Middle East
Regional security, proxy networks, and conflict diplomacy.
The Middle East's security environment is defined by proxy networks, state rivalry, and domestic political constraints.
Fronts analyzes the structures behind events - who mobilizes force, how they fund it, and what limits escalation.
What we cover
- Proxy and partner networks
- Iran and regional strategy
- Gulf competition
- Maritime pressure points
- Internal regime stability
How we cover it
- Network analysis
- Political-military deep dives
- Incentive-based assessment
Start here
Latest Videos
16:56
Insider · Middle East · Single topic
The Middle East's Drug Trade is Worse Than You Think
May 12, 2026
15:22
Insider · Middle East · Single topic
Why Didn't the Iranian People Rise Up?
April 14, 2026
15:04
Insider · Middle East · Single topic
The Secret Winners of the Iran War
March 31, 2026
15:26
Insider · Middle East · Single topic
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf: The Man Really Running Iran?
March 27, 2026
15:47
Insider · Middle East · Single topic
What the Iran War Is Costing America and Israel
March 25, 2026
15:45
Insider · Middle East · Single topic
The Mosaic: Understanding Iran's Defensive Strategy.
March 17, 2026
15:28
Insider · Middle East · Single topic
Life at War: The People of Iran.
March 10, 2026
22:35
Insider · Middle East · Single topic
What Next for the Iran War? And Other Burning Questions
March 4, 2026
15:17
Insider · Middle East · Single topic
How October 7th Became the Middle East's Pearl Harbor
March 3, 2026
15:32
Insider · Middle East · Single topic
What's Happening to Iran's Protest Prisoners?
January 18, 2026
13:39
Insider · Middle East · Single topic
The Spike: Israel's Secret Weapon.
January 6, 2026
16:23
Insider · Middle East · Series
Briefing Room 10.10.25 - Syria on the Brink (Again)
October 10, 2025
Latest Podcasts
Middle East Roundtable: Rude Neighbors.
Middle East Roundtable: Rude Neighbors.
Evan Moloney · May 15, 2026 · 1:15:05
Middle East Roundtable: Strait Chaos.
Middle East Roundtable: Strait Chaos.
Evan Moloney · May 7, 2026 · 1:09:15
Middle East Roundtable: Rising Pressure All Around.
Evan Moloney · May 4, 2026 · 1:08:02
Middle East Roundtable: I Blockade You, You Blockade Me
Join Evan Maloney, Kyle Moran, and Wilfred M as they discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, including the ceasefire between the US and Iran.
Evan Moloney · April 24, 2026 · 1:21:45
Middle East Roundtable: JD Vance's No Good, Terrible, Very Bad Week
US Vice President JD Vance has had a disastrous week in Iran negotiations. Learn about the failed talks and the economic impact on the region.
Evan Moloney · April 16, 2026 · 1:03:37
Middle East Round Table: When is a Ceasefire Not a Ceasefire?
Evan Moloney · April 10, 2026 · 1:17:55
Latest Articles
Middle EastPremium
The Implications of Iran's Uneasy Ceasefire
The recent ceasefire between the US and Iran has left the world stunned, but what does it mean for the Middle East?
Paweł Wójcik · April 9, 2026 · 10 min read
Middle EastPremium
In the New Middle East, All Roads Lead to Ankara
As the war between the US, Israel, and Iran unfolds, Turkey's role in the region is becoming increasingly significant.
Kyle Moran · April 2, 2026 · 11 min read
Middle East
The World Failed to Disarm Syria. The Cleanup Starts Now.
Syria's new multinational cleanup effort is trying to locate a chemical weapons stockpile that was supposedly eliminated in 2013, but much of the arsenal was never truly accounted for.
Kyle Moran · March 24, 2026 · 13 min read
Middle EastPremium
Meet the MEK: The Iranian Opposition Group Trying to Buy Washington.
The Mojahedin e-Khalq, an Iranian exile organization, has a history of controversy and violence. Despite its claims of being a democratic alternative to the Islamic Republic of Iran, the group has been rejected by the Iranian people.
Kyle Moran · March 19, 2026 · 20 min read
Middle East
How Risk, Not Violence, Closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is a strategic move that leverages risk perception to maintain control of the waterway, rather than relying on military force.
Evan Moloney · March 17, 2026 · 17 min read
Middle EastPremium
The Iranian Terror Threat
The Iranian terror threat is a growing concern for global security, with the country's long history of external operations and state-sponsored terrorism posing a significant danger well beyond the Middle East.
Paweł Wójcik · March 13, 2026 · 10 min read
Middle EastPremium
It's Do or Die Time for Lebanon
Lebanon's government has taken a bold step by banning Hezbollah's military activities, but can the country follow through and break free from the group's grip?
Kyle Moran · March 12, 2026 · 13 min read
Middle East
Fault Lines in Iraq: How Baghdad’s Many Factions Influence the War in Iran.
The ongoing war in Iran will shape the future of the Middle East, but nowhere will its impact matter more than in neighboring Iraq. Learn how Baghdad's many factions are responding as the conflict expands.
Evan Moloney · March 9, 2026 · 18 min read
Middle EastPremium
We Spoke to Iran's Ambassador about the War. Here's What He Said
Wilfred Waimiri · March 4, 2026 · 21 min read
Middle EastPremium
Iran is Running Out of Time
Iran's president has apologized for the government's crackdown on protesters, but the regime is still struggling to maintain control.
Kyle Moran · February 19, 2026 · 10 min read
Middle East
Mapping the UAE’s Non-State Proxy Network.
In today's multipolar world, no nation has leveraged non-state proxies quite like the UAE, building a network of allied fighting forces across the Middle East and North Africa to secure its interests.
Evan Moloney · December 22, 2025 · 19 min read
Middle East
Is Al-Sharaa’s Syria A Success?
For the first time in years, Damascus received 48 hours of uninterrupted electricity — a small miracle that signals broader progress under Syria's new post-Assad government.
Wilfred Waimiri · December 1, 2025 · 10 min read