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

Iran may be the most important test of Trump 2.0's foreign policy template:

My latest "Making Sense" weekly take on U.S. foreign policy with the Middle East Institute -

Remember the Mideast peace process, then one when Palestinians & Israelis actually talked with each other? Tune in to the latest episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East" podcast, where my guest is Frank Lowenstein, a former U.S. peace envoy in the Obama admin. www.mei.edu/multimedia/p...

The wannabe emperor Trump has no clothes. And none of the bobble heads on his team of “yes” men will tell him, ⁦@crampell.bsky.social ⁩ (And yes, nearly all of them are men) www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Orwellian & ironic: Trump team presents an effort to politicize U.S. intelligence as an effort to combat intel politicization & weaponization www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

“MAGA Jesus” would be an awesome Todd Phillips movie starring Sasha Baron Cohen www.instagram.com/reel/DG8fra2...

My latest analysis on Trump 2.0 for the Middle East Institute:

Episode 9 of Taking the Edge Off the Middle East, featuring Ambassador Daniel B. Shapiro, is available now on all podcast platforms:

My latest analysis for the Middle East Institute: "President Donald Trump’s administration dialed up its use of military power in the Middle East this past week just as it took more steps to dismantle American institutions central to advancing peace and stability through diplomacy."

Trump's foreign policy improv act: If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there. My latest weekly analysis on U.S. foreign policy for the Middle East Institute www.mei.edu/publications...

The first phase of a three-phase cease-fire deal is set to begin on January 19. This historic agreement took more than a year to reach and facilitating the full implementation will be difficult. Three key steps ahead in implementation: www.mei.edu/publications...

A key marker of expertise on a topic: when the speaker uses the phrase “and whatnot” in the explication.

President Biden will deliver a final speech on his foreign policy on Monday, January 13th. My assessment of how the Middle East was handled, the 4th in a series of reports by the Middle East Institute in 2023-2024, including a report card with grades. www.mei.edu/publications...

What will Trump’s second administration face in the Middle East in 2025, compared to what he left in 2021? www.mei.edu/blog/four-ye...

New limits on all things global aren’t going away anytime soon www.liberalpatriot.com/p/why-the-ga...

1 - India & China vie for influence in the Maldives: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...

Israel vs. the Houthis theworld.org/segments/202...

That was then, this is now. The Middle East in 2025 looks nothing like the Middle East in 2021 when Donald Trump left office. Check out this @MiddleEastInst analysis by several scholars examining what's different. My take on US policy/politics: www.mei.edu/blog/four-ye...

U.S. administrations & the bloated think tank-media Middle East policy commentary industrial complex often overstate how much credit or blame America should get for events in the region. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

What's next in Syria? Join this Middle East Institute webinar Dec 12 at 9:30AM ET Sign up here: www.mei.edu/events/fall-...

A warm welcome to Amb. Stuart E. Jones as next president & CEO of the Middle East Institute Looking forward to working with an experienced diplomat with a strong track record in the Middle East www.mei.edu/press-releas...

Gettysburg battlefield on a cold December morning, overlooking the area of Pickett’s Charge and the high water mark of the Confederacy. I’ve recently been thinking about that moment in America’s history, a hinge point when so much was at stake for the country’s unity & future.

What to expect from Trump 2.0 on Iran policy: Jackie Northam @npr.org Dana Stroul @washinstitute.bsky.social @suzannemaloney.bsky.social @brookingsinst.bsky.social & me www.npr.org/2024/11/26/n...