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Beyond the Headlines

by The National News · English · News

Dive deeper into the week’s biggest stories from the Middle East and around the world with The National’s multi-award-winning podcast, Beyond the Headlines — winner of two Signal Awards and the New York Festivals Radio and TV Awards. Nuances are often missed in day-to-day headlines. We go Beyond

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 20 min
Latest: 9 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026 · 20 min

Gaza ceasefire: a year of stalled promises

When the Gaza ceasefire came into effect a year ago, Palestinians in the enclave hoped that they could start rebuilding their lives. The truce came in the form of a 20-point plan which specified that aid would enter at scale and the strip would be “redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza”. It also said there would be a demilitarisation process and gradual Israeli withdrawal. While the ceasefire brought much-needed respite after two years of full-scale war, many of the terms of the agreement have stalled, leaving 1.9 million people still displaced. Meanwhile, in the past year, about…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E518 · 2 Oct 2026 · 19 min
What happens next after US withdrawal from Iraq?
The US withdrawal from Iraq this week marked a major milestone, as its anti-ISIS mission officially came to an end. The government in Baghdad called it Sovereignty Day. More than 20 years since the American invasion of Iraq and 12 years since the start of the US-led coalition against ISIS, the departure was widely celebrated by Iraqis. But it also comes at a challenging time for the country and the region. The US-Iran war has turned Iraq into a key battleground for competing influences, making it the only country to be attacked from both sides. Iran-backed militias in Iraq were supposed to…
E517 · 25 Sep 2026 · 21 min
Barham Salih on why the refugee crisis is a global responsibility
The number of people forced from their homes by war, violence and persecution continues to grow, while the international system created to protect them is under increasing strain. On the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, The National’s Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi speaks to Barham Salih, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and former president of Iraq, about the mounting pressures on the global refugee system. Mr Salih says protecting those forced to flee is not only a humanitarian and legal responsibility, but also a matter of national interest. With conflicts…
E516 · 18 Sep 2026 · 21 min
How did the Houthis become so emboldened?
An escalation of attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and the group’s seizure of Yemen’s western coast, comes at a critical time in the region. The rapid advance in a matter of days has given the group unprecedented access to the Bab Al Mandeb strait, a global maritime chokepoint, while displacing at least 125,000 civilians. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz, another critical route for international energy supplies, remains effectively closed because of the war between the US and Iran. The violence in the two waterways has disrupted the flow of oil, goods and aid. The…
E515 · 11 Sep 2026 · 18 min
What will UK sanctions against Israeli settlements change?
The UK’s decision to ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements, and impose sanctions on entities that are used to build them, has put new pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as the occupied West Bank faces unprecedented land grabs. It has been more than two years since the International Court of Justice issued its advisory opinion stating that all states are under an obligation not to recognise Israel's decades-long occupation. The court also obliged Israel to stop building settlements, which are illegal under international law. Israel began its settlement project when it occupied…
E514 · 4 Sep 2026 · 20 min
Can Hezbollah survive without money?
When the US announced it was imposing new sanctions on Iran late last month, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the aim was to sever every economic lifeline “until Tehran stands alone”. The burden will also fall on Iran-backed groups across the region. For Hezbollah in Lebanon, the sanctions deal yet another blow after its war with Israel, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the fallout from the US-Iran conflict. Before the war, Iran’s funding to Hezbollah was about $700 million a year, according to the US State Department. Now, Washington has designated Hezbollah a terrorist group…
E513 · 28 Aug 2026 · 22 min
What’s behind the Israel-Turkey power struggle in Syria?
Israel has been attacking parts of Syria since the fall of the Assad regime and carrying out incursions into the country’s south under the pretext of targeting weapons of the former government. But its attack last week on the Abu Al Duhur military airfield in the northern governorate of Idlib was different, apparently directed at Turkey as tensions rise between the two countries. Israeli officials accused Turkey of stationing troops at the airbase, an allegation both Syria and Turkey dismissed. US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack called the strikes unnecessary and…
E512 · 27 Aug 2026 · 20 min
