Beyond the Headlines

During a visit to the Gulf in May, US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that he would revoke sanctions on Syria. This week, he kept that promise. He signed an executive order on Monday to waive or review penalties, some of which have been in place for decades. The move comes as a relief for struggling Syrians after almost 14 years of a brutal civil war that has devastated their economy. For their transitional leader Ahmad Al Shara, it’s a milestone that could give him the legitimacy that he and his Hayat Tahrir Al Sham-led government so desperately seek. But it also brings him new and complicated challenges. “President Trump wants Syria to succeed – but not at the expense of US interests,” the White House said, while establishing ties with Israel would be a priority. The question is, what pressures could this impose on the new Damascus government? In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, guest host Ban Barkawi looks at US interests in Syria and the fine line Mr Al Shara will have to walk to keep his people and the West happy. She speaks to Jihan Abdalla, The National’s senior correspondent in Washington, and Omar Dahi, director at Security in Context. Editor’s Note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.

After 12 days of war between Israel and Iran, a ceasefire has brought a sense of cautious relief to the region. Even after almost 21 months of war in Gaza and its spillover into neighbouring countries, the latest escalation set a dangerous precedent that could provoke more cycles of warfare and destabilise the Middle East. The question is how did we reach this boiling point? The answer goes back decades, to a time even before the 1979 revolution in Iran when the country enjoyed a more co-operative relationship with Israel under the shah. At the same time the region was going through a transformative period against the backdrop of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and rising anti-imperialist sentiments. As events unfolded and political leaderships changed over time, so did the strategic interests that Israel shared with Iran. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher dives into the context that soured the relationship between the two countries, and the more recent events that brought about the air war. She is joined by The National's assistant foreign editor Aveen Karim, senior fellow at UCLA Burkle Centre for International Relations Dalia Dassa Kaye, and independent Israeli analyst Ori Goldberg. We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our two-minute listener survey. Click here.

Up until last week, it seemed unthinkable for a UN member state to strike a nuclear site. But Israel did just that when it launched its attack on Iran, hitting military and atomic sites, and killing key figures of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It also seemed unthinkable for missiles to penetrate Israel’s Iron Dome and destroy infrastructure in cities such as Haifa and Tel Aviv. Yet again, civilians are paying the heaviest price. More than 240 people have been killed in Iran so far. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed in retaliatory strikes. One week on, the war shows no signs of abating, with the US hinting it might get involved, too. A sense of unease has gripped the region, with neighbouring states fearing further escalation. A group of 20 countries including Gulf states, Jordan and Egypt has called for an end to hostilities. In a worst-case scenario, the repercussions could be catastrophic for them, too. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the consequences of the war on the Middle East and asks what will happen to the region if Tehran were to fall? She speaks to Hasan AlHasan, senior fellow for Middle East policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and Thomas Juneau, Middle East researcher and a professor at University of Ottawa, Canada. Editor’s Note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.

Canada, urging de-escalation of the conflict between Iran and Israel, but US President Donald Trump has already left, having warned that residents of Tehran "should immediately evacuate". Iran's reaction is one of the key issues on the agenda today. In this special episode of Beyond the Headlines, Geo-Economics Editor Manus Cranny asks Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief, and Mohamad Ali Harisi, Foreign Editor, for the inside view.

In unusual public statement last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted “activating” Palestinian militias in Gaza. Acting on the advice of security officials, he said, it was a way to weaken Hamas and protect Israeli soldiers. The admission came after Israeli media reported that Mr Netanyahu had authorised the arming of a militia, known as the Abu Shabab Popular Forces, in the southern Gaza Strip. The group is named after its leader, Yasser Abu Shabab. Now, Hamas has a new rival amid its battle with Israel. Hamas fighters have retaliated at the gang and claimed to have killed dozens from its small-but-growing ranks. It is believed that there are only 300 men serving Abu Shabab but sources told The National they are armed with assault rifles and are equipped with walkie-talkies and night-vision goggles. Among them are men with criminal records and links to ISIS. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to experts about the origins of Abu Shabab, why the group is surfacing now and how Israel is backing it. She is joined by Muhammad Shehada, a visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relation’s Mena programme, and Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Centre for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University. Editor’s Note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.

