Less than two months into the Iran war, the conflict may already have had long-term consequences for US national security as well as the interests of Washington’s regional partners.
The Middle East Institute hosted a webinar that critically analyzed American gains and losses in the ongoing war, the effectiveness of the administration’s current strategy toward Tehran, as well as the war’s unintended economic disruptions for the region and beyond.
Featuring two former senior US national security officials— one from the first Trump administration and the other who served under both Presidents Obama and Biden — the discussion examined the multifaceted international implications of the Iran crisis and how those reverberations are shaping the United States’ internal debate concerning its role in the world.
Speaker Biographies
Jon Finer
Former Principal Deputy National Security Advisor, Executive Office of the President of the United States
Co-Host, The Long Game Podcast
Victoria Coates
Former Deputy National Security Advisor for Middle East and North African Affairs, Executive Office of the President of the United States
Vice President, Davis Institute for National Security, The Heritage Foundation
Brian Katulis (Moderator)
Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute
Extended Speaker Biographies
Jon Finer is the Senior Distinguished Fellow in residence for The Tsai Leadership Program at Yale Law School and the Co-Host of the Long Game Podcast. He served as President Joe Biden’s principal Deputy National Security Advisor from 2021–2025 and received the National Security Medal, the highest White House award for contributions to national security. Prior to joining President Biden’s staff, he was Global Head of Geo-political and Policy Affairs at Warburg Pincus LLC and an Adjunct Senior Fellow for US foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Victoria Coates is the Vice President of the Davis Institute for National Security at the Heritage Foundation. A former deputy national security advisor to President Donald Trump, Victoria Coates is Vice President of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation. With decades of experience as a national security advisor in Congress, federal agencies, and the White House, Coates leads the Davis Institute in designing and promoting policies that prioritize the security of American citizens while protecting our interests around the world.
Brian Katulis (Moderator) is a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, specializing in US foreign policy and national security. He hosted the MEI podcast series Taking the Edge Off the Middle East and 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.
