iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

2 - It's a riveting true story of the murder of Malcolm Kerr, president of the American University of Beirut, in Lebanon in 1984. Kerr was a noted influential Middle East scholar - and father of Steve Kerr, the former NBA player and head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

110

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

1- Tune in to the latest episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East," where Kim Ghattas talks with me about her new book, "The Best Kind of American." @middleeastinst.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/k...

podcasts.apple.com

Kim Ghattas on a Murder That Explains the Middle East

Podcast Episode · Taking the Edge Off the Middle East with Brian Katulis · October 14 · 57m

110

Reposted by Brian Katulis

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Kim dropped by to record an episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East with Brian Katulis" at the Middle East Institute yesterday, and that episode will be out next week. Aziza loved meeting Kim! Check out the podcast series here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

001

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

001

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Out this coming week! "The Best Kind of American" by Kim Ghattas, a riveting work of true crime about the murder of Malcolm Kerr, Middle East scholar and president of the American University of Beirut in 1984. Pre-order her book here: us.macmillan.com/books/978125...

us.macmillan.com

The Best Kind of American

A work of true crime following one American family’s search for answers after a 1984 murder in war-torn Beirut, where the Iranian revolution collided with ...

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

U.S. foreign policy: architects vs. engineers Tune in to Andrew Tabler talking with me on “Taking the Edge Off the Middle East” Middle East Institute www.youtube.com/shorts/r-DE4... Full episode here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

youtube.com

Architects and engineers of US foreign policy

YouTube video by Middle East Institute

000

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Check out the Drake Forum and its efforts to make U.S. policy work in the real world and connect concerns closer to home with what's going on in the world here: www.drakeenergysecurity.org

drakeenergysecurity.org

Drake Energy Forum

2026 Drake Dialogues Energy Affordability & The New Economic Geography Ener Experts, Practitioners & Local Leaders Discuss Future of Energy and Environmental Security October 19-20, 2026 Oil R...

000

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

On this episode, Andrew Tabler talks about his life and times in #Syria and the Middle East, in a fascinating career that led him to senior positions in the Trump administrations White House and State Department - and now to his new venture in his hometown of Oil City, PA.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Tune in to "From the Middle East to Middle America: Engineering Better Policy" - Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute talks with me on the latest episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East" @middleeastinst.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/f...

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

What's it like to interview the President of the United States & how do you break the ice? Hisham Melhem tells me on the latest episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East with Brian Katulis" @middleeastinst.bsky.social st Check out the full episode here: youtu.be/xGf125-pqAs?...

youtu.be

Hisham Melhem's American Crossroads

YouTube video by Middle East Institute

000

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

My dear friend Hisham Melhem tells us stories from key episodes of his life and career covering the Middle East. Recorded in the beautiful Oman library at @middleeastinst.bsky.social Tune in to the latest episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East" here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGf1...

000

Reposted by Brian Katulis

Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Don’t miss this. “My infatuation with American popular culture helped me. ... I was very critical of US policy vis-a-vis Palestine and of the war in Vietnam, but I never fell into the trap of becoming anti-American," Hisham Melhem tells @briankatulis.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

podcasts.apple.com

Hisham Melhem's American Crossroads

Podcast Episode · Taking the Edge Off the Middle East with Brian Katulis · September 16 · 1h 17m

031

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The United States lacks a coherent strategy to work in close coordination with its partners to deal with threats posed by the Houthis in #Yemen. It's connected to the strategic drift in U.S. policy on #Iran. My take on i24NEWS English today:

000

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Check out the latest episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East with Brian Katulis," where I talk with my Middle East Institute colleague Yael Lempert about her distinguished career representing America for years across key parts of the Middle East. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r...

000

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

4 - Have a listen to this latest episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East with Brian Katulis" with Ambassador Yael Lempert And please share it with friends and colleagues and if you do listen, please rate and review it too! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r...

010

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

3 - And also playing a key role in #Israel & #Palestine during President Barack Obama's trip in 2013; and - serving as U.S. ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of #Jordan from 2023 to 2025; podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r...

podcasts.apple.com

Reflections on a Diplomatic Career in the Middle East: A Conversation With Ambassador Yael Lempert

Podcast Episode · Taking the Edge Off the Middle East with Brian Katulis · September 3 · 1h 14m

110

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

2 - We talk about key episodes in her career including: -risking her life on the ground in #Iraq in the early years after the 2003 war; - evacuating Americans out of #Libya in 2011 during the turmoil there... podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r...

podcasts.apple.com

Reflections on a Diplomatic Career in the Middle East: A Conversation With Ambassador Yael Lempert

Podcast Episode · Taking the Edge Off the Middle East with Brian Katulis · September 3 · 1h 14m

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

1 - Many thanks to my @MiddleEastInst colleague Yael Lempert for telling the story of her amazing career of more than a quarter century as a U.S. diplomat Latest episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East" is out! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r...

podcasts.apple.com

Reflections on a Diplomatic Career in the Middle East: A Conversation With Ambassador Yael Lempert

Podcast Episode · Taking the Edge Off the Middle East with Brian Katulis · September 3 · 1h 14m

110

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Yael & I talk about some key chapters in her career that included serving 3 different presidents at the NSC at the White House. She also offers up some career advice for the next generation at the end. A great episode overall & Aziza loved meeting Yael after the recording!

000

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Coming this week- the latest episode of "Taking the Edge Off the Middle East," my podcast with the Middle East Institute. I speak with Yael Lempert, a seasoned former U.S. diplomat who served in places like #Jordan (where she was U.S. ambassador),#Egypt, #Iraq, #Libya, #Israel & #Palestine.

110

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

14. Thanks to Ambassador Doug Silliman of the Arab Gulf States Institute for a constructive exchange of views with me on #Iran this recent television program: youtube.com/watch?v=n9gs... @middleeastinst.bsky.social

youtube.com

Trump’s unfinished war | This is America

YouTube video by Al Jazeera English

000

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

13. But given the ever-shifting tactics, no one actually knows what the endgame of the current Iran policy is, including perhaps Trump himself.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

12. Trump's endgame seems to be what it is on most issues: to give the appearance of a win for the United States without actually achieving one.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

11. That means fewer countries will likely cooperate closely with the United States on Iran policy than we saw in the past. It's hard to round of a posse when America spend a lot of its time alienating some of its closest friends & partners (#Canada and #Denmark, case in point)

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

10. One thing that's different this time is that more countries are skeptical of the United States because of Trump's trade wars against nearly all countries in the world, including a close ally and neighbor Canada.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

9. What's also different is now Iran has a set of leaders that seem less predictable and more willing to take risks - they have little to lose to press the limits.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

8. One key challenge: the Iranian regime relies on asymmetric force and power, and it can also withstand a lot of pressure because it is a repressive government that will kill its own people on an industrial scale just to stay in power.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

7. A strategy requires several things: clearly expressed goals that are specific and realistic, a rank ordering of priorities for the policy, and a smooth plan for implementation and execution. Trump 2.0's national security policy exhibits few clear examples of these of these

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

6. It would be too generous to call anything Trump is doing these days a strategy - not on Iran, not on #Israel-#Palestine, or even more widely on #China, #Russia, or the trade war with #Canada.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

5. Now six months doesn’t qualify as an endless war. But at this stage, there appears no end in sight, and the costs are mounting for the American people and the world.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

4. Trump now looks desperate & weak in the face of multiple failures to produce the outcomes he promised & his domestic political standing is damaged by his own unforced policy errors. The 2026 Iran war is shaping up to be one of the biggest self-owns ever in US foreign policy

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

3. In the six months since the war began, Trump’s Iran policy has zigzagged from one position to the next – and he’s been incapable of producing a lasting diplomatic agreement because of the nature of the Iranian regime but also due to his own approach to foreign affairs.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

2. The Iran war passed its six-month mark – a war that President Donald Trump promised would end in 4-6 weeks.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

1. Endless wars don’t happen by accident – they are often the result of appeasement of adversaries and self-delusion. #IranWar‌

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Have you noticed how President Trump repeatedly uses amped up rhetoric in attempts to mask and hide the weaknesses in his foreign policy approach? The latest example: www.wsj.com/world/middle... Why have a coherent, effective policy when you can just have ever shifting rhetorical flourishes?

wsj.com

Trump Threatens Iran With ‘Economic D-Day’

As the war nears its six-month point, the president says he would unleash the “most crushing economic operation ever taken.”

000

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Jared Kushner on Hamas: “…it's very, very hard to trust, you know, a terrorist organization that committed these terrible atrocities.” YA THINK??

000

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

23 - Issues like the economy, immigration, the growth of AI data centers in local communities, and the health of America's democracy matter much more than Iran or Israel-Palestine at this point in time.

000

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

22- Plus 2026 is not 2006 - few people in America outside of the bubble are paying much attention to the Middle East in the way that the Iraq war DID animate real politics in the 2006 midterms.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

21 -Democrats are mostly tuned out or delusional when it comes to their ideas on the Middle East, a mix of tactical criticisms & pandering to vocal elite advocacy groups that have a lot of heart on some issues but also suffer from significant blind spots about reality.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

20 - Trump has no realistic pathway towards progress on the Israeli Palestinian front given his current position now, which has largely ignored the harsh realities on the ground & he also hasn't listened much to the consensus view among regional powers in favor of 2-states.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

19 - But in an age of asymmetric power where weaker parties can do much damage over time to their stronger adversaries- especially if they are willing to kill their own people on an industrial scale.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

18 - Iran remains the weaker party & it suffered a lot of damage during the wars of the last few years, especially this year.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

17 - The big, overarching story in the Middle East is the test of wills between Iran, now led by people who are even less predictable and more willing to take risks than the past leadership.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

16- World to America: we are going to keep moving on with and without you, and you can maybe catch up later if you ever get your act together further down the line.

100

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

15 - That's why some have directly thumbed their nose at Trump's initiatives, like Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu did on Trump's Gaza plan this week. It explains why other partners like Saudi Arabia are doing things like signing their own defense pacts with Turkey & Pakistan.

210

Brian Katulis @briankatulis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

14 - America's friends & adversaries in the Middle East see that the Trump administration is either incapable or unwilling to produce the outcomes it says it wants on Iran and the Israeli Palestinian front.

100