America and the Gulf: Past, Present and Future

With Daniel Benaim, former deputy assistant secretary of state for the Arabian Peninsula Drawing on his experience at the U.S. Department of State, Benaim explores the evolution of U.S. engagement in the Gulf, from longstanding security partnerships to today’s complex diplomatic, economic and geopolitical challenges. As regional dynamics shift and global competition intensifies, what does the future hold for America’s relationships across the Gulf? This seminar offers insights into the strategic decisions shaping U.S. policy and what they mean for the years ahead. Daniel Benaim previously served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Arabian Peninsula affairs and NSC senior director for speechwriting and strategic initiatives and special assistant to the president. As deputy assistant secretary of state for the Arabian Peninsula from 2021-2025, he took part in a range of initiatives, including diplomacy to end regional wars, efforts to bring jailed Americans home safely, the evacuation of almost 100,000 Afghan allies through the Gulf, arms sales, semiconductor exports, commercial diplomacy, and competition with China in the Middle East. Benaim has served multiple stints at the White House, State Department and U.S. Senate, as well as U.S. think tanks and universities, and published in Foreign Affairs and the New York Times. He is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Hosted by the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/research/...