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2. Tackling the proxy problem: Mitigating the threat posed by Iran's "Axis of Resistance"
- Author:
- Alex Vatanka, Nadwa Al-Dawsari, and Sabri Ates
- Publication Date:
- 05-2024
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- The war in Gaza has revealed much about the relationships Iran maintains with its proxy forces across the region, from Lebanon and Syria to Yemen and Iraq. While the various militant groups in the “Axis of Resistance” all receive support from the Islamic Republic, each has its own objectives and strategic focus, a point underlined by the Houthis’ emergence as a key new regional player. The group has fired on commercial ships, attacked military vessels, and shut down maritime traffic on one of the world’s most significant trade arteries. If the situation escalates, Iran-backed groups could unleash far greater havoc, both within the region and well beyond its borders. What steps can the US and its partners take now to ensure that additional Iranian-supported forces do not join the Gaza conflict? And how can Iran’s proxies be deterred from acting to help de-escalate tensions across the region? And what, if anything, can Washington do to change the strategic calculations in Tehran?
- Topic:
- Proxy Groups, Axis of Resistance, and 2023 Gaza War
- Political Geography:
- Iraq, Iran, Middle East, Yemen, Lebanon, and Syria
3. Avoiding a second front: De-escalating simmering tensions between Israel and Hezbollah
- Author:
- Paul Salem, Patricia Karam, and James F. Hollifield
- Publication Date:
- 05-2024
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- Tensions have run red hot on Israel’s northern border since October, as near-daily clashes between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah risk the prospect of greater escalation. US diplomatic efforts have focused on preventing a full-scale war from breaking out, while intensified military deployments have sought to deter Iran and its regional proxies. Could the recent escalation in exchanges between Israeli and Hezbollah forces lead to the opening of a second front in Israel’s war? How should we assess US mediation efforts so far? What are Hezbollah's and Israel’s strategic calculations? What would the costs of a wider war be for Lebanon and its already hard-hit population? Finally, what would be the broader regional implications of a full-scale Israeli-Hezbollah conflict
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Hezbollah, and Armed Conflict
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, and United States of America
4. American diplomacy toward Lebanon with Amb. David Hale
- Author:
- David Hale and Fadi Nicholas Nassar
- Publication Date:
- 05-2024
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- Ambassador David Hale joins MEI's US-Lebanon Fellow Fadi Nicholas Nassar to discuss his book American Diplomacy Toward Lebanon: Lessons in Foreign Policy and the Middle East. They cover takeaways from his time as ambassador and the state of US-Lebanon and regional diplomacy following the Gaza war.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Regional Politics, and 2023 Gaza War
- Political Geography:
- Australia and Lebanon
5. The ramifications of the surge in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah
- Author:
- Gerald Feierstein, Eran Etzion, and Charles Lister
- Publication Date:
- 06-2024
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- MEI experts discuss the risks of a full-blown war following the latest rounds of escalation, the political and strategic calculations inside Israel and by Hezbollah, as well as the additional steps the United States can take to help avert a broader conflict. The briefing features Amb. (ret.) Gerald Feierstein, Distinguished Senior Fellow on U.S. Diplomacy at the Middle East Institute (MEI); Eran Etzion, Former Head of Policy Planning for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a Non-Resident Scholar at MEI; as well as Charles Lister, Director MEI's Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism Programs.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Foreign Policy, Armed Conflict, and 2023 Gaza War
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Israel, Palestine, Gaza, and Lebanon
6. Justice, the Beirut Blast, and Lebanon's Continued Crisis
- Author:
- Fadi Nicholas Nassar and Ronnie Chatah
- Publication Date:
- 02-2023
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- MEI's U.S.-Lebanon Fellow Fadi Nicholas Nassar speaks to Ronnie Chatah - host of the Beirut Banyan and founder of WalkBeirut - about justice in the wake of the Beirut Blast. Why have family members of the blast's victims recently been arrested, and where does accountability lie as Lebanon continues to slip into further crisis?
- Topic:
- Accountability, Justice, Disaster Management, Economic Crisis, and Beirut Blast
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and Lebanon
7. Can the Lira be saved?
- Author:
- Fadi Nicholas Nassar and Mike Azar
- Publication Date:
- 03-2023
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- MEI's US-Lebanon Fellow Fadi Nicholas Nassar speaks to Beirut-based international finance professional Mike Azar on Lebanon's financial crisis. What is the state of Lebanon's banking system, and how did it become so dysfunctional? What does Azar recommend to get Lebanon's economy back on track, and can the Lira be saved?
- Topic:
- Financial Crisis, Economy, and Banks
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and Lebanon
8. France’s Foreign Policy towards Lebanon and its Discontents
- Author:
- Fadi Nicholas Nassar
- Publication Date:
- 07-2023
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- The pair focus on the current state of affairs in Lebanon, historical trends in French policy towards the country and the region, and more in the latest episode of Middle East Focus.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Domestic Politics, History, and Regional Politics
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Middle East, France, and Lebanon
9. Lebanon in Crisis
- Author:
- Randa Slim and Edward M. Gabriel
- Publication Date:
- 03-2022
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- Randa Slim and Amb. Edward Gabriel discuss the daunting trifecta of economic, financial, and political crises Lebanon currently faces and what they anticipate for the country's future.
- Topic:
- Financial Crisis, Political Crisis, and Economic Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and Lebanon
10. Against All Odds: An Ambitious Climate Policy for Lebanon
- Author:
- Silvia Crescimbeni, Abi-Nassif, Vahakn Kabakian, and Jessica Obeid
- Publication Date:
- 04-2021
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- Amid converging political, economic, and humanitarian crises, Lebanon has recently doubled down on its climate ambition for the next ten years. In its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the country has revised both its GHG emission reduction targets and renewable-energy-sourced power generation targets upwards. Does climate change bear national security implications for Lebanon today? How can climate-proofed infrastructure projects and low-carbon technologies attract investments, create jobs and support Lebanon’s economic revival post-collapse? How will immediate policy choices and renewable energy integration ensure economic growth and shape the future of critical sectors such as energy, water, food, and transportation? What is the role of climate diplomacy and partnerships in achieving Lebanon's climate ambitions? How can Lebanon ensure that its climate policy does not fall through the cracks?
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Economics, National Security, Politics, and United Nations
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and Lebanon