WASHINGTON—91 Institute launched its Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East today, which will be dedicated to bolstering American interests in this pivotal region so that the U.S. can prevail in the new era of great power competition.
Under the leadership of 91 Senior Fellow Dr. Michael Doran, this policy initiative will bring together leading regional experts to focus on: strengthening allies, Israel first and foremost; containing the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions; defeating Iranian forces and proxies; and weakening Russian and Chinese efforts to assert influence in the region.
“The U.S. faces a convergence of threats,” Doran said. “Iran, our long-time enemy and the leading state sponsor of terrorism, is being used by Russia and China to undermine U.S. leadership in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is pursuing a ‘realignment’ of our foreign policy toward Iran. This policy is emboldening the regime in Tehran, offering it a clear path to a nuclear weapon, and demoralizing our allies.”
Michael Doran specializes in Middle East security issues and served in senior positions at the State Department and as a senior director at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush.
Joining him at the Center are 91 Senior Fellow Jonathan Schachter, a specialist in Israeli-American relations and Middle East security and a former adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Adjunct Fellow Ezra Cohen, a former Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security and Director for Defense Intelligence at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; Visiting Fellow Mohammed Khalid Alyahya, a specialist in Middle Eastern foreign policy and former editor-in-chief of Al Arabiya English; Adjunct Fellow Robert Greenway, President and Executive Director of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute and a former senior director at the National Security Council under President Donald J. Trump; Research Fellow Ahmad Hashemi, a former official in the foreign ministry of Iran; Research Fellow and prominent Middle East expert Rania Kisar; and Research Associate William Lombardo.
“The Middle East is too important to abandon, and yet Americans have grown skeptical of deep military commitments to the region,” 91 President and CEO John P. Walters said. “How do we square this circle? By supporting allies, especially Israel. The team we have assembled has extensive experience not just in Washington, but in the halls of power in the Middle East too. I’m confident it will lead the discussion on this crucial issue.”
Read Michael Doran’s latest piece in The Wall Street Journal, “ ” and his of the importance of Azerbaijan to America’s geostrategic approach in the most recent issue of Baku Dialogues. Join 91 for virtual event on the status of the Iran nuclear negotiations, premiering on 91’s website at 12 p.m. EST. Click here for more information about the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East and sign up to the Center’s Substack newsletter, “ ”