“A Trip by the President, a Twelve-Day War, Strikes on Qatar by Iran and Israel — What a Difference a Few Months Make in the Middle East,” presented by Ambassador (ret.) Barbara Leaf.

Come hear the latest on the multiple crises in the Middle East. At the transition point from President Biden to President Trump, the Middle East was fragile, latently volatile but ripe with equal measures of promise and peril following the historic changes in Lebanon and Syria. But nine months on, the region has seen a three-sided war, a new Israeli offensive in Gaza, and Qatar caught in the middle. Join us for an well-informed analysis of these latest developments and the challenges and opportunities facing the U.S. Ambassador Barbara Leaf, one of our country’s foremost experts on the Middle East, will explore policy options for the Trump administration, potential scenarios for ending the Gaza conflict, and risks to U.S. national security interests if the region continues on its unsettled trajectory. In addition to serving as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf was Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa. She is now retired from the U.S. Foreign Service and is currently Senior International Policy Advisor at the firm of Arnold and Porter in Washington, DC.