Brian Katulis is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, specializing in US foreign policy and national security. He authors the column “Making Sense: A Regular Take on US Foreign Policy.” Katulis draws on decades of experience living and working in the Middle East, where he has forged relationships of trust and confidence across the region with top leaders in government, the private sector, media, national security, and thought leaders from a wide variety of international organizations.
As a foreign policy strategist and senior fellow, Katulis has produced influential studies that have shaped key regional policy debates and provided expert testimony to congressional committees on his findings. Prior to MEI, he was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP), where he built the center’s Middle East program. His career also includes significant experience at the National Security Council, the US Department of State, and the US Department of Defense.
Katulis co-authored The Prosperity Agenda (2008) with Nancy Soderberg, a book that examines how America’s economic advantages can be used to positively shape global dynamics. He is also frequently quoted in leading news publications and media outlets.
He holds a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and a BA in History and Arab and Islamic Studies from Villanova University. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Amman, Jordan from 1994-1995, where he conducted a research project on the peace process between Israel and Jordan.
هل هناك ضوء في نهاية نفق حرب غزة؟ ثلاثة أسئلة حول خطة ترامب المكونة من 20 نقطة
أرسل الرئيس الأمريكي دونالد ترامب مبعوثه الخاص إلى الشرق الأوسط ستيف ويتكوف وصهره جاريد كوشنر للمشاركة في محادثات إسرائيل وحماس التي تستضيفها مصر هذا الأسبوع بهدف إنهاء الحرب في غزة، وتأمين الإفراج عن الرهائن، وإحراز تقدم نحو حل دائم ومستدام للصراع. فيما يلي ثلاثة أمور يجب الانتباه إليها في سياسة الولايات المتحدة على هذا الصعيد في الأيام والأسابيع المقبلة.
Veteran US foreign policy official Elliott Abrams joins Brian for a sweeping conversation on America’s role in the world amid global upheaval. With nearly 50 years of experience under Presidents Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump, Abrams offers lessons from past crises— from Ukraine to Gaza. Abrams makes his case for why he doesn’t see a two-state solution as realistic and what his alternative vision is. The discussion explores the chaotic uncertainty of Trump’s second term, Israel’s security two years after October 7, and the future of Palestinian governance and regional integration. Abrams also shares insights from his decades in government, including his work with Ariel Sharon on Gaza disengagement, his reflections on the Iraq War, and what it was like briefing presidents in the Oval Office.
Will Trump’s red line on West Bank annexation hold?
The spotlight for US policy in the Middle East will shift from the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York to Washington, DC, where US President Donald Trump will meet with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for the fourth time in eight months.
War and Peace in the Middle East: A View from Qatar
In this special bonus episode of Taking the Edge Off the Middle East, host Brian Katulis sits down with Dr. Majed Al-Ansari, adviser to the Prime Minister of Qatar and spokesman for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Al-Ansari offers insights into the small country’s unique role in mediating conflicts worldwide.
تحول استراتيجي في سياسة الولايات المتحدة تجاه الشرق الأوسط مع خطاب ترامب على الساحة العالمية
استغل الرئيس دونالد ترامب خطابه هذا الأسبوع أمام الجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة لتعزيز أسلوبه الفريد في صنع السياسة الخارجية الأمريكية وانتقاد الآخرين، بما في ذلك الأمم المتحدة نفسها. لكن ترامب لم يفعل الكثير لخلق إطار عمل لصياغة حلول لمعالجة المشاكل والتحديات الأمنية الشائكة.
Unconventional Wisdom: The Search for America’s Soul
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and longtime Democratic National Security and Communications strategist Doug Wilson joins Brian for an expansive conversation about what’s at stake in US foreign policy at a time of global upheaval. Drawing on decades of experience in government, the private sector, and political campaigns, Wilson reflects on how Trump’s second term has upended America’s role in the world — from dealing with autocrats to the collapse of US credibility abroad.
منحنية لكن غير مكسورة: اتفاقيات أبراهام بعد خمس سنوات
في الذكرى الخامسة لاتفاقيات أبراهام، يتأمل براين كاتوليس من معهد الشرق الأوسط (MEI) في مدى استمراريتها ومستقبلها: "لن يتم خرق اتفاقيات أبراهام. قد تتعرض للانحراف، لكنني أعتقد أنها ستبقى سارية. لكنها لن تتوسع بأي شكل من الأشكال حتى يتم إحراز تقدم في القضية الفلسطينية". ويحلل كاتوليس أصل الاتفاقيات ونقاط قوتها وقيودها والتحديات الرئيسية التي يجب معالجتها حتى تصبح أقوى.
