29
September 2017
Past Event
Iran's Land Bridge: Countering a Growing Influence in the Middle East

Iran's Land Bridge: Countering a Growing Influence in the Middle East

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
September 29, 2017
Photo credit: wsfurlan
Caption
Photo credit: wsfurlan
29
September 2017
Past Event

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004

Speakers:
Lee Smith

Former Senior Fellow

Pregent
Michael Pregent

Former Senior Fellow

Hillel Fradkin

Senior Fellow and Director, Center on Islam, Democracy, and the Future of the Muslim World

Ilan Berman

Vice President, American Foreign Policy Council

The threat of an Iranian land bridge through Iraq and Syria—measured both in established influence and a physical presence—has become a reality. Iran’s goal for regional hegemony, a strategic plan more than three decades in the making, has come to fruition. With such a route in place, Iran can increase logistical and operational support to Lebanese Hezbollah and other IRGC-directed proxies.

Is it possible to disrupt this route, and can it be done without provoking further conflict? On September 29, Hudson Institute hosted a discussion assessing these and other elements of Iran’s strategic posture in the region. Hudson fellows Michael Pregent, Hillel Fradkin, and Lee Smith joined Ilan Berman of the American Foreign Policy Council to discuss the changing situation in the Middle East and the appropriate U.S. policy response.

To view Mr. Pregent's map, click here.

Related Events
08
July 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
America’s Competitive Edge: Why Antitrust, Standards, and Intellectual Property Matter
Featured Speakers:
Urška Petrovčič
Dina Kallay
Getty Images
08
July 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
America’s Competitive Edge: Why Antitrust, Standards, and Intellectual Property Matter

Join us for an exclusive luncheon conversation with Dina Kallay—deputy assistant attorney general for international, policy, and appellate at the United States Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division—and Urška Petrovčič.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Urška Petrovčič
Dina Kallay
10
July 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Taiwan’s Institutional Defense: Countering CCP Infiltration and Transnational Repression
Featured Speakers:
KaiChieh (KJ) Hsu
Miles Yu
Getty Images
10
July 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Taiwan’s Institutional Defense: Countering CCP Infiltration and Transnational Repression

Join Hudson Institute’s China Center as Miles Yu hosts a panel examining Taiwan’s experience in handling national security cases, foreign interference, technology theft, election influence, proxy networks, and gray-zone legal warfare.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
KaiChieh (KJ) Hsu
Miles Yu
15
July 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Future of US Foreign Policy in the Middle East with Representative Mike Lawler
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Mike Lawler
Joel Rayburn
DVIDS
15
July 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Future of US Foreign Policy in the Middle East with Representative Mike Lawler

Join Representative Mike Lawler (NY-17), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, for a conversation with Senior Fellow Joel Rayburn on the emerging Middle East security order and the future of American strategy in the region.

DVIDS
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Mike Lawler
Joel Rayburn
21
July 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
The US-Israel Economic Partnership: A Farewell Conversation with Minister Noach Hacker
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Noach Hacker
Getty Images
21
July 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
The US-Israel Economic Partnership: A Farewell Conversation with Minister Noach Hacker

As the region enters a new strategic phase, Hudson is honored to host Minister Hacker for what promises to be a candid farewell discussion.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Noach Hacker