The compounded burdens weighing down humanitarian work
In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, Mercy Corps CEO Tjada McKenna joins host Nada AlTaher in conversation about the challenges facing humanitarian assistance across the Middle East and beyond. The impact of the Strait of Hormuz blockade has trickled down into the aid sector. Rising fuel costs, shortages of essential goods and delays in the delivery of materials such as fertilisers have all taken a toll on vulnerable communities that rely on operational supply chains. Humanitarian organisations are forced to adapt to the growing needs on the ground in places such as Gaza and Sudan, where…
E511 · 21 Aug 2026 · 17 min
How cheap weapons are changing the balance of military power
The US-Iran war has highlighted how rapidly modern warfare is changing, with drones and other relatively inexpensive technology playing an increasingly prominent role alongside sophisticated missile and air-defence systems. US Central Command this month announced a multinational attack drone task force that will be operated by US military support staff and partners in the region. Last month the US carried out its first one-way sea drone strike on an Iranian target. As the US expands its drone capabilities to adapt to Iranian tactics, its stockpiles are reportedly shrinking. But Iran, too,…
E510 · 14 Aug 2026 · 18 min
What do the Houthis stand to gain by escalating now?
The Houthis had mostly stayed out of the Iran war. But in recent weeks they have started attacking ships in the Red Sea, as well as Saudi-linked targets inside Yemen and across the border. On Tuesday, a double-tap strike on a cargo ship in the Bab Al Mandeb strait killed four crew members and two rescue workers. They have also targeted Yemeni government forces in Marib, Hadhramaut and Hodeidah, and hit the port city of Mokha. Beyond the border, they have launched strikes on Saudi oil sites. Analysts say the timing of the Houthis’ intervention in the conflict is not a coincidence. With the…
E508 · 7 Aug 2026 · 30 min
The cost of occupation: How Palestine's economy has been pushed to the brink
Since October 2023, entire industries in Gaza have been wiped out and poverty has increased. In the occupied West Bank, businesses are struggling amid settler violence and increasing restrictions on movement. After the Gaza war began, Israel suspended most work permits for Palestinians in the country. It also withheld billions of dollars in tax revenue collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, leaving public sector workers to receive only a fraction of their salaries. The Israeli government has also repeatedly threatened to sever the banking arrangement that connects Palestinian…
E509 · 31 Jul 2026 · 19 min
What the US-Saudi strikes on Iran-affiliated militias in Iraq reveal about the wider war
It has been five months since the US and Israel launched their war with Iran, and the conflict has never really been contained. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Jordan have all been hit by Iranian missiles and drones, Hezbollah drew Lebanon into a fight that is still going on, and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, with neither talks nor military action producing a lasting reopening. Right now, though, no front is moving faster than the one closing in on Saudi Arabia, and it is coming from two directions at once. In Yemen, a strike on Sanaa airport and Houthi accusations against Riyadh…
E507 · 24 Jul 2026 · 21 min
Can Lebanon find a winning formula in peace talks with Israel?
US President Donald Trump pledged his support for Lebanon this week during a visit to the White House by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. A four-decade ban on US airlines flying to the country will be overturned, Mr Trump said, who also told of concrete plans to support the Lebanese Armed Forces. This comes at a time when the government in Beirut is under pressure to prove it can deliver on an agreement it signed with Israel and the US in June. The trilateral framework states that Lebanese forces must disarm Hezbollah and reassert control in areas dominated by the group, before Israel…
E506 · 17 Jul 2026 · 19 min
Why has the US-Iran agreement not been enough to end the war?
The interim agreement aimed at ending the war between the US and Iran has fallen apart barely three weeks after it was signed. Iran has resumed attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming it has control over the entire waterway and any vessels crossing it must co-ordinate with its forces. The US, seeing this as a breach of the ceasefire agreement signed on June 17, has responded by launching a series of strikes against Iranian military targets. Tehran has been firing drones and missiles towards Gulf neighbours as well as Jordan, saying it is aiming at US military assets in…
E505 · 10 Jul 2026 · 20 min
What’s at stake for foreign powers battling for influence in Syria?
On the sidelines of an eventful Nato summit in Ankara, US President Donald Trump was sitting next to his Syrian counterpart Ahmad Al Shara when he announced his intention to lift Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. The move would bring massive relief for the country as it attempts to rebuild in a post-Assad era. But Mr Al Shara’s presence at the summit also reflects Syria’s increasingly important security role in the region. With Iran’s weakened influence, other powers are seeking to capitalise on the void in Syria and across the border in Lebanon. Mr Trump suggested last…
