Civil war has returned to Yemen.

The ceasefire of 2022 is over and open warfare has returned to the country. The Iran-backed Houthis have ceased large areas of the western coast and are encircling the city of Taiz. The Saudi-backed government has now launched its counteroffensive, but can they defeat the Houthis?

This week on The New Arab Voice podcast, we explore the recent clashes between the Houthis in Yemen and Saudi Arabia and what impact the war will have on the country. Can either side win on the battlefield? What effect are the Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia having? And will the two sides be willing to negoiate?

Joining us to explain what the Houthi are doing and why, we speak with Maysaa Shujaa al-Deen (@maysaashujaa), senior researcher at the Sanaa Centre (@SanaaCenter).

And to tell us the story of Saudi thinking and calculations we speak with Allison Minor (@AllisonMinor_) senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (@CSISMidEast) and the former U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Yemen.

This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).

Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com

The recent win of Abdul el-Sayed in the Michigan Democratic primary was the latest in a string of defeats for AIPAC backed candidates.

While still strong in some areas of the US, in others, the backing of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is a hindrance to candidates in others.

As AIPAC and political candidates approaching the Midterm elections in November try to weave the lines of US public approval, Israel is continuing its efforts to influence public opinion, with ever greater spending on social media hasbara efforts.

This week on The New Arab Voice podcast, we look at the state of public opinion in the US, and what the recent victories of pro-Palestinian candidates means for the upcoming elections, with insights from Gregory Aftandilian, Senior Professorial Lecturer at the School of International Service at American University.

We also speak with Nick Cleveland Stout, Research associate at the Quincy Institute in the Democratizing Foreign Policy program. Nick recently published a report titled: The Eighth Front: Inside Israel’s $1 Billion Influence Campaign, which documents Israel's efforts to influence US public opinion and sway policy in the US politics.

This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).

Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com

Iraq's new Prime Minster Ali al-Zaidi took his first foreign visit to the US, followed shortly after with a trip to Tehran.

A political outsider and a surprise winner of the race to be prime minster, Ali al-Zaidi has a considerable inbox. And at the top is how to guide the country through the ongoing war between Iran and the US, its two closest allies.

On top of this, al-Zaidi has launched a crackdown on corruption and his seeking to disarm the myriad of armed groups in the country.

This week, we look at the new prime minster and how he came to office, his personal crusades, and the challenges he will face during this time of war.

Joining us is Lahib Higel (@LahibHigel), Deputy Program Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group (@CrisisGroup); and Renad Mansour (@renadmansour), Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House (@ChathamHouse), and the Director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House.

This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).

Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com

For months now, Iran has been pounded by American and Israeli missiles and bombs. Much of the leadership has been eliminated, including the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

After a short period of calm, when it was hoped that diplomacy would prevail, it appears as though war has returned for the time being.

Much focus has been given to what the US and Israel are thinking, and how the Gulf states are coping with Iranian attacks on cities, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

But what's happening inside Iran.

What’s the damage to the country? What does the leadership want from the conflict? How are the Iranian people viewing the regime, and does it have a future?

To help us unpick Iran, we spoke with Alex Vatanka, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, who specialises in Iran.

This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).

Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com

The Gulf has been a key target for Iranian missiles and drones.

Iran has struck infrastructure, oil and gas installations, civilian areas, and US military bases. These attacks have struck at the heart of the Gulf's image as a safe and stable environment.

While the region deals with Iranian attacks, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been working out how to deal with each other.

The Saudi-Emirati rivialry has been rumbling on for a number of years now, and during this conflict, they both have conflicting ideas about how to deal with Iran, who they should be allied with, and how they can protect their economies.

This week, how have the Saudi and Emirati economies been impacted by the war? Why did the UAE leave OPEC? And what do these two competing regional powers what in Iran?

Joining us to discuss the UAE and how it has been impacted by the war is Giorgio Cafiero (@GiorgioCafiero), CEO of Gulf State Analytics (@GulfStateAnalyt), and adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University (@Georgetown).

And to guide us through Saudi Arabia, we speak with Kristian Coates Ulrichsen (@Dr_Ulrichsen), Fellow for the Middle East at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy (@BakerInstitute).

This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).

Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com

As the region scrambles to secure a ceasefire in Iran, the ceasefire in Gaza looks more unstable by the day.

Israel continues to bomb the besieged enclave, killing civilans and adding to the misery that the people of Gaza have had to endure for over two years now.

While the people of Gaza suffer, Hamas have been choosing a new leader.

Many of its leadership were killed during the war and the group needs a new leader to guide it into the future.

This week, we look at the state of the ceasefire in Gaza, the bodies that were created as part of the ceasefire, the humanitarian crisis.

Also, we examine the frontrunners in race to be the new leader of Hamas, their differences, and what the future holds for Hamas in light of the ongoing war in Iran.

Joining us to look at the ceasefire deal we're joined by Yousef Munayyer, Head of the Palestine Israel Program at Arab Center Washington, DC (@ArabCenterDC).

And to talk us through the race to be Hamas' new leader, we speak with Jaser AbuMoussa, Senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (@MiddleEastInst) in, Washington, DC, and senior policy advisor at the International Peace Institute in New York. You can read Jaser's Substack here.

This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).

Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com

As global attention is held by the US, Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz, in the West Bank, Israeli settlers are running wild and spreading terror.

Settler violence has been a problem for years, but recently it has ramped up, with attacks happening daily. On top of this the Netanyahu government is approving more settlements in West Bank and implementing more legal writs to force Palestinians from their land.

In April, a handful of EU states decided to speak out and called for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, on the grounds that Israel was not upholding human rights.

This week, we look at the rising level of settler violence in the West Bank, the approval of new settlements, the ties between Israel and the EU, and if the tide is turning against Israel at the EU.

To discuss the violence in the West Bank, we speak with Yara Asi (@Yara_M_Asi), Assistant Professor of Global Health Management and Informatics at the University of Central Florida, and co-director of the Palestine Program for Health and Human Rights, and author of How War Kills: The Overlooked Threats to Our Health

And to guide us through the workings of the EU's workings with Israel, we speak with Isabel Ruck (@isabel_ruck), Head of Research and Scientific Corporation at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Paris (@CarepParis).

This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).

Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com

After four week of war, a ceasefire between Iran and the US has been reached.

While the details remain hazy, it is a welcome development, and the region has taken a step back from the edge. But in Lebanon, the bombing continues.

The ceasefire deal would not include the war in Lebanon, where Israel would be free to continue its war against Hezbollah.

This week, what does Israel want in Lebanon? Can Hezbollah be disarmed? And what can the Lebanese government do to bring peace and stability to its lands?

Joining us to discuss Hezbollah and the options for the Lebanese government is Yezid Sayigh (@SayighYezid), Senior fellow at the Malcolm H Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut (@CarnegieMEC).

And to give us the view from Israel, we speak with Mairav Zonszein (@MairavZ), Senior Analyst on Israel for International Crisis Group (@CrisisGroup) and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times (@nytimes).

This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).

Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com