Regional Rivalries: Navigating the Modern Middle East with Sean Matthews

Host Richard Matthews speaks with journalist Sean Matthews on the risk of a “no war, no peace” standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, as US and Iranian tensions simmer below open conflict. They unpack how Gulf states are navigating the pressure, from Qatar’s cautious diplomacy to the UAE’s exposed trade position and Saudi Arabia’s strategic balancing act, alongside rising regional rivalries, proxy conflicts, and a shifting post-American order.About Sean Matthews Covering a wide swath of the Middle East and southeastern Europe, Sean is a journalist and a correspondent with Middle East Eye covering regional politics and security. He has previously written for The Economist, Al Monitor and Al Jazeera English, reporting across Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Greece. He is also the author of The New Byzantines: The Rise of Greece and Return of the Near East, a bold reappraisal of Greece's place in the wider Middle East, available now from all major retailers: https://amzn.eu/d/0i2n6nMr 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:55 Iran War Stalemate in Hormuz05:21 Gulf States Winners and Losers12:18 Pipelines and Bypassing Hormuz14:42 Saudi-UAE Rift and Yemen Houthis23:35 Sudan Power Struggle24:41 Gulf Rivalry in Sudan27:15 Why Saudis and UAE Clash29:03 Turkey Fills the Vacuum34:04 Greece and the New Byzantines