A series of protests escalated into a full-blown revolution in Iran and became a turning point in the history of the Middle East. On February 11, 1979, the rule of the US-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ended, the Iranian monarchy was overthrown, and the country has since been referred to as the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In the decades since, Iran has become a major player in the region, either through direct involvement in conflicts or through supporting or forging alliances with militant groups in Lebanon, Iraq and other countries.

And to this day, Iran-linked or supported groups remain influential players – in the Israel-Gaza war, for example, helping to widen the conflict to other Arab countries.

In this week’s episode of Beyond the Headlines, on the 45th anniversary of those seismic events, host Nada AlTaher reflects on the 1979 Iranian Revolution, exploring the complex legacy it left, and looking at its influence on today’s geopolitical tensions.

The US has stepped up its involvement in the Middle East conflict with a barrage of strikes against Iran-allied targets in various locations in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

The strikes are in response to a deadly drone attack on American troops at a base in Jordan on January 28.

These attacks have increased the tensions between the US and Iran-backed militias that started in October 2023 when Tehran-linked groups in Iraq launched drone attacks on a US base there. These militias and others like them have been responsible for at least 180 attacks on US targets since October 18.

In this week’s episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the recent US air strikes, the impact of this intervention, and where this is all this heading.

The Israel-Gaza conflict is evolving into a complex web, transcending the borders of the region to the international community. The week started with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s highest court, making a historic ruling, ordering Israel to take all measures to prevent genocide against Gazans and allow vital aid into the Palestinian enclave.

Meanwhile, another UN organisation took a hit, with the largest humanitarian entity operating in Gaza, UNRWA, seeing nine countries either withdrawing or planning on withdrawing their funding. This is expected to affect two million Palestinians who rely on the organisation for assistance.

In this week’s episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at how all these issues tie in together, what each means for the region and the world, and what are their implications.

This week saw the biggest single loss of life for Israel in Gaza since the war began with 24 soldiers killed on January 22 in two separate attacks, bringing its total military deaths to more than 200 since October 7.

Israel has called up about 360,000 reservists and tens of thousands of soldiers have been sent to fight inside Gaza, where more than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in three months.

Israel says that the city of Gaza is now completely encircled, with many Gaza residents now living in tents near the Rafah border.

This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher analyses Israel’s military moves.

Every year, political and business leaders from around the world come together in the quaint ski resort of Davos nestled in the Swiss Alps for dialogue on the pressing global issues, including not just economic challenges, but environmental concerns and political roadmaps.

The 54th edition of the World Economic Forum took place while many countries in the Middle East are grappling with geopolitical tensions, from the Israel and Gaza conflict to Sudan. The annual meeting is also happening while the world is still adapting to the rapid advancements in generative AI.

So, as Davos closes, what happened there this year and - what does it tell us about the direction the world is heading?

In this week’s episode of Beyond The Headlines, host Enas Refaei in Davos dissects the annual event with The National’s Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi and CNN’s Richard Quest.

Experts have long warned the violence in the Gaza Strip could spill over into a wider conflict. And those warnings have become more relevant and real today.

The US and Britain launched overnight strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, these attacks being carried out from the air and sea in response to the Iran-backed militia's attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, affecting commercial shipping.

The mission was a response to the rebel group’s nearly 30 attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea since November.

This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at how the Red Sea has become a battlefield and what impact that has had on global trade.

Gaza has borne the brunt of three months of war between Israel and Hamas.

2024 will be a big year in global politics. A slew of important general elections will be held across the developing world – in India, Pakistan and Indonesia, to name but three.

The global stocktake, or what is now known as the UAE Consensus, is the first-ever climate deal to transition away from fossil fuel - and it has been unanimously approved by almost 200 nations in Dubai. This is significant, as no previous Cop text has mentioned moving away from oil and gas.