What Was It All For? Understanding the US-Iran Deal. A conversation with Brian Katulis

What Was It All For? Understanding the US-Iran Deal. A conversation with Brian Katulis

After more than a hundred days of war, on 17 June the United States and Iran have finally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). By extending the 8 April ceasefire, the agreement aims to restore maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and establish a framework for broader negotiations on the most contentious issue: Iran's nuclear programme. As we wait to see if this deal will really silence the guns, a lot of questions arise around one of the main protagonists of this conflict: President Donald Trump’s United States. What does this agreement mean for the US? What does it say about the relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv? And more importantly, what was the point of this war? To answer these questions, in this episode of MED Insights, Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, speaks with Nicola Missaglia, Curator of the MED Dialogues.

Netanyahu, the Opposition and Israel's Security Gamble

Following a crisis within Netanyahu’s coalition, members of the Knesset approved the dissolution of the Israeli parliament in a preliminary reading. As the country awaits a final decision on whether elections will be held in September or October, Israel finds itself at a crossroads, amid deep internal social tensions, ongoing and perpetual conflicts and an increasingly challenging regional and international environment. At the same time, the future of Gaza – especially after Netanyahu's order to expand to 70% the Israeli control of the Strip –, increasing violence in the West Bank and, more broadly, relations with the Palestinians continue to occupy a paradoxical place in the political debate: impossible to ignore, yet often avoided or framed only through the language of security. Will Netanyahu secure another mandate, or are we witnessing a turning point for the country? To answer these questions, in this episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia, Curator of the MED Dialogues, speaks with Dahlia Scheindlin, political analyst and columnist for Haaretz, Gil Murciano, CEO of MITVIM, and Sara Isabella Leykin, Junior Research Fellow at ISPI.

War and Diplomacy: The Gulf on the Edge. A conversation with Majed Al Ansari

As the war between Iran and the United States appears to be once again on the brink of a new phase of military confrontation, one region remains particularly vulnerable: the Gulf. The countries of the GCC have found themselves on the frontline of a war they neither chose nor wanted – a conflict that is impacting not only their economies, but also the region’s security architecture. How has the war affected the Gulf countries? And how is it transforming their security paradigm and strategic outlook, both within the region and beyond? To explore these questions, in this episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia, Curator of the MED Dialogues and Head of Communications and Publishing at ISPI, speaks with Majed Al Ansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, as well as President of the Center for International Policy Research (CIPR).

Lebanon in the Crossfire: Israel, Hezbollah and the Iran factor

Almost 50 days after the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, a 10-day ceasefire has been brokered by the United States. As hopes grow that this pause could pave the way for a lasting end to the fighting, Lebanon remains at a crossroads. Beyond the war, the country appears unable to break free from its overlapping internal and external crises. The government in Beirut, in power for over a year, has sought to address these challenges, but the obstacles remain immense: from Hezbollah’s unresolved role within the state to continued interference by external actors, an enduring economic collapse, and a population exhausted by decades of instability. Is Lebanon capable of escaping what increasingly appears to be a permanent state of crisis? To explore these questions, in this episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia – Curator of the MED Dialogues and Head of Communications and Publishing at ISPI – speaks with Lina Khatib, Associate Fellow at the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatam House and also Visiting Scholar at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative, Aurélie Daher, Assistant Professor at Paris Dauphine University, and Luigi Toninelli, Junior Research Fellow at ISPI.

Trump's Endgame in the War on Iran

Four weeks into the war, uncertainty continues to prevail. Following a 48-hour ultimatum threatening strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure, US President Donald Trump announced the start of negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement to end the conflict. However, Iranian officials have denied that any talks are underway, while the country continues to face ongoing bombing. With a fragile diplomatic window, US objectives in the war remain difficult to grasp, and a number of pressing questions persist: What does the US Administration aim to achieve through this war? What is Trump's endgame? And, more broadly, what kind of Middle East does he envision? In this episode of MED Insights, Nicola Missaglia – Curator of the MED and Head of Communications and Publishing at ISPI – speaks with Daniel Kliman, Senior Vice President for Global Power Shifts at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.