Is Stability in the Middle East Possible?

Following the fall of the Assad regime, what comes next for Syria and the future of the region? The Middle East is experiencing significant challenges and transitions as 2024 draws to a close. The war between Israel and Hamas continues to dominate regional dynamics, with Gaza suffering a severe humanitarian crisis. Efforts towards a ceasefire are ongoing, but questions about Gaza's reconstruction and long-term governance remain unresolved. Additionally, in a sudden and dramatic turn of events, all eyes are now on Syria, where a lightning rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (or HTS) brought about the rapid fall of the brutal Assad dictatorship that has ruled Syria for over five decades. The fall of the Assad regime marks a significant turning point for the region and raises many critical questions and challenges for the country's future. Host Neil Melvin is joined by Burcu Ozcelik, RUSI Senior Research Fellow, and Michael Stephens, RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, to ask: what would a future Syrian state look like? Are we any closer to a ceasefire deal in Gaza that could also see Israeli hostages being released? And how can we expect Iran to respond to the fall of its closest ally in the Middle East?

Om Podcasten

Global Security Briefing provides regular insights from leading international experts to help you make sense of the far-reaching changes affecting international security around the globe. Hosted by analysts from RUSI's International Security Studies team, the podcast looks at how the UK can best shape its foreign and security policies in an increasingly dynamic international environment. The Global Security Briefing channel is also host to a back-catalogue of episodes from the concluded RUSI podcasts 'Bridging the Oceans' and 'Mind the Gulf'. Running from 2020 to 2023, 'Bridging the Oceans' aimed to create a platform to discuss the key defence and security questions of the world’s most dynamic region: the Indo-Pacific. Hosted by Veerle Nouwens, it explored what the Indo-Pacific is, where its limits lie, and what the fast-evolving defence and security issues are in this dynamic part of the world. Running from January to May 2022, the 'Mind the Gulf' Podcast Series explored how the Iranian nuclear programme – and international diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon – interacts with regional security dynamics and the wider Middle East. The views or statements expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by RUSI employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of RUSI.