Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979 was a shock to the Middle East, with the Gulf states aligning with the US, and Iran cultivating a “Shia Crescent” in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Dina Esfandiary joins ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El to guide us through the historical and geographic complexities of Iranian-American hostilities.
Following the release of Gisèle Pelicot’s memoir and the revelations in the Epstein files still coming to light, we are reminded of a common theme: women remain the ultimate objects. Whilst most people feel deep outrage at these misogynistic crimes, they are often hard to talk about. In this episode of the Women Leaders Podcast, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El is joined by journalists Katrin Bennhold of the New York Times and Elisa Braun of Euractiv, to discuss how these stories are reported and how journalism shapes the public understanding of sexual violence.
Iran is at a boiling point. In January, mass protests broke out across the country, and many thousands of people were wounded and killed. Meanwhile, the US has moved an aircraft carrier and a number of destroyers close to Iran in a military threat which remains unclear in its aims. To untangle these and many other threads, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El welcomes back Iran specialist Roxane Farmanfarmaian, her co-Senior Associate Fellow at the ELN, for a deep and fascinating examination of Iran at a crossroads.
The second Trump administration has strained democracy, alliances, and the postwar order. Allies feel abandoned, betrayed, and disrespected, and the US retreat from the Global South has allowed Russian and Chinese influence to grow in its place. Europe confronts a painful reckoning, questioning trust, values, and its future role in an era of accelerating geopolitical change. To break this down, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El is joined by Almut Möller, Director for European and Global Affairs at the European Policy Centre (EPC), and former senior Danish diplomat Signe Biering.
2026 started with President Trump’s astonishing show of force in Venezuela, culminating in the seizure of President Maduro to face drug charges in the US. Whilst Venezuela’s future may be unclear, one thing that is now more than apparent is President Trump’s willingness to use might and ignore norms and laws to advance what he views as America’s foreign policy interests. To understand this better, Rachel Ellehuus, Director General of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), joins ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El.
There is a common tendency to view and discuss Africa in terms of the problems affecting the continent. More recently, the West has also started to look anxiously on as China and Russia build influence with African leaders. However, Africa is a continent as vast as it is diverse, with the economic potential to match. To understand both the issues affecting Africa and its future potential, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El is joined by Amaka Anku, Head of Africa Practice at the Eurasia Group.