Civil war has returned to Yemen.

The ceasefire of 2022 is over and open warfare has returned to the country. The Iran-backed Houthis have ceased large areas of the western coast and are encircling the city of Taiz. The Saudi-backed government has now launched its counteroffensive, but can they defeat the Houthis?

This week on The New Arab Voice podcast, we explore the recent clashes between the Houthis in Yemen and Saudi Arabia and what impact the war will have on the country. Can either side win on the battlefield? What effect are the Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia having? And will the two sides be willing to negoiate?

Joining us to explain what the Houthi are doing and why, we speak with Maysaa Shujaa al-Deen (@maysaashujaa), senior researcher at the Sanaa Centre (@SanaaCenter).

And to tell us the story of Saudi thinking and calculations we speak with Allison Minor (@AllisonMinor_) senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (@CSISMidEast) and the former U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Yemen.

This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).

Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com

For months now, Iran has been pounded by American and Israeli missiles and bombs. Much of the leadership has been eliminated, including the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

After a short period of calm, when it was hoped that diplomacy would prevail, it appears as though war has returned for the time being.

Much focus has been given to what the US and Israel are thinking, and how the Gulf states are coping with Iranian attacks on cities, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

But what's happening inside Iran.

What’s the damage to the country? What does the leadership want from the conflict? How are the Iranian people viewing the regime, and does it have a future?

To help us unpick Iran, we spoke with Alex Vatanka, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, who specialises in Iran.

This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).

Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com

Iraq's new Prime Minster Ali al-Zaidi took his first foreign visit to the US, followed shortly after with a trip to Tehran.

A political outsider and a surprise winner of the race to be prime minster, Ali al-Zaidi has a considerable inbox. And at the top is how to guide the country through the ongoing war between Iran and the US, its two closest allies.

On top of this, al-Zaidi has launched a crackdown on corruption and his seeking to disarm the myriad of armed groups in the country.

This week, we look at the new prime minster and how he came to office, his personal crusades, and the challenges he will face during this time of war.

Joining us is Lahib Higel (@LahibHigel), Deputy Program Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group (@CrisisGroup); and Renad Mansour (@renadmansour), Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House (@ChathamHouse), and the Director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House.

This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).

Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com