"This regime is not Persian. This regime is an invasive species..." says Emad Shargi, a former American hostage held in Iran. "Since the inception of the 1979 revolution, this regime has done everything to demean and belittle Persian culture."
Listen to the latest episode of Taking the Edge Off:
The missing factor in Trump's Middle East equation is a big one:
The Palestinians.
My latest analysis in Al Majalla
How Donald Trump leads like the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat:
Rob Malley shares how his co-author Hussein Agha saw similarities in the erratic improv styles of both.
Latest episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East"
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Imagine living in a world where a trove of files is released depicting powerful political & economic figures doing things to lift up & empower the least fortunate people & advancing the common good.
Tune in to the latest episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East" where Theodore Kattouf reflects on how his Palestinian-American background shaped his diplomatic career and worldview.
Ted also discusses the difficult loss of his son Paul who was tragically murdered last year.
While there is great potential for the two countries to elevate their relationship across many key issues, much work remains to fill in the details of the proposed frameworks.
My latest analysis for Al Majalla
It was a pleasure hosting Faisal J. Abbas on my podcast!
We discussed his impressions of MBS's visit to Washington and the opportunities it presents for US-Saudi relations, the Kingdom's transformation over the past decade, and its relationships with key partners.
www.mei.edu/multimedia/p...
Intissar Fakir and I had a great time hosting a class from the University of North Florida, taught by my friend and former co-author Amb. Nancy Soderberg, at the Middle East Institute yesterday!
Richard Fontaine and I discuss Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's November 2025 visit to Washington, Saudi Arabia's emergence as a key "swing state," and what this means for the US-Saudi relationship.
Watch the full podcast episode here: www.mei.edu/multimedia/p...
What to expect when President #Trump meets #Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week?
Richard Fontaine of CNAS & I talk about Saudi Arabia's role as a key "swing state" in geopolitics on the latest episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East"
www.mei.edu/multimedia/p...
The US-Saudi bilateral relationship has become a cornerstone of Trump's overall Middle East policy, which is why we can expect continued steps to deepen those ties.
My latest piece for Al Majalla
Come one, come all!
Looking forward to hosting Taking the Edge Off's first live podcast recording with Hisham Melhem next week at our alma mater, Villanova University!
If Trump can't do his basic job of keeping the US government open & bridge gaps between Republicans and Democrats - it's hard to see him bridging divides between Israelis, Palestinians, Saudis, & Iranians.
My latest take on US policy for Middle East Institute
Looking forward to joining the Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council this coming Thursday, November 6, to discuss Trump 2.0's foreign policy approach 10 months in, based on my latest report card, which you can read here: lnkd.in/eY3JauVc
Event details are in the link below!
On the latest episode of my podcast, Mara Rudman shares lessons learned from her time serving in the Obama and Clinton administrations and what it means for future U.S. engagement abroad, with anecdotes of her time working with world leaders and U.S. policymakers.
Tune in: lnkd.in/e7_zUfk6
My reflections on a recent visit to Lebanon and Syria in @foreignpolicy.com
Those poor little kids...
Trump's Middle East policy at the 9-month mark: Grades for the quarter are in!
My latest assessment on how Trump 2.0 is handling the region overall.
Read the full report here: www.mei.edu/publications...
Coming soon!
Quarterly grades in my report card on how Trump 2.0 is handling U.S. Middle East policy at the 9-month mark.
I give a preview to Alistair Taylor & Matthew Czekaj on the Middle East Institute's podcast Middle East Focus.
Tune in here:
mei.edu/multimedia/p...
It's great to be back in Louisville!
Thanks to Bill Burton with @lpm.org for having me on the program to talk about some of the things we'll be discussing with @drfarley.bsky.social in a program by World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana this evening.
www.lpm.org/news/2025-10...
How Marvin Weinbaum's personal conviction & intellectual curiosity have shaped his life’s work spanning 5 decades of impacting policy debates on #Afghanistan, #Pakistan, #Iran, #Egypt & beyond
Latest episode of #EdgeofftheMiddleEast
The episode is out on all platforms: www.mei.edu/multimedia/p...
True leadership in America and Israel would look beyond the management of the current crisis to define and pursue a clearer, more positive outcome through diplomacy, rather than more conflict and war.
My latest analysis of Trump 2.0's performance on the Israeli-Palestinian front
Trump's foreign policy at a temporary & fragile limbo in the Middle East
My latest weekly analysis on U.S. foreign policy for
Middle East Institute:
Thanks to Stephanie Turco Williams for coming on "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East."
We discussed her new book, Libya Since Qaddafi: Chaos and the Search for Peace and also talked about her decades of experience as a senior diplomat with the U.S. Department of State and United Nations.
From Tehran to Gaza - former Israeli national security advisor Eyal Hulata of Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) joins me on "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East" podcast Middle East Institute:
My assessment of the U.S. strikes on Iran for my weekly column, "Making Sense," with Middle East Institute:
Check out my last podcast episode with Ambassador Dina Kawar, Jordan’s Ambassador to the United States.
This one was a special episode for me - the ambassador is a friend, and I have a personal connection to Jordan, where I lived and studied on a Fulbright scholarship from 1994 to 1995.
America: trouble ahead, trouble behind
My latest weekly take on U.S. foreign policy, with a heavier dose on what's happening at home this week:
Check out the latest episode of my podcast with Fahad Nazer!
We discuss the evolving US-Saudi relationship amid unprecedented regional volatility, the deepening crisis in Gaza, and broader international engagement to address the humanitarian catastrophe and prevent further regional escalation.
Back in Black by AC/DC at Princeton reunion fireworks