Too little, too late. This was the sentiment echoed among critics in the international community after Europe started taking a new, critical stance on Israel’s war in Gaza in recent weeks. For Palestinians actually in the strip, it is certainly too late, with the death toll from 19 months of war at more than 54,200. But what of the new stance itself? In late May, the EU announced it would launch a review of its relations with Israel. The move was backed by 17 of 27 states and could lead to a suspension in whole or in part of the EU-Israel agreement, the legal framework that governs their bilateral economic co-operation. In Germany, new Chancellor Friedrich Merz questioned the future of arms sales to Israel; in France, President Emmanuel Macron has been rallying global support to recognise Palestinian statehood; and in the UK, the government issued sanctions against several illegal Israeli settlers and paused trade negotiations. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the motives and timing of Europe’s shifting position on Gaza and asks whether these measures will make any difference to the war. We hear from former German ambassador Heinrich Kreft and Hugh Lovatt, senior Mena policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Editor’s note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our two-minute listener survey. Click here.

Chaotic scenes unfolded in Gaza this week as large crowds gathered at aid hubs set up by a US and Israeli-backed organisation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. After three months of an Israeli-imposed blockade on the enclave, hungry, desperate Palestinians stood behind fences, waiting to receive their share. Reports and videos quickly emerged showing people overrunning a hub in Rafah, the southernmost part of Gaza. At least four people died on the first day and dozens were injured, mostly by Israeli gunfire. The Israeli army said it fired warning shots in the area outside the compound. Within two days, the foundation had temporarily paused its operations. The organisation has been heavily criticised by the UN and other humanitarian agencies for what they say is a weaponisation of aid that breaches their principles of neutrality and impartiality. Israel says the new mechanism will stop the looting of supplies by Hamas, but critics fear it will be used discriminately to deny aid to certain people. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the efficacy and ethics of aid distribution by a party to the conflict and asks, what happens if this is the only option for Palestinians in Gaza? She speaks to UNRWA’s external relations and communications director Tamara Alrifai, international human rights lawyer Saul Takahashi and Knesset member Ofer Cassif. Editor’s Note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.

Last week’s announcement by President Donald Trump on lifting US sanctions on Syria seemed to have a refreshing effect for a country that has been reeling from political divisions and economic turmoil. This week, the European Union followed, lifting all economic restrictions in a major diplomatic shift aimed at supporting Syria’s reconstruction and fragile peace. The news has been accompanied by more breakthroughs: the World Bank cleared Syria’s $15.5 million debt, paid off by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. On the ground, the interim government led by President Ahmed Al Shara, a former HTS leader, is scrambling to unify rebel factions, “eradicate” remnants of ISIS, and bring the country under one flag. The challenges are far from over. Sectarian violence continues to plague minority communities, some Kurdish groups are demanding autonomy, and Israeli airstrikes persist along the southern border. Al Shara, once designated a terrorist by the West, is now lobbying for international legitimacy. So what does the lifting of sanctions really mean? And can Syria be unified? In this week’s Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the significance of the US and European decisions and the challenges faced by the Syrian leader in his efforts to unite the country.

US President Donald Trump has returned to Washington after sealing hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of investments on his first visit to the Gulf since returning to office. His stops in Riyadh, Doha and Abu Dhabi were marked by the announcements of huge deals encompassing everything from defence and aviation to chips and energy. But it wasn’t all business. Mr Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria and meet interim president Ahmad Al Shara in Riyadh came as a surprise. The US leader also re-emphasised his desire to secure a nuclear deal with Iran and acknowledged the support of Gulf states. Still, much was left to the imagination. How quickly could a nuclear agreement materialise? Are mediators any closer to a Gaza ceasefire? And what has become of the push for Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalise relations? In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to analysts about the significance of Mr Trump's Gulf tour, the regional partnerships and influential role of Gulf states when it comes to American foreign policy. 

Ahmed Bayram, a media and communications advisor for NRC Middle East, and Saul Takahashi, an international human rights lawyer formerly with the UN Human Rights Agency, delve into Israel's planned military offensive in Gaza. They discuss the significant humanitarian dilemmas stemming from potential mass displacement and the breach of international law. The pair illuminate the risks involved in aid distribution and the historical context of Israeli occupation, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability in the face of escalating military actions.