Mona Yacoubian directs the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Her three decades of experience on Middle East issues have included multiple posts and advisory roles with the U.S. government, from leading the 2019 Syria Study Group to working with the State
Richard Nephew is the Bernstein Adjunct Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He has spent much of his career in the U.S. government in various capacities. From 2022-2024, he was the inaugural U.S. Coordinator on Global Anti-Corruption at the Department of State. He was also
Brief Analysis
Join us for an expert webcast examining potential next steps for the Trump administration in the Middle East. Watch live starting at 1:00 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) on Monday, June 30, 2025.
The Iran-Israel ceasefire has presented the Trump administration with a chance to carefully consider its next steps in the Middle East, which are poised to make a transformational impact on the future of the region and America’s place there. What approach should Washington take toward Iran’s nuclear program amid debates about how much it has been set back? How do Arab governments view what just happened, and what is their desired role for U.S. policy in a changing region? Will a weakened and vulnerable Iran alter its aggressive approach or double down? And how can Israel best shift from historic military successes to political solutions, including on its other ongoing battlefront in Gaza?
To discuss these questions, The Washington Institute is pleased to announce a virtual Policy Forum with Robert Satloff, Mona Yacoubian, and Richard Nephew, moderated by research director and Kassen Senior Fellow Dana Stroul.
Robert Satloff is the Institute’s Segal Executive Director and Howard P. Berkowitz Chair in U.S. Middle East Policy.
Mona Yacoubian directs the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Her three decades of experience on Middle East issues have included multiple posts and advisory roles with the U.S. government, from leading the 2019 Syria Study Group to working with the State Department, USAID, and the U.S. Institute of Peace
Richard Nephew is an adjunct fellow with The Washington Institute. Previously, he served in multiple senior posts with the U.S. government, including deputy special envoy for Iran (2021) and principal deputy coordinator for sanctions policy at the State Department (2013-15).
The Policy Forum series is made possible through the generosity of the Florence and Robert Kaufman Family.
