Feb 6, 2025
Middle East Focus Presents: ’Taking the Edge Off the Middle
East’ with Brian Katulis.
A series of casual conversations with leading policy professionals
on the most important happenings in the Middle East today - hosted
by MEI’s Senior Fellow Brian Katulis.
Barbara A. Leaf is a seasoned diplomat and expert on the Middle
East, having served as the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near
Eastern Affairs and held key positions in US embassies across the
region. In this episode, Barbara joins Brian to discuss the array
of “black swan” events currently unfolding in the Middle East, and
how the second Trump administration may respond to these
challenges. They discuss the broader implications of these
developments for US foreign policy, national security, and regional
stability.