Caption
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping enter the hall during a signing ceremony on May 20, 2026, in Beijing, China. (Getty Images)
Hudson Institute hosted an event to discuss the ramifications of President Trump’s policy towards Iran. Panelists included Hudson Institute’s Michael Doran and Rebeccah Heinrichs, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Jay Solomon, and the Council on Foreign Relations’ Ray Takeyh. The conversation was moderated by Hudson Senior Fellow Lee Smith.
From his decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal to the subsequent re-imposition of major sanctions on the Islamic Republic, President Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran is shaping the debate, both at home and in the region, as to what comes next. Defenders of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) warn that the Trump White House is leading the U.S. to war with Iran. Others contend that the campaign will force the Iranians back to the negotiating table, where the U.S. and its partners could resolve issues ignored by the JCPOA, such as ballistic missiles, Iran’s expansionist policies, and continued support for terrorism. Will the Trump administration be able to extinguish the fires Iran has set throughout the Middle East or will “maximum pressure” lead to an unavoidable clash?
Related Events
23
October 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Annual Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture
Featured Speakers:
Karel Řehka
Daniel Kochis
Luke Coffey
23
October 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Annual Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture
Hudson welcomes Karel Řehka, former chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, to discuss the changing security environment in Europe and its implications for the Czech Republic, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the transatlantic alliance.
Featured Speakers:
Karel Řehka
Daniel Kochis
Luke Coffey
23
October 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
A Special Address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Featured Speakers:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
John P. Walters
23
October 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
A Special Address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Please join Hudson Institute for a special address on the current state-of-play by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will join remotely, followed by a question-and-answer session on the war with Hudson Institute President and CEO John Walters.
Featured Speakers:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
John P. Walters
23
October 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Semiconductors, Onshoring, and US Government Capital: A Conversation with Commerce's Bill Frauenhofer
Featured Speakers:
Bill Frauenhofer
David Feith
23
October 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Semiconductors, Onshoring, and US Government Capital: A Conversation with Commerce's Bill Frauenhofer
Bill Frauenhofer, executive director for semiconductor investment and innovation at the US Department of Commerce, will join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow David Feith for an invitation-only fireside chat on semiconductor onshoring and the role of government capital in strengthening America’s technological and industrial leadership.
Featured Speakers:
Bill Frauenhofer
David Feith
26
October 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Mecca Pact vs. IMEC: Competing Visions for the New Middle East
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Chaim Martin
Aslı Aydıntaşbaş
Soner Cagaptay
Ken Moriyasu
26
October 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Mecca Pact vs. IMEC: Competing Visions for the New Middle East
Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Ken Moriyasu for a panel with Chaim Martin, Israel’s minister of economic affairs to the United States; Aslı Aydıntaşbaş of the Brookings Institution; Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute; and Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Michael Doran as they examine the logic behind each framework and what their rivalry means for US policy.
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Chaim Martin
Aslı Aydıntaşbaş
Soner Cagaptay
Ken Moriyasu
Related Research
Caption
(Screenshot via YouTube)
Caption
(Screenshot via YouTube)
Caption
An antenna of the Starlink satellite-based broadband system donated by the US tech billionaire Elon Musk in Izyum, Ukraine, on September 25, 2022. (Getty Images)
