Conflicts of Interest

What happens when strikes, assassinations, and internal unrest collide inside one of the Middle East's most powerful states?

In this emergency episode of Conflicts of Interest, Professor Clionadh Raleigh and ACLED Media Relations Manager Bron Mills break down the rapidly escalating crisis in Iran — from US and Israeli strikes on military infrastructure and senior leadership, to instability rippling into Iraq and Kurdish regions.

As insurgent groups seize new opportunities and regional tensions deepen, Iran is also contending with a crisis within: economic hardship, political repression, and a frustrated public pushing from below.

What role will militias play? How are global actors responding? And what does the next phase look like?

Tune in to understand the forces behind one of the most consequential crises in the Middle East today.
#Iran #MiddleEast #ConflictAnalysis #ACLED #ConflictsOfInterest
For more conversations like this, subscribe to Conflicts of Interest and watch full episodes on YouTube.
For more conversations like this, subscribe to Conflicts of Interest and watch the full episode on YouTube.
Conflicts of Interest: https://www.youtube.com/@ConflictsOfInterestACLED

What happens when the killing of Iran’s supreme leader sends shockwaves across an already volatile region?
In this emergency episode of Conflicts of Interest, Professor Clionadh Raleigh is joined by ACLED Media Relations Manager Bron Mills to unpack the explosive developments in Iran and the wider Middle East following this weekend’s strikes.
What do leadership decapitation, regional retaliation, and rising tensions mean for the trajectory of conflict — and how far could the fallout spread?
Tune in to today’s emergency episode to find out.
#Iran #MiddleEast #IranCrisis #ConflictAnalysis #ACLED

For more conversations like this, subscribe to Conflicts of Interest and watch the full episode on YouTube.
Conflicts of Interest: https://www.youtube.com/@ConflictsOfInterestACLED

What happens when the death of a cartel leader reshapes violence across an entire country?
In this special episode of Conflicts of Interest, Professor Clionadh Raleigh and Dr Caitriona Dowd are joined by ACLED Senior analyst for Latin America, Sandra Pellegrini to unpack the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes — “El Mencho” — and the power vacuum already fuelling violence in Mexico.
What comes next for cartel control, security forces, and Mexico’s wider conflict landscape?
Watch tomorrow’s emergency episode to find out.
#Mexico #CartelViolence #ElMencho #ConflictAnalysis #ACLED #ConflictsOfInterest
For more conversations like this, subscribe to Conflicts of Interest and watch the full episode on YouTube.
Conflicts of Interest: https://www.youtube.com/@ConflictsOfInterestACLED

Ukraine: Frozen frontlines. Frozen homes.
Four years into the war, territorial change is minimal, but renewed strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left civilians freezing. Ranked the deadliest country in the world by ACLED’s Conflict Index, the conflict is increasingly shaped by drones and attacks far from the battlefield.
Clionadh Raleigh and Dr Caitriona Dowd break down what people still don’t understand about Ukraine today.
#UkraineWar #RussiaUkraineWar #Ukraine4YearsOn
For more conversations like this, subscribe to Conflicts of Interest and watch the full episode on YouTube.
Conflicts of Interest: https://www.youtube.com/@ConflictsOfInterestACLED

What happens when Gulf rivalries travel far beyond the Middle East — and into Africa’s most fragile regions?
In this episode of Conflicts of Interest, Professor Clionadh Raleigh and Dr Caitriona Dowd unpack how Saudi Arabia and the UAE are shaping conflicts across the Horn of Africa, from Yemen to Sudan, often through non-state actors, proxy forces, and economic leverage.
The conversation explores why Saudi Arabia is frequently framed as a stabilising power, how the UAE’s interventions have contributed to instability, and why civilians continue to bear the greatest cost. Together, they examine the blurred lines between state and non-state actors, the role of external powers, and what these dynamics mean for humanitarian crises, regional stability, and the future of conflict in Africa.
This episode goes beyond headlines to explain how Gulf power politics are reshaping wars — and why the consequences are long-term and deeply human.
#GulfMonarchies #HornOfAfrica #SaudiArabia #UAE #ProxyConflicts #HumanitarianCrisis #NonStateActors #Geopolitics #RegionalStability #EconomicInterests
For more conversations like this, subscribe to Conflicts of Interest and watch the full episode on YouTube.
Conflicts of Interest: https://www.youtube.com/@ConflictsOfInterestACLED