The United States and Israel have launched a major military operation in Iran, targeting the country’s leadership and plunging the Middle East into a new phase of conflict. In response to these rapidly evolving developments, the Middle East Institute (MEI) will convene a panel of experts to examine the shifting dynamics on the ground and assess what this new chapter means for the United States, Iran, and the broader region.
Join us today at 2:00 P.M. EST for a timely discussion featuring Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, USN (ret.), MEI’s Alex Vatanka, and Colby Connelly. The conversation will be moderated by MEI Vice President for Policy, Ken Pollack.
Speaker Biographies
Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, USN (ret.)
Distinguished Military Fellow, Middle East Institute
Alex Vatanka
Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute
Colby Connelly
Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute
Ken Pollack (Moderator)
Vice President for Policy, Middle East Institute
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Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, USN (ret.), served as Commander of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and Commander of the 32 Nation Combined Maritime Forces in the Middle East. In those roles he led teams that planned and executed joint and combined combat, counter-terrorism and anti-piracy operations at sea and in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen.
Alex Vatanka is a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, specializing in Middle Eastern regional security with a particular focus on Iran. Born in Tehran, he is the author of The Battle of the Ayatollahs in Iran: The United States, Foreign Policy and Political Rivalry Since 1979 (2021) and Iran and Pakistan: Security, Diplomacy, and American Influence (2015). He is currently working on his third book, Grand Contest: The Rivalry of Iran, America, and Israel in the Arab World.
Colby Connelly is a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, focusing on oil and gas markets, liquified natural gas (LNG), aboveground risk, corporate strategy, and the impact of the energy transition on oil- and gas-producing states. He is also the head of Middle East content and senior analyst at Energy Intelligence, where he works with the firm’s research and advisory practices.
Kenneth M. Pollack is Vice President for Policy at the Middle East Institute. Dr. Pollack began his career as a Persian Gulf military analyst at the CIA and served twice on the National Security Council, first as Director for Near East and South Asian affairs and then as Director for Persian Gulf affairs.
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