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Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on April 10, 2025. (Getty Images)
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Iraqi rapid intervention forces advance as they take part in an operation against Islamic State (IS) group jihadists east of Tuz Khurmatu, February 7, 2018 (MAHMUD SALEH/AFP/Getty Images)
In conjunction with the U.S. and the international Counter-ISIS Coalition, Iraq has managed to effectively combat the Islamic State. Yet many challenges remain, and the war against ISIS has caused considerable damage to numerous Iraqi cities. The U.N. has led stabilization efforts to restore essential services in these areas by working with the Iraqi national and local government, and the next phase is reconstruction and reconciliation. With Iraqi parliamentary elections looming in May--amidst the growing influence of Iran--Iraq’s future in the region remains uncertain.
On February 22, Hudson hosted a panel to discuss Iraq and the Middle East. Participants will be: Iraqi Ambassador to the United States Fareed Yasseen; Linda Robinson, senior international and defense researcher at the RAND Corporation; Hudson Institute Adjunct Fellow Michael Pregent; and Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Jonas Parello-Plesner.
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In his first visit to the United States since winning the presidency in November 2024, Somaliland President Abdirahman “Irro” Mohamed Abdullahi will deliver a keynote speech at Hudson Institute followed by a fireside chat with Senior Fellow Joshua Meservey.
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Contested Lebanon: Israel, Iran, and US Strategy in a Fractured State
Experts from leading Washington think tanks will come together to discuss the prospects for stability in Lebanon and for future Israeli-Lebanese relations.
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Join Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, for a discussion on the state of the United States–China relationship and Congress’s role in the competition.
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Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tarik is seen during an official visit to Paris on June 29 2026. (Getty Images)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes US Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner before their talks in Moscow on September 5, 2026. (Getty Images)
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(China Insider logo)
