US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a whistle stop tour of the Middle East earlier this week, as part of a frantic diplomatic effort to de-escalate the Israel-Gaza crisis. His visit comes as China calls for a ceasefire in a bid to position itself as the neutral arbiter in the region. US politicians have labelled Russia, China and Iran as the ‘axis of evil’ - so should the West be worried? And how have the wars in Ukraine and Gaza deepened those relationships? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Ahmed Aboudouh, Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House. Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: CGTN, PBS Newshour, The Times, France 24, United Nations, C-SPAN, Sky News, BBC News, NBC News, The Telegraph, Fox News.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.