New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy | Podcasts

Global Hotspots: Trump Tariffs Challenged in Court; U.S.-China Tensions Intensify

This week, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that there was no legal basis under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act for U.S. President Donald Trump to impose global tariffs, complicating the U.S.’s trade negotiations. In the Indo-Pacific, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced of the U.S. would begin revoking Chinese student visas, while Trump ordered the suspension of exports of jet engines and semiconductors to China. In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, Russia prepared for an offensive in Sumy, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed another meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials on June 2. In the Middle East, efforts at another Gaza ceasefire stalled, while the U.S. and Iran continued their nuclear negotiations over Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250530/

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

India and Israel: Parallel Occupations and Strategic Alliances

In this episode of the Bridging the Gap podcast, host Rachel Nelson sits down with Zara Farouk, a Middle East analyst at New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, to discuss the recent escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan, the past and present relationship between India and Israel, and the similarities of India's and Israel’s occupations in Kashmir and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Global Hotspots: Israel Faces Growing Pressure Over Gaza Offensive

This week, Israel intensified its military campaign in Gaza as the U.K., EU, and Canada threatened economic restrictions against Israel. In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, the EU and U.K. issued new sanctions against Russia, while U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would scale back mediation efforts following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the Indo-Pacific, the EU proposed tariffs on China in alignment with Washington, while China expressed disapproval of U.S. plans to build a new missile defense system and to ban the use of Chinese microchips in the U.S.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250523/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Supporting Lebanon: Navigating Hezbollah and Corruption

In this episode of New Lines Institute’s "Lebanese Logic" podcast, Resident Senior Fellow Faysal Itani and Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dania Arayssi discuss ways the United States can support Lebanon’s people and institutions without giving Hezbollah and the country’s corrupt oligarchy a boost.

Global Hotspots: Trump Tours the Middle East, Announces Syria Sanctions Relief

On his diplomatic tour of the Middle East’s Gulf region this week, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will lift sanctions against Syria. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, meanwhile, presented Iran with a written proposal for a nuclear deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not show up to planned negotiations with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul, though diplomacy was held among officials from Russia, Ukraine, the U.S., and Türkiye. The U.S. and China agreed to pause reciprocal tariffs for 90 days and remove key export and import bans as trade negotiations progress, and China pledged increased investment to Latin American countries.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250516/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: India-Pakistan Conflict Escalates; Putin and Xi Commemorate Victory Day

This week, the conflict between India and Pakistan escalated with India launching multiple military strikes against its neighbor. Meanwhile, the U.S. agreed to hold high-level trade talks with China for the first time this weekend in Geneva. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for Moscow’s Victory Day parade, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed establishing a demilitarized zone between Russia and Ukraine. In the Middle East, the U.S. agreed to a cease-fire with Yemen’s al-Houthi forces after a successful mediation by Oman as it plans to continue nuclear negotiations with Iran this weekend. Israel called up reservists to prepare for its incursion into Gaza. The U.K. was the first country to conclude a trade deal with the U.S., securing a reduction in tariffs on the hardest hit sectors of steel and cars.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250509/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: U.S. and Ukraine Sign Minerals Deal; India-Pakistan Tensions Flare

This week, the U.S. and Ukraine signed a critical minerals deal after months of tense negotiations, while Russia proposed a ceasefire from May 8 to 10. In the Indo-Pacific, effects of the U.S.-China trade dispute are being felt across export sectors, while Pakistan warned of imminent attacks from India following last week’s mass shooting in Kashmir. In the Middle East, the U.S. and Iran are set to continue nuclear negotiations following recent progress in talks, while British and American forces launched new airstrikes against al-Houthi rebel targets in Yemen.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250502/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Acts of Terrorism by Israeli Settlers Are Intensifying in the West Bank

In this episode of the Bridging the Gap podcast series, New Lines’ own Rachel Nelson hosts Andrey X, an independent reporter and human rights advocate documenting Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. Together, they discuss Andrey’s own move from Russia to live in Palestine, the developing volatile situation for Palestinians in the West Bank, and how the international community can respond to the crisis.

Global Hotspots: U.S. Makes Final Push For Ukraine Peace Deal

This week, the U.S. submitted a proposal to end the war in Ukraine that was swiftly rejected by Kyiv, and the Russian military continued its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. In the Indo-Pacific, Beijing denied assertions by the Trump administration that trade negotiations were ongoing, calling for the U.S. to remove its tariffs first, while South Korean companies were warned by Beijing not to sell products containing Chinese critical materials to the United States. In the Middle East, the U.S. and Iran agreed to continue nuclear negotiations following last weekend’s meeting, while Egypt and Qatar presented a plan for a five-year truce for the war in Gaza, as Israeli operations continued in the territory.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250425/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Is A Post-Hezbollah Lebanon Happening Now?

The Middle East Center at The New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy is launching a new podcast series, “Lebanese Logic,” hosted by the center’s Resident Senior Fellow Faysal Itani. The series focuses on Lebanon’s political dynamics the future of Hezbollah, and important role in the geopolitics of the Middle East. In this inaugural episode, Itani and New Lines Institute Senior Director Nicholas A. Heras forecast Lebanon’s politics and foreign policy in the context of the rapidly shifting regional developments in the Middle East.