Shayan Talabany
Shayan is a geopolitical expert and senior analyst and advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI). She specialises in regional politics, security and conflict analysis in the Middle East, including the national security and defence policies of Middle Eastern states, and the role of non-state and external actors in the Middle East. Much of her work has focused on Iraq and Syria.
Shayan formerly worked in Parliament, and for the Conservative Middle East Council where she headed the Levant and Gulf Programmes, advising MPs, Ministers, and special committees.
She holds degrees from SOAS University of London and the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is also an Aspen Institute UK faculty member.
The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change is actively engaged in shaping governance and policy across the Middle East and beyond. Its Think Again report on the modernisation of the region challenges stereotypes and highlights social change, while its New Middle East Polling provides fresh insights into public attitudes and aspirations. TBI is also at the forefront of harnessing technology for better governance, with its Governing in the Age of AI and Reimagining Local Government with AI initiatives, as well as research on Augmenting Intelligence and the Future of Work. To support this agenda, TBI has expanded its AI governance team, advising governments in over 40 countries. In addition, insights such as How Not to Lose Friends and Influence in the Middle East examine shifting regional perceptions of global powers.
Click ‘Listen’ below to hear Shayan Talabany and Dominic Bowen unpack shifting U.S. strategies in the Middle East — from Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon’s political challenges to how Gaza is reshaping regional leadership, public opinion, and economic opportunity, and ‘Read’ to find out more on regional shifts and risks in the Middle East.
