, The Century Foundation

From America’s vantage point, Iran is a primary source of destabilizing intervention across the Middle East. But Iran, like other states, much of the time is pursuing its own interests and trying to manage what it perceives as security threats. Dina Esfandiary, a fellow at King’s College London, talks about the view from Tehran, where the nuclear deal isn’t perceived a windfall or a free lunch. She proposes some ways to better manage Iran’s fears as well as its provocations. In the second segment of this podcast, former U.S. government official and current Duke University professor Bruce W. Jentleson proposes a blueprint for a rebalanced American foreign policy. The United States has drifted away from a clear strategy based on its fundamental interests, Jentleson argues. It’s time to clean house and go back to basics. Esfandiary and Jentleson talk with TCF senior fellow Thanassis Cambanis about their contributions to the TCF project Order from Ashes: New Foundations for Security in the Middle East. Their reports, and others in this project, can be read online. Participants include: Dina Esfandiary, a CSSS fellow in the war studies department at King’s College London, and an adjunct fellow in the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Middle East Programme. Bruce Jentleson,  a professor of public policy and political science at Duke University. He served as senior advisor to the State Department policy planning director from  2009–11. His book The Peacemakers: Leadership Lessons from Twentieth Century Statesmanship will be published in April. Thanassis Cambanis, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation.  

Speaker: Dina Esfandiary, King's College London Chair: Roham Alvandi, LSE With the July 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, attention has shifted to regional security. The rise of ISIS and the instability left behind by the Arab Spring has cemented dysfunction and chaos in the Middle East. Tackling it will require Iran’s help, or at the very least, its input. Dina Esfandiary discusses who makes foreign policy decisions in Iran, Iran’s regional policy and explore the impact of the nuclear agreement on its efforts in Iraq and Syria in particular. She also explores the potential for meaningful dialogue on regional security issues between Iran and the Arab Gulf countries. Recorded on 9 December 2015.

This week, we talk to Bernard Jenkin MP who visited the War Studies Department on November 2nd to discuss his latest publication 'Defence Acquisition for the 21st Century'. This is followed by an Interview with McArthur Fellow and phD student Dina Esfandiary, where we discuss anti-American sentiment in Iran and opposition to the Iran nuclear deal from both sides, as well as what effect the deal had on Iran's relationship with other countries in the region. Jayne Peake provides details of next week's events. Presented by Xenia Zubova and Bradley Murray. Bernard Jenkin MP talk - Defence Acquisition in the 21st Century: https://soundcloud.com/warstudies/defence-acquisition-for-the-twenty-first-century?in=warstudies/sets/events Dina Esfandiarys talk - Iran's Regional Policy after the Nuclear Deal: https://soundcloud.com/warstudies/irans-regional-policy-after-the-nuclear-deal?in=warstudies/sets/events DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in this podcast are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London.

On November 3rd, Dina Esfandiary, a MacArthur Fellow at the Centre for Science and Security Studies at King’s College London gave a talk on what implications the Iran Deal has on other countries in the region. Dina Esfandriary was a Research Associate in the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament programme of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London from October 2009. Before she joined IISS, she worked at a Disarmament NGO in Geneva, Switzerland. Her research focuses on security, relations between states and non-proliferation in the Middle East, including Iran and Syria’s WMD programmes. Dina has published widely, including in the Atlantic, The Telegraph, the Washington Post, the National Interest, Arms Control Today, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, International Affairs, and Survival (the IISS’ journal). Dina is currently a PhD student in the War Studies department at King’s College London and she holds Masters Degrees from Kings College London and the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. The talk was hosted by Centre for Science and Security Studies (CSSS) and chaired by Dr Mathew Moran, Senior Lecturer in International Security. DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in this recording are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London. DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in this recording are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London.