
About this episode
Aimen discusses the complexities of US-Iran relations and the role of various Middle Eastern countries in the ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Aimen returns to bring us up to date on all the latest manoeuvrings in the Middle East. Aimen and Thomas discuss: Trump’s chaotic, micromanaged Iran diplomacy and reliance on inexperienced “real estate” advisers. Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, Turkey, and Egypt as flawed or compromised mediators with “skin in the game.” Why Aimen thinks Switzerland would be the proper neutral US–Iran mediator. Oman’s tilt toward Iran amid assumptions of American decline and future Iranian regional weight. The UAE–Saudi split over Iran: Emirati hawkishness versus Saudi caution and strategic bruising. Saudi resentment over Yemen, Houthi attacks, Israel’s freer hand, and lack of US security guarantees. Israel, Hezbollah, Lebanon, and Iran: efforts to decouple the Lebanon front from the US–Iran track Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ Find us on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
People in this episode
Host: Thomas
Guest: Aimen
Topics covered
- Middle East diplomacy
- US foreign policy
- Iran relations
- Regional mediators
- Saudi-UAE relations
- Israel and Hezbollah
Keywords
- Trump
- Iran diplomacy
- Middle East
- Saudi Arabia
- UAE
- Oman
- Israel
- Hezbollah
- Houthi
- diplomacy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Switzerland, UAE, Saudi, Iran, Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, Turkey, Egypt, Hezbollah
Places: Middle East, Lebanon
More episodes of CONFLICTED
- Israel’s Road to Endless War · June 11, 2026 · 1h 19m
- The West Bank Is Reaching Breaking Point · June 4, 2026 · 1h 6m
- My Road to Conflicted (with Jake Warren) · June 2, 2026 · 1h 3m
- Jeremy Hunt: Democracy’s Defeat Is Not Inevitable · May 28, 2026 · 1h 12m
- The Madman Theory from Nixon to Trump · May 21, 2026 · 1h 14m
- The UAE’s OPEC Withdrawal & Trump’s Wartime Dilemma · May 20, 2026 · 1h 9m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the CONFLICTED podcast page.