Monday, May 20, 12:00PM - 1:00 PM EDT - Online
US Policy on Iran: Examining the Opportunities to Build a New Bipartisan Strategy
Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack against Israel and the increased belligerence of other Iranian allies across the region brought new scrutiny to their ties to Iran and the potential of a regional confrontation. With the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal — officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — on ice, the Biden administration’s policy on Iran and its nuclear program remains unclear. Yet in the aftermath of Oct. 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza, there is even more at stake for Washington, as well as regional capitals.
With increased Iranian threats to US interests and allies in the Middle East, as illustrated by the mid-April direct missile exchanges between Iran and Israel, the formulation of a clear, bipartisan US policy is urgently needed to deter or blunt Iran’s nefarious activities domestically, regionally, and on the nuclear front. But how can US policymakers across the ideological spectrum agree on a broadly acceptable yet effective approach to Iran? Can the Iranian regime be encouraged or induced to change its behavior? And what role might reformist factions of the regime in Tehran as well as Iranian society and diaspora play in this effort?
Speakers - Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy, Middle East Institute
Goli Ameri
Vice Chair, Freedom House Board of Trustees
Alex Vatanka
Director of Iran Program, Middle East Institute
Patricia Karam (Moderator)
Senior Policy Advisor on Iran, Freedom House