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Beyond the Headlines

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 the Headlines by bringing together the voices of experts and those living the news to provide a clearer picture of the region’s shifting political and social landscape.

Escalation or diplomacy: Where does the war go from here?

24 mins; April 02, 2026

How much longer can Israel sustain the war it started?

23 mins; March 26, 2026

What is the end goal of Israel’s new war in Lebanon?

21 mins; March 18, 2026

Who will endure the highest cost of the Iran war?

21 mins; March 12, 2026

What happens if Iranian Kurdish groups enter the conflict?

18 mins; March 06, 2026

How far will the conflict expand across the Middle East?

5 mins; March 05, 2026

What’s the goal of America's war on Iran?

6 mins; March 04, 2026

How much longer could the Iran conflict last?

6 mins; March 03, 2026

Where does an isolated Iran go from here?

22 mins; March 02, 2026

What will happen to the thousands formerly held in Syria’s Al Hol camp?

17 mins; February 27, 2026

What does the US want from a deal with Iran?

18 mins; February 19, 2026

Will there be a 'red line' for Israel's annexation of the West Bank?

24 mins; February 12, 2026

Is it time for serious reform of the UN and humanitarian law?

22 mins; February 05, 2026

How Jared Kushner’s plan for Gaza could affect Palestinians

25 mins; January 29, 2026

What happens next after Syrian army offensive against the SDF?

15 mins; January 22, 2026

What options does Iran have as pressure builds at home and abroad?

24 mins; January 15, 2026

Why US action in Venezuela is causing so much anxiety in Middle East

22 mins; January 08, 2026

How serious is the ISIS threat in Syria?

20 mins; January 01, 2026

The year in impact: Our episodes that resonated the most in 2025

28 mins; December 25, 2025

How Yemen’s power balance is shifting again

15 mins; December 18, 2025

What’s stalling phase two of the Gaza ceasefire?

20 mins; December 11, 2025

One year since Assad’s fall: Where is Syria today?

33 mins; December 04, 2025

Is US pressure finally forcing Israel to address settler violence?

16 mins; November 27, 2025

How Israel is obstructing reconstruction in Lebanon

21 mins; November 20, 2025

What will it take to end the civil war in Sudan?

19 mins; November 11, 2025

Why voters are snubbing Iraq’s election

22 mins; November 06, 2025

Superpower rivalry and geopolitics in Trump 2.0

38 mins; November 03, 2025

What’s happening behind Israel’s yellow line in Gaza?

20 mins; October 31, 2025

Can mediation cut through conflict in the Middle East?

31 mins; October 29, 2025

Violence, gunfire and annexation: Palestinian olive farmers under attack

22 mins; October 23, 2025

Who will fill the security vacuum in Gaza?

19 mins; October 16, 2025

What we know so far about the Gaza ceasefire breakthrough

10 mins; October 09, 2025

Stolen moments: Two years of war in Gaza

20 mins; October 06, 2025

Reading between the lines of Trump’s Gaza plan

22 mins; October 02, 2025

Vote for Beyond the Headlines in the Signal Awards

30 secs; October 02, 2025

The question of Palestine: Is recognition the answer?

23 mins; September 23, 2025

Can the Global Sumud Flotilla really break the siege of Gaza?

20 mins; September 18, 2025

What does Israel’s strike on Doha mean for the Gulf?

23 mins; September 11, 2025

What next after Israel’s strike on Hamas in Doha?

9 mins; September 10, 2025

What will happen to the Houthis after Israel’s assassination strike?

19 mins; September 04, 2025

What guarantees does Lebanon have after Hezbollah disarms?

20 mins; August 28, 2025

Why Ehud Olmert wants an end to Israel’s war in Gaza

16 mins; August 27, 2025

The compounded suffering caused by Gaza’s ‘manufactured’ cash crisis

18 mins; August 21, 2025

What's changed in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover?

23 mins; August 14, 2025

Why has Israel decided to reoccupy Gaza - and at what cost?

26 mins; August 08, 2025

More states say they will ‘recognise’ Palestine, but what does this mean?

16 mins; August 01, 2025

Why is justice so delayed in Beirut port explosion?

17 mins; July 31, 2025

The Blast Episode 1: The Russian and the Rhosus (Re-run)

28 mins; July 27, 2025

The Blast Episode 3: Zero hour (Re-run)

27 mins; July 27, 2025

The Blast Episode 2: The six-year wait (Re-run)

31 mins; July 27, 2025

The Blast Episode 4: Fallout (Re-run)

37 mins; July 27, 2025

The enduring consequences of mass starvation in Gaza

23 mins; July 24, 2025

Is Israel exploiting distrust between Syria’s Druze and Damascus?