Ross Harrison and Mohsen Milani—two leading experts on Iranian strategy—join Brian for a conversation about the evolution of the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy. Both draw on insights from their latest works: Harrison’s Decoding Iran’s Foreign Policy and Milani’s Iran’s Rise and Rivalry with the US in the Middle East. They unpack the fallout of the Twelve-Day War, the weakening of the “Axis of Resistance,” and the lessons Tehran might take from Vietnam’s transformation.
ترامب يائس لتحقيق تقدم في سياسته الخارجية الصاخبة والغاضبة
أكثر ما يلفت الانتباه في سياسة دونالد ترامب الخارجية بعد سبعة أشهر من ولايته الثانية هو فشلها في تحسين الموقف الاستراتيجي العام للولايات المتحدة في العالم. لا يزال الوقت مبكراً، لكن سلسلة الإجراءات المحمومة التي اتخذها فريق ترامب، إلى جانب خطابه المثير للجدل والمثير للانقسام في كثير من الأحيان، قد حجبت سجله الضعيف في تحقيق انتصارات دولية مهمة للولايات المتحدة.
Rana Abtar—chief correspondent for Asharq Al-Awsat and anchor of the Washington Report—joins Brian for a conversation on US policy in the Middle East, Lebanon’s struggles and resilience, and what it means to cover Washington for Arab audiences. From Trump’s Syria policy to the 2020 Beirut explosion, from life on Capitol Hill to her family’s roots in Baalbek, Rana brings together the political and the personal, sharing a unique perspective that bridges policy, culture, and humanity.
دبلوماسية ترامب غير المتوقعة والمتمثلة في تشتيت الانتباه غالباً ما تأتي بنتائج سلبية
تتجه الأنظار هذا الأسبوع إلى ألاسكا، حيث سيعقد الرئيس الأمريكي دونالد ترامب اجتماعًا حاسمًا مع الرئيس الروسي فلاديمير بوتين لمناقشة إنهاء الحرب في أوكرانيا. لكن الولايات المتحدة لا تزال منشغلة بعدة قضايا داخلية، بما في ذلك التوترات المستمرة حول الشرطة والهجرة والضوابط والتوازنات داخل نظام الحكم الأمريكي. كل هذا يأتي في وقت يستمر فيه تراجع الموقف السياسي الداخلي لترامب، بما في ذلك بين أعضاء حزبه.
Meeting Khamenei and Other Tales from a Life in Diplomacy
Jeffrey Feltman—former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, US Ambassador to Lebanon, and UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs—joins Brian for one of the most revealing conversations yet. They trace his journey from the streets of Beirut during the Cedar Revolution to a tense, hours-long meeting inside the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The current Israeli-Palestinian nightmare is a result of multiple failures of leadership
The unresolved crises unfolding on the Israeli-Palestinian front — a growing humanitarian disaster inside of Gaza, the horrific images of emaciated Israelis held hostage by terrorists in the coastal strip, and ongoing tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank fueled by religious extremists of all stripes — represent one of the biggest strategic challenges to stability facing the Middle East. With Israel now openly contemplating a full occupation of Gaza, this set of issues serves as an obstacle to broader regional peace and normalization efforts.
US Policy in the Middle East: Second Quarter 2025 Report Card
Six months into his second term, President Donald Trump remains in search of a major, concrete foreign policy win. Trump 2.0’s foreign policy is still struggling to produce a major positive outcome from its frenetic activity trying to end kinetic wars while prosecuting an unprecedented economic war with much of the rest of the world. The whirlwind of uncertainty since Trump returned to office in January has yet to improve America’s overall strategic position in the world. The following report assesses the US government’s actions over the past three months from May to mid-July 2025.
Daniel Silverberg and Elisa Ewers—two veterans of Capitol Hill and the executive branch—join Brian for a candid conversation about the shifting politics of US Middle East policy inside the Democratic Party. Drawing on decades of experience shaping national security strategy, they unpack why so many debates remain trapped in a post-Iraq War mindset, how October 7th transformed bipartisan dynamics, and what’s at stake when values, strategy, and political reality collide. From Iran and Gaza to the role of Arab partners and the rise of populism, the trio explores how America’s approach to the region must evolve—and how the next generation can lead that charge with clarity, humility, and purpose.
