New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy | Podcasts

Global Hotspots: Trump Threatens Russia With Sanctions; Israel-Syria Clashes Intensify

This week, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose severe sanctions on Russia if it does not engage in ceasefire talks with Ukraine, while U.S. officials met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv to discuss the delivery of U.S. weapons. In the Indo-Pacific, Australia and China hailed a reset in their trade relations following Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and details emerged of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s planned visit to Paraguay next month, which may include a stop in the United States. In the Middle East, Israeli strikes targeted the Syrian Ministry of Defense, while the Iranian parliament issued a statement against resuming nuclear talks with the U.S. until unspecified conditions are met.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250718/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: Iran and Gaza Tensions Linger; U.S. Threatens New Global Tariffs

This week in the Middle East, Iran questioned cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and reportedly received a delivery of Chinese air defense systems, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz unveiled plans to relocate Gazans to third countries. In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed frustration at Russia’s lack of meaningful ceasefire efforts and renewed U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine, while both the U.S. Congress and the EU are preparing new sanctions against Moscow. In the Indo-Pacific, Trump renewed his threats of tariffs against ASEAN countries, plus Japan and South Korea. He further threatened to levy additional tariffs against Brazil and on all copper exports to the U.S. and extended the deadline for all trade negotiations to Aug. 1.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250711/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: Q3 Forecast Outlook

The third quarter of 2025 will be headlined by the ripple effects of military escalation between Israel and Iran, as well as U.S. intervention, while regional states will seek to push for a diplomatic agreement over Iran’s nuclear program.
Read the full Q3 Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/q3-2025-forecast/
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. Weighs Direct Involvement in Israel/Iran Conflict

This week, Israel escalated its military campaign against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, while the U.S. weighed potential involvement in the conflict. In the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan added Chinese companies to its export blacklist, limiting their access to advanced microchips, while concerns lingered over the impact of Chinese rare earth elements export curbs despite last week’s U.S./China trade agreement. In the Russia/Ukraine war, Ukrainian operations halted Russian advances on Sumy, while leaders of the G7 discussed new sanctions against Russia.
Read the Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-202506020/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Israel and Iran at War: The Risk of Escalation and Regional Implications

In this episode of the Bridging the Gap, New Lines Middle East Analyst Rachel Nelson sits down with New Lines Senior Director Dr. Kamran Bokhari and New Lines Director of the Crime-Conflict Nexus and Military Withdrawals portfolios Caroline Rose to discuss the breakout of war between Israel and Iran and its regional implications.

Global Hotspots: Israel Conducts Military Strikes on Iran

This week in the Middle East, Israel carried out unilateral strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities and killed top Iranian military officials, leading to Iranian retaliation with drone strikes against Israel. In the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. and China both confirmed they reached a trade deal framework involving a resumption of rare earth elements exports and a reduction in tariffs, while newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung conducted diplomatic outreach to the U.S. and China. In Ukraine, Russia launched some of the most extensive missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities since the start of the war, while the European Commission proposed a new round of sanctions against Moscow. In the U.S., the National Guard and Marines were deployed to Los Angeles amid ongoing protests over an immigration crackdown.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-202506013/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

It’s Sharaa’s Syria Now

In this edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center’s Post-Assad podcast series, New Lines Senior Director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with Senior Resident Fellow Murad Batal Shishani to analyze the opportunities and challenges for Syria after President Donald Trump’s meeting with interim Syrian President Ahmad Al Sharaa. Shishani also provides a detailed debrief on his recent trip to Syria; assesses the progress of post-Assad Syrian society, politics, and security dynamics; and explains where Sharaa might take Syria next.

Global Hotspots: Ukrainian Saboteurs Hit Russia; Global Alarm at China’s Mineral Controls

This week, Ukraine conducted multiple sabotage operations across Russia, including attacks on Russia’s strategic bomber fleet and infrastructure, while representatives from both countries agreed on a prisoner exchange. In the Indo-Pacific, China’s slow resumption of rare earth elements exports has led industries to warn of potential shutdowns. U.S.-China trade negotiations continued, and the U.S. doubled tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports. In the Middle East, Iran rejected U.S. terms for a nuclear deal, while Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to assist in negotiations during a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250606/
Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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.