Dr. Keynoush, who earned her Ph.D. from Tufts University, has conducted research in the Near East for 2 decades. She has contributed to the Commonwealth Club's Member-led Middle East Forum, as has Jonathan Curiel, today's moderator, a journalist and author. They will talk about about her latest book, Iran's Interregional Dynamics in the Near East, about how Iran was less successful in expanding regional influence than assumed, why opportunities to engage with Iran have been squandered, Pope Francis' recent visit to Iraq and his meeting with Iranian-born cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and the complex relations between Iran and other states in the Near East, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and others.
MLF ORGANIZER: Celia Menczel

SPEAKERS
Banafsheh Keynoush
Ph.D., International Law and Diplomacy; Author, Saudi Arabia and Iran: Friends or Foes
Jonathan Curiel
Journalist; Author—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.
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