About this episode
The episode discusses the evolving geopolitical landscape of West Asia and how American grand strategy must adapt to new realities.
In this episode of Shifting Ground , Nick Gvosdev and Larry Rubin are joined by Mohammed Soliman, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East . Soliman challenges our traditional geopolitical mental maps, arguing that the term “Middle East” no longer explains the realities of today’s integrated political and economic landscape. Instead, he proposes viewing the region from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean as a single, cohesive space: “West Asia”. We dive deep into his thesis on how American grand strategy must adapt to an era where rigid, Cold War-style alliances are giving way to flexible, interest-based “minilateral” coalitions. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe
People in this episode
Hosts: Nick Gvosdev, Larry Rubin
Guest: Mohammed Soliman
Topics covered
- American grand strategy
- West Asia
- geopolitics
- minilateral coalitions
- Middle East
Keywords
- American grand strategy
- West Asia
- geopolitics
- minilateral coalitions
- Middle East
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Middle East Institute
Books & works: West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East
More episodes of Chain Reaction
- Understanding Germany's Defense Strategy · June 3, 2026 · 23 min
- Cyber is War · May 20, 2026 · 45 min
- The Strategy for Affordable Missiles: A Conversation with Ursa Major · May 14, 2026 · 23 min
- The Weaponized Economy · May 5, 2026 · 46 min
- Geopolitical Cycles and the Fragility of the Global Operating System · April 16, 2026 · 36 min
- A Blueprint for Deterrence with Adm. Rob Bauer and Eleonora Russell · April 8, 2026 · 48 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Chain Reaction podcast page.