Brian Katulis is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, specializing in US foreign policy and national security. He 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.
As a foreign policy strategist and senior fellow, Katulis has produced influential studies that have shaped key regional policy debates and provided expert testimony to congressional committees on his findings. Prior to MEI, he was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP), where he built the center’s Middle East program. His career also includes significant experience at the National Security Council, the US Department of State, and the US Department of Defense.
Katulis co-authored The Prosperity Agenda (2008) with Nancy Soderberg, a book that examines how America’s economic advantages can be used to positively shape global dynamics. He is also frequently quoted in leading news publications and media outlets.
He holds a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and a BA in History and Arab and Islamic Studies from Villanova University. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Amman, Jordan from 1994-1995, where he conducted a research project on the peace process between Israel and Jordan.
US Regional Foreign Policy: Unforced Diplomatic Errors Risk Accelerating American Retrenchment
As the summer draws to a close, the storyline for the 2026 Iran war remains incomplete and the United States’ broader Middle East policy direction highly uncertain. None of the major issues that have long headlined Washington’s Iran portfolio appear any closer to resolution, and new problems have emerged that did not exist before.
Brian is joined by Hisham Melhem, a prominent journalist known for his interviews with Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and his role as an honest intermediary between Americans and the people of the Middle East. He reflects on his journey from growing up in Lebanon to building a life in America, discusses how the region has transformed over his lifetime, and offers a candid take on where US foreign policy stands today.
Reflections on a Diplomatic Career in the Middle East: A Conversation With Ambassador Yael Lempert
Brian is joined by Amb. (ret.) Yael Lempert, Vice President for Outreach at MEI, to discuss her career in diplomacy and the importance of US diplomatic efforts abroad. She shares stories from postings across the Middle East in Baghdad, Cairo, Tripoli, Jerusalem, and Amman and examines how her personal and professional experiences shaped her approach to the work. Together, Brian and Yael discuss the realities of life in the Foreign Service, the core tenets of American diplomacy, and why it matters in today’s Middle East.
Trump’s Family Business Deals Risk Further Undermining the Credibility of US Middle East Policy
President Trump’s family businesses are once again in the spotlight as a new financial disclosure showed they earned $2 billion in income in 2025 — a dramatic increase on the year before, with much of it coming from Gulf entities, raising emoluments concerns. Mounting perceptions of corruption, combined with unresolved crises in Iran and Israel-Palestine, are eroding trust among key partners in the Middle East. With the 2026 midterms approaching, these entanglements could represent a major political vulnerability and further undermine America’s already-strained standing in the region.
Iran: What’s Next for US Policy as the Region Seeks to Move On
As the US and Iran move to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the war’s real lesson lies in how Gulf states rapidly adapted — building pipelines, ports, and rail to bypass the chokepoint. Washington should seize this momentum, pursuing a “long game” of regional connectivity that serves shared security and economic interests.
Three months after the Iran war began, the United States and Iran are engaged in talks aimed at ending the crisis, even as both sides conducted limited military strikes against each other this week and a separate-but-linked conflict between Israel and Hizballah in Lebanon continued to escalate.
A fragile cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel is barely holding as military delegations from both countries arrive in Washington for a new round of direct talks scheduled for this Friday. But diplomatic success could mean new strategic opportunities for the Lebanese nation. Guest host and MEI Senior Fellow Brian Katulis is joined by Lebanese Member of Parliament Fouad Makhzoumi to unpack the challenges facing the Lebanese government today, Hizballah’s influence over state institutions, and what all of this means for the country’s future. Makhzoumi also reflects on his personal journey and what inspired him to transition from business to politics in an effort to help shape a better life for his granddaughters in Lebanon.
Trump Planned for Pressure on Iran, but Not the Global and Domestic Blowback
The limelight for American foreign policy shifts to Beijing this month, where US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet on May 14-15 to address a long list of unresolved issues. But the Iran war and still unfolding geo-economic calamity resulting from it cast a long shadow. One thing to watch for is whether China or the US feels like it has a stronger hand in light of recent events in the Middle East.
In the Trump administration’s diplomatic track with Tehran, one crucial variable is missing: steady US engagement with its Arab partners, particularly in the Gulf, on what the strategic endgame with Iran looks like.
The opposition in Congress is attempting to force a war powers vote on the Trump administration’s Iran operation, with an eye toward the 60-day deadline on military action legally imposed on the executive branch; and key defense-spending measures are also on the immediate horizon. These actions on Capitol Hill could shape the trajectory of how the US moves forward in Iran and the region — and influence Americans’ overall appetite for long-term engagement in the Middle East.
