The MENA Mix: Regional Recap is a monthly video podcast, produced by the Institute for Middle East Options (IMEO). Each episode features rotating experts who unpack and analyze key news stories shaping the Middle East and North Africa.
Our March episode brought together Hayder Al Shakeri (Chatham House Research Fellow) and Younes Zangiabadi (Institute for Peace and Diplomacy Executive Director). They explored the Islamic Republic of Iran's strategy in the war, regional dynamics in Iraq and Lebanon, Gulf developments including the Houthis, the role of global powers, and the implications of the Strait of Hormuz for the war’s global impact.
Hayder Al Shakeri is a research fellow at Chatham House, where he focuses on political economy, contentious politics, youth, and social movements in Iraq and beyond. Previously, he worked with a Geneva-based NGO on a cooperation program between Arab countries, and also with the UN, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and other entities in Iraq and the broader MENA. Mr. Al Shakeri has worked with the Iraqi government, international and local NGOs, journalists, and independent activists on various projects across the MENA related to youth participation, civic engagement, and political economy. He comments regularly on Iraqi affairs, and his work is published and quoted on various platforms such as Chatham House, CNN, the Guardian, BBC, ISPI, and Al-Jazeera.
Younes Zangiabadi is the co-founder and executive director of the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy (IPD), where he plays a leadership role in shaping the organization's mission, vision, and development strategy. He also directs the Middle East program and oversees a team of researchers conducting policy research on strategic challenges facing the MENA region and beyond. In addition to convening multi-track dialogues and high-level government briefings, Mr. Zangiabadi is also the lead organizer of IPD’s flagship Annual Middle East Strategy Forum, Canada’s largest international conference on Middle East security and geopolitics.
