The Modern Middle East Explained

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 01:17:46 +0000

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I’ve been reporting on the Middle East for almost a decade now. This compilation is my attempt to pull all those threads together—the maps, the borders, and the persistent role the U.S. has played in shaping the region’s history. It also features my visit to Saudi Arabia, where I got rare access to the indigenous communities preserving traditional life in the shadow of a new mega-city.

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-- VIDEO CHAPTERS --
0:00 How The U.S. Stole the Middle East
22:28 The Iran-Iraq War, Mapped
42:01 How to Sell a War to the American People
59:50 Why This Country Was Erased From History
1:14:32 How Benjamin Netanyahu Relies on Hamas
1:36:45 The Rise of Hezbollah, Mapped
1:48:35 The War in Yemen, Mapped
2:08:05 The most important country you’ve never heard about, Mapped
2:31:48 Why Saudi Arabia is Building a $1 Trillion City in the Desert

About:
Johnny Harris is an Emmy-winning independent journalist and contributor to the New York Times. Based in Washington, DC, Harris reports on interesting trends and stories domestically and around the globe, publishing to his audience of over 5 million on Youtube. Harris produced and hosted the twice Emmy-nominated series Borders for Vox Media. His visual style blends motion graphics with cinematic videography to create content that explains complex issues in relatable ways.

- press -
NYTimes: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/1....1/09/opinion/democra
NYTimes: https://www.nytimes.com/video/....opinion/100000007358
Vox Borders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLrFyjGZ9NU
NPR Planet Money: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1072164745

- where to find me -
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnny.harris/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnny.harris
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnnyHarrisVox