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
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The Middle East's Drug Trade is Worse Than You Think
The Middle East's drug trade has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, threatening to destabilize the region.
Simon Whistler · May 12, 2026 · 16:56
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Why Didn't the Iranian People Rise Up?
Outside powers bet that pressure and crisis would push Iranians into revolt. Instead, a mix of ruthless repression, a fractured opposition, and fear of what comes next keeps the streets quiet.
Simon Whistler · April 14, 2026 · 15:22
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The Secret Winners of the Iran War
While Tehran and Tel Aviv counted their losses, others quietly counted gains. From Gulf capitals to Moscow and Beijing, the war rewarded actors who never fired a shot.
Simon Whistler · March 31, 2026 · 15:04
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Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf: The Man Really Running Iran?
A Revolutionary Guards commander turned Tehran mayor turned parliament speaker, Ghalibaf has survived corruption scandals and failed presidential bids to reach the center of power in Tehran.
Simon Whistler · March 27, 2026 · 15:26
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What the Iran War Is Costing America and Israel
The war with Iran is imposing steep military, political, diplomatic, and reputational costs on both Washington and Jerusalem, from strained Gulf alliances and European backlash to growing domestic opposition in the United States.
Simon Whistler · March 25, 2026 · 15:47
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The Mosaic: Understanding Iran's Defensive Strategy.
Tehran spent two decades building a military designed to lose battles and still survive. Three weeks into the war, its bet on outlasting American willpower appears to be holding.
Simon Whistler · March 17, 2026 · 15:45
Latest Podcasts
Middle East Roundtable: Memorandum of Misunderstanding.
Evan Moloney, Wilfred Miner, and Kyle Moran dissect the leaked US-Iran deal: sanctions relief for Tehran, a reopened Strait of Hormuz, and an Israel insisting none of it applies to them.
Fronts Staff · June 18, 2026 · 1:42:24
Middle East Roundtable: A Ceasefire By Any Other Name
Join Evan Moloney, Wilfred Miner, and Kyle Moran as they discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, including the recent ceasefire and the implications
Fronts Staff · June 11, 2026
Middle East Roundtable: Hard Day for Bibi.
The Middle East Roundtable discusses the recent escalation of tensions between Iran and the US, the impact on the region, and the implications for Israel...
Fronts Staff · June 4, 2026
Middle East Roundtable: Deal or No Deal?
Join Evan Moloney and guests Wilfred W. and Kyle Moran as they discuss the latest developments in the US-Iran negotiations...
Fronts Staff · May 29, 2026
Middle East Roundtable: Insider Trading, Ceasefire Fading.
Evan Moloney and Kyle Moran discuss the Iran war, US threats, and the role of Gulf States in preventing conflict.
Fronts Staff · May 22, 2026 · 1:03:42
Middle East Roundtable: Rude Neighbors.
Middle East Roundtable: Rude Neighbors.
Evan Moloney · May 15, 2026 · 1:15:05
Latest Articles
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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
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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
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
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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
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
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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
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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
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
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We Spoke to Iran's Ambassador about the War. Here's What He Said
Days after Khamenei's death, Tehran's envoy to Kenya insisted the US planned the war all along, defended missile strikes on the Gulf — and said Iran needs no rescue from Russia or China.
Wilfred Waimiri · March 4, 2026 · 21 min read
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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
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
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