Waiting for Escalation: Where is the Middle East Crisis Heading?

One year on from Hamas’ 7 October attack on Israel, we look at the current state of the conflict in the Middle East and its future trajectory. Last week marked the one-year anniversary of the horrific Hamas attacks on 7 October. There are still no indications of how and under what conditions the war will end. To the contrary, all indications are that the region is on the precipice of a wider and deadlier war. The second in our series on the evolving crises in the Middle East, this episode will aim to explore the situation on the ground and the implications for geopolitical and geoeconomic relations inside the region, as well as the Middle East’s relations with external actors. Host Neil Melvin is joined by RUSI Senior Research Fellow Burcu Ozcelik and RUSI Senior Associate Fellow Michael Stephens to discuss what has changed in the region since Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on 1 October 2024. How should we interpret Israel’s strategic objectives as it expands its military campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon? What is Israel’s likely long game in Lebanon? And do the US or the UK have any real influence over Israel’s military decision-making and the course of the spiraling conflict?

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.