Opportunity and Uncertainty in the Middle East: Next Steps for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

February 2026

Past Event

Opportunity and Uncertainty in the Middle East: Next Steps for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Past Event

Invite Only

February 12, 2026

Rendering of Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq. (Courtesy of Kurdistan Chronicle)

February 2026

Past Event

Speakers:

Rebar Ahmed

Interior Minister, Kurdistan Regional Government

For decades the United States’ partnership with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) has been a crucial component of American policy in the Middle East. Today the Middle East holds unprecedented economic opportunities for the US and its regional allies. But the region is also wracked by potential conflicts—especially tensions between the United States and Iran and a fragile truce in eastern Syria. Against this uncertain backdrop, Iraqis are immersed in a complicated, high-stakes government formation process in both Baghdad and Erbil. How will these dynamics shape the future of the US-KRI partnership? What are the most significant opportunities for this partnership? And what do policymakers need to do to mitigate risks to US-KRI mutual interests?

Join Hudson for a deep dive into these topics with Interior Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government His Excellency Rebar Ahmed, one of the region’s most experienced and respected statesmen. Senior Fellow Joel Rayburn will host Minister Ahmed for a fireside chat followed by audience Q&A.

Event Audio

Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

April 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

The New India Conference

Featured Speakers:

Nisha Biswal

Kurt Campbell

Vijay Chauthaiwale

Priyanka Chaturvedi

Dattatreya Hosabale

Hemang Jani

Kenneth Juster

Amb. Vinay Kwatra

Ram Madhav

Ashok Malik

Richard Rossow

Joel Scanlon

Elizabeth Threlkeld

Moderators:

Lisa Curtis

Bill Drexel

Walter Russell Mead

Aparna Pande

April 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

The New India Conference

Hudson will convene leading policymakers, strategists, and scholars from India, the US, and their international partners to examine India’s transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its implications for global order, US-India relations, and the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.

Featured Speakers:

Nisha Biswal

Kurt Campbell

Vijay Chauthaiwale

Priyanka Chaturvedi

Dattatreya Hosabale

Hemang Jani

Kenneth Juster

Amb. Vinay Kwatra

Ram Madhav

Ashok Malik

Richard Rossow

Joel Scanlon

Elizabeth Threlkeld

Moderators:

Lisa Curtis

Bill Drexel

Walter Russell Mead

Aparna Pande

Learn More

April 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

The Future of the Gulf: Commerce and Security in the Middle East After Operation Epic Fury

Featured Speaker:

Jared Cohen

Moderator:

Mike Gallagher

April 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

The Future of the Gulf: Commerce and Security in the Middle East After Operation Epic Fury

Join Hudson Institute Distinguished Fellow Mike Gallagher for a fireside chat with Jared Cohen, president of global affairs at Goldman Sachs and co-head of the Goldman Sachs Global Institute, for a discussion on the future of the Persian Gulf.

Featured Speaker:

Jared Cohen

Moderator:

Mike Gallagher

Learn More

April 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

Updating US Trade Policy: A Discussion on the Strategic and Economic Importance of Central Asia with Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)

Featured Speakers:

Ken Moriyasu

Congressman Jimmy Panetta

April 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

Updating US Trade Policy: A Discussion on the Strategic and Economic Importance of Central Asia with Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)

Please join Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Senior Fellow Ken Moriyasu for a discussion on Central Asia’s economic and strategic significance and why updating US trade policy is key to unlocking the region’s potential in an era of renewed great power competition.

Featured Speakers:

Ken Moriyasu

Congressman Jimmy Panetta

Learn More

April 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Sustaining the Edge: A Conversation with Congressman Ronny Jackson on US-Israel Technology and Security

Featured Speakers:

Joel Rayburn

Congressman Ronny Jackson

April 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Sustaining the Edge: A Conversation with Congressman Ronny Jackson on US-Israel Technology and Security

Please join Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Michael Doran and Congressman Ronny Jackson (R-TX) for a discussion on the congressman’s recently introduced United States-Israel Framework for Upgraded Technologies, Research, and Enhanced Security Act and the strategic importance of the US-Israel partnership.