The Middle East Institute held a timely webinar on the latest developments in Iran on March 26. As the war continues, critical questions are emerging around control of the Strait of Hormuz, the prospect of US-Israeli strikes on Iran’s oil and energy infrastructure, shifting internal dynamics within Iran, and the potential for a deal stemming from reported US-Iran negotiations.
Join Dr. Ken Pollack, MEI’s Vice President for Policy, in conversation with Mick Mulroy, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and Distinguished Military Fellow at MEI, and Alex Vatanka, Senior Fellow at MEI, as they tackle these questions and more.
Speakers
Michael “Mick” Mulroy is a Distinguished Military Fellow at the Middle East Institute and the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for the Middle East. As the DASD, he was responsible for defense policy for 15 countries and represented the Department of Defense of national policy in that area. He is also a retired CIA Paramilitary Operations Officer in the Special Activities Center, a United States Marine, and a Co-founder of Lobo Institute.
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.
Dr. Kenneth M. Pollack (Moderator) 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.
