In this episode of The Focus, Dr. John Bruni speaks with economist Nicolas Michelon on how protectionism and power politics are reshaping global trade.

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Show Notes:

Connect with Nicolas

X: @MichelonNicolas

Asia Power Watch: https://asiapowerwatch.com/

Alagan Partners: https://alaganpartners.com/our-team/nicolas-michelon/

Nicolas’ Recent Publications:

"Navigating Corporate Geopolitics in a World Between Orders” Asia Power Watch, April 14, 2025.

"The Renault-Nissan War and the Future of the Automobile Industry: An Interview with Carlos Ghosn” Asia Power Watch, October 9, 2024.

"The Price of East-West Economic Warfare: Carlos Ghosn and the Fate of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance” Asia Power Watch, July 8, 2023.

"The Death of Multilateralism: Disruptions of the Trump Era” Asia Power Watch, May 21, 2021.

"The Carlos Ghosn Case: Business Warfare, Economic Patriotism and the Fate of Foreign CEOs in Japan” Asia Power Watch, March 8, 2020.

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Is General Joseph Aoun the man to rescue Lebanon’s institutions? Can the Lebanese Armed Forces disarm Hezbollah? Can the Lebanese state recover from years of corruption and poor governance? And what role do external powers—Iran, Israel, Syria, and the Gulf states—play in Lebanon’s fate? Dr. John Bruni speaks with Dr. Imad Harb to unpack the country’s fate under new leadership.

Show Notes:

Connect with Imad:

Arab Center Washington D.C. https://arabcenterdc.org/team/imad-k-harb/

X: @harb3imad

Imad’s Top Publications:

Articles:

The Prickly Issue of Disarming Palestinian Factions in Lebanon

President Trump’s Gulf Trip: Post-Visit Observations

Books:

• The Arab World Beyond Conflict
  Co-editor: Imad Harb and Zeina Azzam
  Published by the Arab Center Washington DC, 2019 newarab.com+11arabcenterdc.org+11chs-doha.org+11
• Trump and the Arab World: A First Year Assessment
  Editor: Imad Harb
  Published by the Arab Center Washington DC, 2017 arabcenterdc.org+5me-policy.org+5arabcenterdc.org+5
• Domestic and Regional Challenges to US–Iran Relations
  Co-authors: Imad Harb and John Bruni
  Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, April 2015 books.google.com+11arabcenterdc.org+11chs-doha.org+11
• Higher Education and the Future of Iraq
  Author: Imad K. Harb
  United States Institute of Peace Special Report No. 195, 2008 globalresilienceconsortium.org+10

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Israel vs. Iran: What Drives Tehran’s Strategy? Dr. Ori Goldberg joins The Focus to decode ideology, deterrence, and the risks of a wider Middle East war.

Show Notes:

X: @ori_goldberg

Bluesky: @origoldberg.bsky.social

Ori’s Top Publications:

Selected Articles (2024)

• “Why Israelis Do and Don’t Want War with Hezbollah” – New Lines Magazine, September 2024
• “Israel’s Attack on Hezbollah’s Communications Network Is Not the Victory It Claims” – New Lines Magazine, September 2024

Faith and Politics in Iran, Israel, and the Islamic State: Theologies of the Real (2017)

Published by Cambridge University Press, this book examines how religious worldviews shape political action across diverse ideological contexts.

Understanding Shiite Leadership: The Art of the Middle Ground in Iran and Lebanon (2014, co-authored with Shaul Mishal)

This work explores how Shi‘ite leaders balance ideological commitments with pragmatic governance in both Iran and Lebanon.

Shi‘i Theology in Iran: The Challenge of Religious Experience (2011)

Published by Routledge, this book investigates the role of religious experience in shaping revolutionary Shi‘i political theology.

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