news
Hosted by Middle East Institute · news · EN
Weekly discussion of Middle East policy, arts, and culture, featuring experts from the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.
Required Pod Score for this podcast. PitchCentric checks your profile against host openness, topical fit, and audience signals before you generate a pitch.
Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
34%
Guest openness
Selective
Sign up to generate a grounded pitch for Middle East Focus.
Signup to Generate a PitchMiddle East Focus is hosted by Middle East Institute. The show has published 100 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "Inside the Houthi Campaign Against Saudi Arabia" (29 October 2026, 46 minutes), "Bonus Episode: Previewing Israel's First Post-October 7 Election" (23 October 2026, 63 minutes), and "Who's Calling the Shots in Tehran?" (22 October 2026, 38 minutes).
Middle East Focus publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 41 minutes across 100 episodes.
Booking probability for Middle East Focus is 34%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Middle East Focus requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Middle East Focus's contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for Middle East Focus are Defense & International Affairs. Middle East Focus has a news audience.
Middle East Institute hosts Middle East Focus, a news podcast with 100 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
Middle East Focus
In recent weeks, the Iran-backed Houthis have fired missiles and drones deep into Saudi Arabia, striking high-profile targets, including Riyadh's airport and Aramco's headquarters. The attacks follow a rapid Houthi...
Middle East Focus
Israel is preparing to hold what may be its most consequential election in decades. On October 27, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face his first electoral test since October 7, 2023. In this bonus episode of...
Middle East Focus
Washington says it doesn't know who runs Iran. Tehran insists its leadership is united. MEI Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to sort out where the truth lies. They look at the...
Middle East Focus
A year after world leaders gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh to mark the end of the war in Gaza, Israel controls about 70% of the Strip, Hamas retains its arms, and reconstruction has yet to begin. Meanwhile, in the West...
Middle East Focus
Algeria and Morocco have long been at odds, but recent diplomatic moves may signal a widening geopolitical split in North Africa. Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellow Intissar Fakir...
Middle East Focus
Over the past several weeks, the Houthis have seized the port city of Mokha, Yemen's western coastline, and several islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and they are now massing around Marib and Taiz in the first major...
Middle East Focus
Though it has fallen out of the headlines because of the Iran war, Syria has had a dramatically consequential summer. Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellow Charles Lister to take stock...
Middle East Focus
As the US-Israel-Iran war enters its sixth month, the conflict has taken a sharp turn. After a brief lull in the fighting, Iran launched a surprise ballistic missile attack on US forces on July 28, and the US and Saudi...
Middle East Focus
At the recent NATO summit in Ankara, renewed US-Iran strikes and Turkey's push to rejoin the F-35 stealth fighter program overshadowed the Alliance's message of unity and a strong European pillar. MEI Senior Fellow...
Middle East Focus
US President Donald Trump recently proposed that Syria intervene militarily against Hizballah in Lebanon. Is that a good idea? This episode of Middle East Focus features a recent MEI Virtual Briefing. Director of...
Middle East Focus
After the US-Israel-Iran war — and the strikes that followed the cease-fire — the Gulf states find themselves dangerously exposed. Host Alistair Taylor is joined by MEI Associate Fellow Gregory Gause to discuss the...
Middle East Focus
After nearly four months of war, the US and Iran have signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding declaring the conflict over, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and beginning talks toward a final deal. Alan Eyre, MEI...
Middle East Focus
When the Strait of Hormuz closed in March, fertilizer prices spiked within weeks, triggering a food security crisis across North Africa and the Sahel. Host Alistair Taylor is joined by MEI Senior Fellow Intissar Fakir...
Middle East Focus
After months of deadlock following the November 2025 elections, Iraq's parliament approved a new government under Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on May 14, 2026 — just as the country has become a battleground in the...
Middle East Focus
After over a decade of division between rival factions in eastern and western Libya, the Trump administration has put forward a plan to unite the two sides through a power-sharing agreement. Hosts Alistair Taylor and...
Middle East Focus
A fragile cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel is barely holding as military delegations from both countries arrive in Washington for a new round of direct talks scheduled for this Friday. But diplomatic success could...
Middle East Focus
Two and a half months into the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, what lessons can markets draw from the resulting global energy shock? Colby Connelly, MEI Senior Fellow, joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to...
Middle East Focus
How is competition for influence in the Horn of Africa among Middle Eastern powers — especially the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel — reshaping the political landscape? Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are...
Middle East Focus
Despite efforts to extend the cease-fire in Lebanon and disarm Iranian proxy Hizballah, fighting continues between the militant group and Israeli forces. Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior...
Middle East Focus
As international attention remains fixed on the fallout from the Iran war, conditions in the West Bank continue to deteriorate. Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj speak with MEI Senior Fellow Lucy...
Recent guests on Middle East Focus. Study who booked and why before you pitch.
Distinguished RAND Israel Policy Chair, Israel Policy Forum
Director of the Iran Program, Middle East Institute
Fellow at the Centre on Armed Groups, Middle East Institute
Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer at Yale University, Contributing Writer at the Atlantic, Yale University
PitchCentric classifies Middle East Focus under these industries. Guests from them are the closest fit, and each links to the best podcasts in that industry.
Shows with the most semantically similar episode content. Pitch one, pitch all; producers cluster.
Is this podcast yours and you'd like to remove or correct details? Request removal or email privacy@pitchcentric.com.
Questions about the free trial? See the pricing FAQ
