Caption
An oil tanker is being unloaded with imported crude oil at the Qingdao Port Oil Terminal in Shandong Province, China on April 7, 2026. (Getty Images)
Hudson Institute will host a discussion on the future of U.S. policy in the Middle East. Panelists will include Hudson Senior Fellow Michael Pregent; Daily Beast columnist and author Gordon Chang; the Washington Institute's Anna Borshchevskaya; and Hudson Fellow Blaise Misztal. Al Arabiya's Nadia Bilbassy-Charters will moderate the discussion.
Iran, Russia, China, and others are closely monitoring U.S. policy in the Middle East ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. As 2020 candidates’ foreign policy platforms come into focus, this election outcome could have significant ramifications across established policies impacting regional fault lines, such as the polarizing Iran Deal. Additionally, recent efforts by the Trump administration to decrease the U.S. presence in Syria and Iraq have raised questions among allies about America’s long-term ambitions for the Middle East, while adversaries eye the moves as an opportunity to fill potential power vacuums left in the region.
**NOTE: This event is open to the press. All members of the media should RSVP to press@hudson.org.**
Related Events
11
May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China
Featured Speakers:
Eyck Freymann
Jason Hsu
11
May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China
With Jason Hsu, Freymann will discuss how the United States and its partners can adapt to China’s evolving strategy and develop a coherent plan to prevent conflict while safeguarding Taiwan’s future.
Featured Speakers:
Eyck Freymann
Jason Hsu
12
May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
China’s Persecution: Assault on All Faiths
Featured Speakers:
Sam Brownback
Hon. Frank Wolf
Michael Arkush
Mihrigul Tursun
Arjia Rinpoche
Frances Hui
Wang Chunyan
Pastor Pan Yongguang
Peter Xu
Enes Freedom
Pastor Corey Jackson
Grace Jin Drexel
Moderator:
Nina Shea
12
May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
China’s Persecution: Assault on All Faiths
To address these concerns, former senator Sam Brownback, who served as ambassador at large for international religious freedom in the first Trump administration, will join Senior Fellow Nina Shea to propose new policies for the US government and actions for the American public.
Featured Speakers:
Sam Brownback
Hon. Frank Wolf
Michael Arkush
Mihrigul Tursun
Arjia Rinpoche
Frances Hui
Wang Chunyan
Pastor Pan Yongguang
Peter Xu
Enes Freedom
Pastor Corey Jackson
Grace Jin Drexel
Moderator:
Nina Shea
19
May 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Environmental Agendas, Geopolitical Ends: Climate Policy and Great Power Competition
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Zineb Riboua
Brenda Shaffer
Sam Cooper
19
May 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Environmental Agendas, Geopolitical Ends: Climate Policy and Great Power Competition
To examine this emerging challenge, Senior Fellow Dr. Michael Doran will convene a conversation with Research Fellow Zineb Riboua, Professor Brenda Shaffer—Research Faculty Member at the US Naval Postgraduate School and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council—and Sam Cooper, an award-winning investigative journalist focusing on China-Canada relations.
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Zineb Riboua
Brenda Shaffer
Sam Cooper
06
May 2026
Past Event
A Conversation with Former METI Minister Nishimura on Prime Minister Takaichi’s Policy Outlook and Solutions
Featured Speakers:
Yasutoshi Nishimura
Kenneth R. Weinstein
06
May 2026
Past Event
A Conversation with Former METI Minister Nishimura on Prime Minister Takaichi’s Policy Outlook and Solutions
On May 6, Hudson Japan Chair Kenneth R. Weinstein will welcome Yasutoshi Nishimura, former head of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to Hudson.
Featured Speakers:
Yasutoshi Nishimura
Kenneth R. Weinstein
Related Research
Caption
(Screenshot via YouYube)
Caption
A team of US Army M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicles standing guard in the US Central Command area of responsibility on May, 5, 2026. (US Army)
Caption
A Belarusian soldier takes part in the Zapad-2025 joint Russian-Belarusian military drills at a training ground near the town of Borisov, Belarus, on September 15, 2025. (Getty Images)
