Click Here to Watch LIVE on YouTube
Thursday, March 19, 2026
8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. / Eastern Time
Registration is NOT REQUIRED to view the program.
Submit questions to the specialists: questions@ncusar.org
Background and Context
Nineteen days of conflict involving twenty-five nations has produced neither a clear outcome nor have any of the three main belligerents—the U.S., Israel, and Iran—articulated an exit strategy. This webinar will focus on the regional geopolitical stakes, the conflict’s expansion into Lebanon, and the major effects on energy markets.
While Israel is widening ground operations to confront Hezbollah, energy markets are experiencing the “largest supply disruption in history.” The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed to tankers, and Brent crude is surging above $101 a barrel with some analysts predicting a rise beyond $150. Twenty percent of global energy (oil and LNG) trade is stranded. This puts GCC countries in the precarious position of balancing U.S. defense coordination with the risk of greater Iranian retaliation. The discussion will evaluate the U.S. administration’s options, including pressure on U.S. allies and China to secure maritime routes, and whether the crisis, including the lifting of sanctions on Russia and Venezuela, marks a permanent shift in global energy security.
Moderator:
- Dr. Abderrahim Foukara, Former Washington D.C. Bureau Chief and Host of Min Washington, Al Jazeera | Bio
Featured Speakers:
- Ambassador Joey Hood, Former Acting Assistant Secretary, Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs; Former U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia; Former Consul General and Principal Officer, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia | Bio
- Ambassador Massoud Maalouf, Former Ambassador of Lebanon to Canada, Poland, and Chile | Bio
- Dr. Sara Vakshouri, Center for Energy Security and Diplomacy Chair Institute for World Peace; Founder and President, SVB Energy International | Bio
- Mr. Matthew McManus, Visiting Fellow, National Center for Energy Analytics; Adjunct Professor of Energy Diplomacy, Georgetown University, Walsh School of Foreign Service | Bio