E504 · 3 Jul 2026 · 24 min
Why are ceasefires not ceasing the fire?
The Middle East has been grappling with one conflict after another, leading to countless rounds of negotiations to end fighting. But even when ceasefires are agreed to, the violence seems to continue, prompting many to question what a ceasefire even means. The US signed two agreements in the span of about 10 days, the first being an understanding with Iran to end the war and the other a trilateral framework with Israel and Lebanon to stop the fighting involving Hezbollah. In the weeks before these agreements, there had already been temporary ceasefires on both fronts. Still, parts of Lebanon…
E503 · 26 Jun 2026 · 18 min
What's driving Iraq’s anti-corruption crackdown?
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi has conducted a bold anti-corruption campaign since taking office in May. One of his first moves was to arrest the deputy oil minister for alleged embezzlement, and to seize millions of dollars in cash as part of the investigation. Iraq’s political institutions have been plagued by allegations of bribery and kickbacks, with oil sector contracts often the targets of corruption investigations. The country has reportedly lost billions of dollars to embezzlement since the American invasion of 2003. The new government has responded to increasing US pressure to…
E502 · 19 Jun 2026 · 22 min
The wins and losses of the Iran war
The US and Iran have signed their framework agreement to end the war. It comes after more than 100 days of fighting, economic and political warfare, and a death toll in the thousands. The two countries will now have only 60 days to negotiate a final peace agreement. During that time, they will each have to consider what they have gained and what they have lost as a result of this conflict. For the US, the glaring question is whether or not this was all worth it for a nuclear agreement that does not appear to have progressed since before the war. For Iran, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz…
E501 · 12 Jun 2026 · 26 min
Are the US and Israel still fighting the same war?
More than 100 days since the US and Israel launched co-ordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, the war that was supposed to eliminate its threat and reshape the region is at a crossroads. Iran's military is still firing. Its proxies are still active. Hezbollah continues to engage Israeli forces on the ground in southern Lebanon. The Houthis have re-entered the equation, threatening to blockade the Red Sea. And the Iranian regime, in a new form, is intact. This week, US President Donald Trump made his position clear in an interview with the Financial Times. He said Israeli Prime Minister…
E500 · 5 Jun 2026 · 23 min
The limits of soft power: America’s war and its World Cup
When the US, Canada and Mexico were selected as joint hosts of the 2026 World Cup, they were supposed to be the “safe choice” for Fifa. Football’s global governing body had been criticised for previous picks. There had been allegations of bribery and corruption. Now, the kick-off of the “safe” tournament is only days away but the Iran conflict is casting a shadow over the US as the main host nation. President Donald Trump and his administration have made conflicting statements about the Iranian football team’s participation, at times saying they are welcome and at other times warning it…
E498 · 29 May 2026 · 21 min
Replay: Who will fill the security vacuum in Gaza?
In its first report to the UN Security Council, the Board of Peace this month said Hamas’s refusal to disarm was the main obstacle to the reconstruction of Gaza. The board's leader, Nickolay Mladenov, also called on Israel to honour its commitments to the ceasefire, after its attacks killed at least 850 Palestinians following the truce announcement in October. He accused both parties of inaction and warned that the deteriorating status quo of a divided Gaza risks becoming permanent. Israel refuses to withdraw until Hamas disarms. But is this a feasible sticking point and what would it mean…
E497 · 22 May 2026 · 19 min
More weapons, less action: What are the Houthis up to?
It took the Houthis at least a month to enter the Iran conflict in late March and early April and the Yemeni rebels have been largely restrained since a Pakistan-brokered truce began last month. But they haven’t exactly been idle either. A new report from Conflict Armament Research (CAR) found the Houthis have been expanding their arsenal, mainly through illicit shipments of what are thought to be more advanced weapons from Iran-linked arms supply networks. At the same time, the group has threatened to launch more attacks if the US and Israel resume their military campaign in Iran, causing…
E496 · 14 May 2026 · 14 min
Where does China stand in US-Iran conflict?
Trade ties and tariff relief were supposed to be the key issues on the agenda during US President Donald Trump's visit to China this week. But with the Iran war unresolved and the Strait of Hormuz still blocked, the conflict is to take precedence. China is a major importer of Iranian oil and analysts say Mr Trump will try to push Beijing to decrease its purchases as a way of increasing pressure on Tehran. China’s relationship with Iran is significant. But Beijing also has important economic partnerships in Gulf states, which Iran has routinely attacked since the conflict began. China has…
