{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Venezuela\u2019s Shadow Over MENA: Perceptions and Precedents","description":"MEI Vice President for Policy Ken Pollack joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to explore what the precedent set by the Trump administration\u2019s military capture of Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro could mean for US policy in the Middle East \u2014 particularly in light of ongoing anti-regime protests in Iran. The conversation unpacks the reverberations of Operation Absolute Resolve, Washington\u2019s options for and potential consequences of responding to the Iranian regime\u2019s&amp;nbsp;brutal crackdown, regional perceptions of recent US actions and stated objectives, and broader questions around the direction of the Trump administration\u2019s evolving grand strategy.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Recorded on January 14, 2026. ","author_name":"Middle East Focus","author_url":"http:\/\/www.mei.edu","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/39748600\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/197533680"}