21 mins; July 17, 2025

What is the cost of ending the war in Gaza?

23 mins; July 10, 2025

Does the easing of US sanctions on Syria come with strings attached?

21 mins; July 03, 2025

How did Israel and Iran go from strategic allies to bitter enemies?

27 mins; June 26, 2025

What happens to the Middle East if Tehran falls?

24 mins; June 19, 2025

Iran and Israel: What's next?

22 mins; June 17, 2025

Who are the Abu Shabab armed militia that Israel is backing in Gaza?

22 mins; June 12, 2025

Will Europe’s shift on Israel’s war in Gaza change anything?

20 mins; June 05, 2025

Can Israel be trusted to distribute aid in Gaza?

24 mins; May 29, 2025

Sanctions are easing but can Syria hold together?

26 mins; May 22, 2025

Will Middle East tension ease as a result of Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf?

21 mins; May 16, 2025

What’s at risk under Israel’s planned Gaza offensive?

22 mins; May 08, 2025

Trump’s first 100 days: What ‘America first’ means for the Middle East

22 mins; May 01, 2025

Why Christians in occupied Palestine may be at risk of disappearing

21 mins; April 24, 2025

Why legal action against alleged Israeli war crimes is so slow

29 mins; April 17, 2025

Lebanon’s civil war: The feud that never ended

38 mins; April 10, 2025

Deal or war: What’s next for Iran’s nuclear programme?

20 mins; April 03, 2025

Where is Israel's renewed war on Gaza heading?

23 mins; March 27, 2025

Is there still hope for Gaza’s shattered ceasefire?

16 mins; March 20, 2025

Are UK crackdowns deterring Iraqi Kurdish smugglers?

24 mins; March 13, 2025

What challenges stand in the way of the Arab plan for Gaza?

24 mins; March 06, 2025

How serious is the threat of annexation of the West Bank?

23 mins; February 27, 2025

Can Egypt’s proposal for the reconstruction of Gaza succeed?

18 mins; February 20, 2025

How Rafic Hariri’s assassination shaped the next 20 years in Lebanon

20 mins; February 13, 2025

Can Trump really force Palestinians out of Gaza?

21 mins; February 06, 2025

The gravity of Israel’s ban on UNRWA

19 mins; January 30, 2025

Why is Israel raiding Jenin after the ceasefire in Gaza?

20 mins; January 23, 2025

What will happen in the Middle East under president-elect Trump?

23 mins; January 19, 2025

Will the fighting really end in Gaza?

23 mins; January 17, 2025

Can HTS deliver for Syria?

22 mins; January 09, 2025

Why is the Palestinian Authority cracking down on Jenin?

29 mins; January 02, 2025

After a year of conflict, could 2025 be the year of resolution in the Middle East?

22 mins; December 26, 2024

Palestine and pressure on campus: Academics say they are disciplined for anti-war speech

14 mins; December 19, 2024

What is next for Syria and the region after Assad?

26 mins; December 13, 2024

How will the power balance in Syria shift?

21 mins; December 05, 2024

Will the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah stick?

23 mins; November 28, 2024

The lingering impact of mass displacement in Lebanon

24 mins; November 21, 2024

What will Donald Trump’s presidency change for Palestinians?

20 mins; November 15, 2024

What do Arab states think of Israel striking Iran?

20 mins; November 07, 2024

Israel’s ban on UNRWA: How drastic will the effects be?

17 mins; October 31, 2024

Why, after Yahya Sinwar’s death, is Israel bombarding northern Gaza?

21 mins; October 24, 2024

Can the US draw a firm red line for Israel’s military conduct?

29 mins; October 18, 2024

Will Israel strike Iran – and if so, how and when?

19 mins; October 10, 2024

Beyond October 7: Ep 3 - Two states, too late?

32 mins; October 05, 2024

Beyond October 7: Ep 2 - 'Gaza is no more'

44 mins; October 04, 2024

Beyond October 7: Ep 1 - 'Do you condemn Hamas?'

32 mins; October 03, 2024

How can anyone feel safe in Lebanon after the deadly pager attacks?

15 mins; September 19, 2024

What is left after decade of conflict in Yemen?

15 mins; September 12, 2024

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Beyond the Headlines

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