Where Crises Converge: Russia's Role in the Middle East

Max Bergmann is joined by Hanna Notte and Natasha Hall to map the escalation risks, assess Russia's shifting military and diplomatic footprint in Syria under the new government of Ahmed al-Sharaa, and parse what a surprise CIA visit to Moscow reveals about where this global realignment is heading. Along the way, they examine Ukrainian strikes on Iranian vessels, allegations that Moscow is feeding Tehran intelligence on U.S. positions, and what a deepening Russia-Iran economic partnership means for the wider region. 

Guests: 

• Hanna Notte | director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies; senior associate (non-resident), Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program, CSIS 

• Natasha Hall | senior advocate for the Middle East, Refugees International; Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Program, Chatham House; senior associate (non-resident), Middle East Program, CSIS 
   

Mentioned: 

• Resilience Through Linkage: Russia, Iran, and Aspirations for North–South Trade – CSIS Report by Maria Snegovaya, Tina Dolbaia, and Nicholas Fenton 
   

• We Shall Outlast Them: Putin's Global Campaign to Defeat the West – Book by Hanna Notte 
   

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