A Postwar Middle East? The U.S.-Iran Negotiations and the Region’s Future

In the days since President Trump announced a U.S.-Iran framework to end the war and begin broader negotiations, confusion has reigned, with divergent victory narratives from both sides and no publicly released document outlining the deal’s terms. Some of the resultant speculation echoes past debates on issues like the sequencing of nuclear concessions and sanctions relief. This time, however, observers are waiting to hear how the deal will affect several major new complexities, from reopening the Strait of Hormuz to resolving the Israel-Hezbollah war. On the eve of Friday’s signing ceremony, The Washington Institute is pleased to announce a virtual Policy Forum to help shed light on what the event means—not just for the next phase of U.S.-Iran diplomacy (or confrontation), but also for the future of the Islamic Republic, U.S. policy, and the broader Middle East. The forum will be moderated by Dana Stroul, the Institute's director of research and Kassen Senior Fellow, with featured speakers including: Dennis Ross, the Institute’s counselor and Davidson Distinguished Fellow, who has held senior White House positions in multiple Democratic and Republican administrations, most recently as the top advisor on Iran. Richard Nephew, the Institute’s Bernstein Adjunct Fellow, who has served as U.S. deputy special envoy for Iran and principal deputy coordinator for sanctions policy at the State Department. Holly Dagres, the Institute’s Libitzky Family Senior Fellow, a leading voice on Iranian social movements and generational change, and curator of The Iranist newsletter.