Taking the Edge Off the Middle East with Brian Katulis
Episodes
Surviving October 7th: Amir Tibon on Trauma, War, and Israel's Future
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Brian is joined by Amir Tibon, a journalist for Haaretz and the author of The Gates of Gaza: A Story of Betrayal, Survival, and Hope in Israel's Borde...
After the Iran War: What Is America's Long Game in the Middle East?
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Brian is joined by Dana Stroul, Director of Research and Shelly and Michael Kassen Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, to ...
Courage Runs in the Iranian People's DNA
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Brian sits down with Holly Dagres, Libitzky Family Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, to discuss Iranian public opinion, ...
The Islamic Republic's War on the Iranian People
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Against the backdrop of the Iranian government's brutal crackdown on protestors, Brian is joined by Emad Shargi, an Iranian-American businessman who w...
Brian and Behnam Shake the Magic 8 Ball on Iran
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Brian sits down with Behnam Taleblu, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to unpack the ongoing protests in Iran and what this ...
Rob Malley Argues Two States is an Illusion
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brian sits down with Robert Malley, a former US official best known for his role as the lead negotiator of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action...
How Palestinian Roots Shaped an American Ambassador
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brian welcomes Ambassador (ret.) Theodore "Ted" Kattouf, who previously served as US Ambassador to Syria and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Pres...
Special Feature: A Front-Row Seat to Saudi Arabia's Transformation
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Brian sits down with Faisal Abbas, editor-in-chief of Arab News. Abbas, who reported on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's No...
Saudi Arabia's Role as a Global Swing State
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's November 2025 visit to the United States is his first in more than seven years, and during the past few years...
From the West Wing to the West Bank, Israel, and Gaza with Bill Clinton
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Taking the Edge Off the Middle East, host Brian Katulis is joined by Mara Rudman, MEI Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow and veteran o...
A Passion for Policy: Marvin Weinbaum on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and U.S. Engagement Abroad
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Katulis speaks with Dr. Marvin Weinbaum—senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, professor emeritus of political science at the University...
Elliott Abrams Tells All
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Veteran US foreign policy official Elliott Abrams joins Brian for a sweeping conversation on America's role in the world amid global upheaval. With n...
War and Peace in the Middle East: A View from Qatar
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special bonus episode of Taking the Edge Off the Middle East, host Brian Katulis sits down with Dr. Majed Al-Ansari, adviser to the Prime Mini...
Unconventional Wisdom: The Search for America's Soul
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and longtime Democratic National Security and Communications strategist Doug Wilson joins Bri...
The Trouble With Iran's Playbook
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ross Harrison and Mohsen Milani—two leading experts on Iranian strategy—join Brian for a conversation about the evolution of the Islamic Republic'...
Bridging Worlds: From Lebanon to Washington
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rana Abtar—chief correspondent for Asharq Al-Awsat and anchor of the Washington Report—joins Brian for a conversation on US policy in the Middle E...
Meeting Khamenei and Other Tales from a Life in Diplomacy
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jeffrey Feltman—former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, US Ambassador to Lebanon, and UN Under-Secretary-General for Political...
The Democratic Party Has a Middle East Problem
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel Silverberg and Elisa Ewers—two veterans of Capitol Hill and the executive branch—join Brian for a candid conversation about the shifting po...
What Would Zbig Do? Edward Luce on US Strategy Then and Now
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Financial Times columnist and author Edward Luce joins Brian to discuss his new biography Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski—what the legendary s...
How US Policy is Taking Shape – from Libya to Iran
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Stephanie Williams, former US diplomat and deputy head of the UN mission in Libya, sits down with Brian Katulis for a wide-ranging conversation about...
From Tehran to Gaza with Eyal Hulata
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was originally recorded on June 9, 2025, featuring a wide-ranging conversation with Eyal Hulata—Israel's former National Security Advis...
Jordan's Role in a Region in Crisis: A Conversation with Ambassador Dina Kawar
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ambassador Dina Kawar, Jordan's Ambassador to the United States, joins host Brian Katulis for a wide-ranging conversation on Jordan's efforts to addre...
Is the two-state solution still viable? Saudi Spokesperson Fahad Nazer makes the case
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Taking the Edge Off the Middle East, host Brian Katulis sits down with Fahad Nazer, spokesperson for the Saudi Arabian Embassy in t...
Trump's Middle East Approach, the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, and the Future of US Statecraft – with Amb. Dennis Ross
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ambassador Dennis Ross joins host Brian Katulis to break down what President Trump's recent trip through Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar revealed abo...
Trump's Second Term and the Middle East: A Conversation with Ambassador Jim Jeffrey
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this wide-ranging conversation, Ambassador James Jeffrey joins host Brian Katulis to unpack the Trump administration's early moves in its second te...
Toni Verstandig on What We've Learned—and Forgotten—About Peace
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Taking the Edge off the Middle East, Brian Katulis sits down with Toni Verstandig, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for N...
Frank Lowenstein on the Highs and Lows of Peacemaking in the Middle East
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of 'Taking the Edge off the Middle East,' Brian Katulis sits down with Frank Lowenstein, a key advisor to Secretary John Kerry during ...
Decades in Diplomacy: Ambassador Dan Shapiro on Middle East Policy and Public Service
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Brian is joined by former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, who recently served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the...
An Israeli and a Palestinian on War, Policy, and the Path to Peace
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ibrahim Dalalsha, founder and director of Horizon Center for Political Studies and Media Outreach, and Shira Efron, research director at the Israel Po...
Ambassador Barbara Leaf on Black Swan Events and America's Role in the Middle East
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 an...
Norman T. Roule
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Norman T. Roule is a member of MEI's Iran Program Advisory Council. Roule served for 34-years in the Central Intelligence Agency, where his service in...
Steven A. Cook
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Steven A. Cook, Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, sits down with Brian to discuss his latest book ...
Danielle Pletka
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Danielle Pletka, Distinguished Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with Brian to discuss how she made the jump from journali...
Ben Samuels
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Samuels, US correspondent for Haaretz, sits down with Brian to discuss how he got into journalism, the state of politics in Israel, and the countr...
Richard A. Clarke
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a decade of leadership, Richard A. Clarke recently retired as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Middle East Institute. He chats with Bri...
David Schenker
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
David Schenker - Director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy - sits down with Brian to discuss the begin...