Former Al Jazeera journalist Jane Dutton on Middle East tensions: ‘You hear two very different stories’

As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East intensify, understanding the region’s layered histories, rivalries, and power dynamics has never been more crucial.

EWN veteran journalist Jane Dutton, who worked for Al Jazeera English and spent more than two decades living and reporting in the region, offers a ground-level perspective. 

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She explained that her time in the Middle East exposed her to the local narrative, which often contrasts with the widely reported Western and Israeli narrative.

“You realise that you hear one side of the story, and then you go to live in the Middle East, and you hear the other side of the story. You get a fantastic aerial view of what is really going down.

“The Israeli narrative is so strong, so well-positioned, and the Palestinian voices are so muted,” she said.

Dutton recounted her experiences during the UAE blockade on Qatar, where she witnessed the impact of the US’s involvement in the region.

“It was a pretty frightening time. We also heard that US troops had amassed in Saudi Arabia and that they were going to invade Qatar. We always knew Al Jazeera would be the first thing taken down. We were nervous.”

She highlighted the irony that the Gulf states, which have hosted US military sites, are now vulnerable to Iranian attacks.

“These sites that the Arabs thought would protect them are exposing them to a real danger. And it is understandable from the Iranian perspective that they would target these bases.

“The question is how many civilians would need to die for Gulf states to rise and take some action. At this stage, they will be relying on the Americans to do that for them,” she said.

Dutton explained that the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei does not necessarily mean the regime has been decapitated.

“Obviously, a lot of people are happy that the supreme leader has gone; he was a repugnant man, and he was a terrible, brutal dictator. But it is so splintered in that country; who do you unify behind? And the USA has also hinted that it might put boots on the ground, which would be an absolute disaster. Look at Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq.”

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To listen to Dutton in conversation with 702’s Bongani Bingwa, use the audio player below: