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Thursday, August 20, 2026
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. / Eastern Time
Registration is NOT REQUIRED to view the program.
Submit questions to the specialists: questions@ncusar.org
Background and Context
Join us for “Diplomacy Dilemma: Can Peace Prevail in the Gulf,” a webinar bringing together leading experts on Iran, the Gulf, and Middle Eastern politics and economics to examine the prospects—and obstacles—for diplomacy between Washington and Tehran.
For decades, relations between the United States and Iran have been defined by confrontation, sanctions, proxy conflicts, mistrust, and competing visions for the Middle East. Diplomacy has intermittently offered a different path.
The June 2026 Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and other smaller agreements and working ententes have demonstrated both the possibilities and profound limitations of US-Iranian engagement.
With today’s escalatory cycle and increased tensions across the Middle East reshaping regional politics and security, a fundamental question remains:
Can the United States and Iran move beyond confrontation and establish a durable framework for peace?
The discussion will feature Dr. Abdullah Baabood, an Omani scholar with extensive experience in international affairs, Dr. Kenneth Katzman, a senior analyst of Iran and Persian Gulf Affairs at the Congressional Research Service, and Dr. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a well-known author and one of the leading experts on Gulf Affairs in the United States.
Welcoming and Introduction:
- Dr. William Lawrence, Senior Academic and Research Fellow-in-Residence, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations | Bio
Moderator:
- Dr. Abderrahim Foukara, Distinguished Fellow for U.S.-Arab Affairs and Media Leadership, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; Former Washington D.C. Bureau Chief, Al Jazeera | Bio
Speakers:
- Dr. Abdullah Baabood, Chair of the State of Qatar for Islamic Area Studies; Visiting Professor at the Faculty of International Research and Education, Waseda University, Tokyo-Japan | Bio
- Dr. Kenneth Katzman, Senior Fellow, The Soufan Center; Former Iran Lead, Congressional Research Services, United States Congress | Bio
- Dr. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Fellow for the Middle East, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Co-Director, Middle East Energy Roundtable | Bio