The United States and Iran announced a deal to extend the ceasefire for an additional 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz by lifting the dual blockade, and end the tit-for-tat strikes that have occurred over the past three months. The framework aims to create a pathway for further negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program and other key issues.
This webinar will assess the implications of the June 2026 Memorandum of Understanding and what this framework signals about US policy and strategic priorities on Iran, the Trump administration’s domestic political standing, and Washington’s strategic position in the region and beyond.
Please join the Middle East Institute on Wednesday, June 24, at 11:00 AM ET, for a discussion with Kirsten Fontenrose and Damian Murphy. MEI Senior Fellow Brian Katulis will moderate.
Speaker Biographies
Kirsten Fontenrose is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs. In 2018, she served as Senior Director for the Gulf at the National Security Council, leading the development of US policy toward nations of the GCC, Yemen, Egypt, and Jordan.
Damian Murphy is the Senior Vice President for National Security and International Policy at American Progress. Over the past 15 years in the Senate, he served in several foreign policy roles including as Staff Director of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and as the Senior Policy Adviser for Foreign Policy, Defense, and Homeland Security for Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA).
Brian Katulis (Moderator) 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.
