from WNYC studios. I'm Brian Lerer. This is my daily politics podcast. It's Monday, January 22nd.

It's not just Hamas versus Israel and Israel versus Hamas. The United States is increasingly at war right now in the Middle

East. A headline from yesterday's Washington Post, as Houthis vow to fight on, U.S. prepares for

sustained campaign. Officials say they don't expect operations in Yemen to last years, but they

acknowledge it's unclear when the group's

military capability will be sufficiently eroded, Washington Post. New York Times headline yesterday,

widening mid-east crisis. U.S. troops in Iraq injured in attack linked to Iran-backed militias.

Headline from the economist yesterday, America and Iran step closer to the brink of war.

Titt for tat strikes and assassinations turned the ratchet.

So we're going to tap the knowledge and wisdom now of one of the most knowledgeable and experienced

journalists there is about the Middle

East. It's New Yorker magazine columnist Robin Wright, also a distinguished fellow at the Woodrow Wilson

International Center for Scholars, and author of books including The Last Great Revolution,

Turmoil and Transformation in Iran, Dreams and Shadows, The Future of the Middle East, and Rock the Kasbah, Rage and Re in Iran, dreams and shadows, the future of the Middle East,

and Rock the Kasbah, Rage and Rebellion across the Islamic World.

Robin's new article in The New Yorker is called How Ten Middle East Conflicts

are converging into One Big War.

Robin's scary title, but also good to have you on the show

to help explain the big picture right now. Welcome back to WNYC. It's always good to be with you, Brian.

Let's start with the U.S. and the Houthis from Yemen and spend a little time on this. Would you

background us a little first on the Houthis? I think

many listeners have been hearing that they're attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, but they

...