E495 · 7 May 2026 · 22 min
Your move: What next in battle for Strait of Hormuz?
US President Donald Trump has said a deal with Iran could be possible as negotiations to end the war gain momentum, again. Iran is reviewing a US proposal, which reportedly sets out limits for Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Crucially, it also addresses the possibility of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The battle in – and for – the strait has become one of the most contentious issues in the war. This week, a US operation called Project Freedom offered a naval escort for merchant vessels through Hormuz, but Iran responded aggressively. Mr Trump then quickly…
E494 · 1 May 2026 · 18 min
Making sense of Palestine’s local elections
Palestinians in Gaza have voted in an election for the first time in 20 years, some for the first time in their lives. Municipal elections took place last week across the West Bank but in only a single neighbourhood in the strip that had been less impacted by Israel’s two-year war. The inclusion of Gaza has been described as a mostly symbolic gesture by the Palestinian Authority to demonstrate there is political unity between the two territories. But the enclave remains in dire shape, with masses living in tents and amid rubble. Global attention has shifted to the Iran war, stalling…
E493 · 24 Apr 2026 · 16 min
Can Iraq shake off the grip of foreign influence?
Iraq is in a race against time to choose a prime minister but, even after weeks of deadlock, the Co-ordination Framework – a coalition of major Iraqi Shiite parties – is still deliberating. The country is stuck in a tug-of-war of foreign influence between Washington and Tehran, as both seek to strengthen their hold over Iraqi politics and security. Now, Iraq's politicians are carefully trying to calculate which candidate would appease both sides. The Iran war has added another burden to Iraq, which became the only country to be attacked by Tehran-backed militias and American warplanes.…
E492 · 17 Apr 2026 · 20 min
Death penalty: The new threat to Palestinian detainees
Hussein Al Zweidi’s two-year detention in Israeli prisons were some of the hardest days of his life. He described a practice of physical and sexual abuse against prisoners, as well as poor conditions and ill-treatment. Even after his release, he suffers from deep emotional scars and severe fatigue, he said. Now, he fears that an Israeli law will deal a bigger blow to the detainees he left behind. The Knesset passed a bill at the end of March that mandates the death penalty exclusively for Palestinians convicted of terrorism in military courts. About 10,000 detainees are in Israeli prisons,…
E491 · 16 Apr 2026 · 23 min
What will come of the talks between Lebanon and Israel?
US-brokered negotiations between Lebanon and Israel began this week in Washington. This comes after at least 1,500 Lebanese have been killed in Israeli strikes since March and more than one million remain displaced. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has continued to launch attacks towards Israel since it entered the Iran war weeks ago. The meeting is the first time the two governments have engaged in high-level talks since 1993 and is expected to set the agenda for future discussions. Lebanese officials want an end to the Israeli strikes and financial support for reconstruction. Israel wants Hezbollah…
E490 · 10 Apr 2026 · 19 min
Theatre of war: How AI videos and propaganda clips manipulated US-Iran conflict
US President Donald Trump went from warning about the demise of a “whole civilisation” to announcing a “big day for world peace” in a matter of hours. It was not the first time he has used his Truth Social platform to make alarming statements during the course of the Iran war. He has used expletives and threats, often through conflicting messages over whether the conflict is escalating or winding down. Provocative language and dramatic effect have played a big role in the media battle, even as a fragile two-week ceasefire comes into effect. But it is not only words. The White House has…
E489 · 9 Apr 2026 · 11 min
EU's Kallas warns of 'slippery slope' if Iran controls Strait of Hormuz
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned on Thursday that Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz could lead down a “slippery slope” of imposing tolls and taxes over international waters, which she described as a “very dangerous development”. In an interview with The National, she pushed back against US President Donald Trump's suggestion of a “joint venture” with Iran to handle transit at the strategic strait and said the blockade had become “everybody's problem”. Iran and the US agreed on Wednesday to a two-week ceasefire after 40 days of war. Negotiations are set to begin in Pakistan…

About Beyond the Headlines

Beyond the Headlines is a English news podcast from The National News. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: The National News
Language: English
Category: News
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 20 min
Latest episode: 9 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1256040890
Rights: The National

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