Shifting Sands: Regional Realignment in the Middle East and Its Implications
Virtual Member-only Briefing Series
Thursday, July 20th, 2023 | 12 PM – 1:15 PM ET
China’s recent mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia made headlines, but the restoration of diplomatic ties between two regional rivals is but one change in a complicated and important region. Alongside China’s involvement, other diplomatic shifts have occurred, including the establishment of new alliances and partnerships, among them the Abraham Accords, dynamics within the Gulf Cooperation Council, and engagement by Egypt, Turkey, and Russia. These changes have led to recalibrations in relationships, strategic alignments, and negotiations among Middle Eastern countries, as they navigate evolving geopolitical dynamics and pursue their respective interests in the region and beyond. Join us for our Virtual member-only briefing with Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, on Thursday, July 20th from 12 to 1:15 PM ET where she will discuss the implications of the tectonic geopolitical shift in the Middle East, the ways in which China and Russia are increasingly challenging U.S. regional influence, and how can the U.S. address these new developments and challenges.
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SPEAKER:
Sanam Vakil
Dr. Sanam Vakil was appointed director of the Middle East and North Africa programme in 2023. She was previously the programme’s deputy director and senior research fellow, and led project work on Iran and Gulf Arab dynamics.
Sanam’s research focuses on regional security, Gulf geopolitics, and on future trends in Iran’s domestic and foreign policy.
She is also the James Anderson professorial lecturer in the Middle East Studies department at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS Europe) in Bologna, Italy.
Before these appointments, Sanam was an assistant professor of Middle East Studies at SAIS Washington. She served as a research associate at the Council on Foreign Relations also providing research analysis to the World Bank’s Middle East and North Africa department.
Sanam is the author of Action and Reaction: Women and Politics in Iran (Bloomsbury 2013). She publishes analysis and comments for a variety of media and academic outlets.
Sanam received her BA in political science and history from Barnard College, Columbia University and her MA/PhD in international relations and international economics from Johns Hopkins University.
RSVP to Join us on Thursday, July 20th
Photo credit: Saudi Press Agency / Handout / Reuters
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