Iran, Middle East Instability & National Security
October 22, 2026 | 7:00pm ET program
Javed Ali,
Associate Professor of Practice, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan; former Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation
About the event
Middle East instability directly shapes American foreign policy, economic stability, and domestic security. As Washington attempts to pivot focus toward Great Power competition with China and Russia, recurring regional crises continue pulling military, intelligence, and diplomatic assets back into the region. Recent developments—such as the August 2026 Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan—signal a profound shift toward regional self-reliance and collective deterrence. This evolving security architecture reshapes long-standing U.S. alliances, influences global energy corridors, and complicates Washington's efforts to counter Iran's proxy networks, drone proliferation, and gray-zone cyber tactics.
Join the International Affairs Forum for an insider perspective with national security expert
Javed Ali,
former Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council and former intelligence analyst with the FBI and DIA. Drawing on his experience from field operations to the White House Situation Room, Ali will analyze how shifting Middle East power dynamics, proxy warfare, and new regional pacts disrupt global strategy and impact U.S. national security at home and abroad.
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Event Details
Thursday, October 22, 2026
7:00 pm Eastern US program | 6:00 pm reception
Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium
Northwestern Michigan College
1701 E. Front St. Traverse City, MI
Parking in Aspen Lot
Hybrid event |
in-person audience and online livestream
In-person admission |
$20 advance purchase | $23 at venue
Online admission |
$10 per person | watch online
Students & educators |
free admission for current students and educators, including NMC and area secondary schools.
Members | Supporters of IAF do not need to purchase tickets. Members make these programs possible via membership gifts. Explore membership options here.
About the speaker
Javed Ali
is an associate professor of practice at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy where he delivers courses on counterterrorism and domestic terrorism, cybersecurity, and national security law and policy. Ali brings more than 20 years of professional experience in national security and intelligence issues in Washington, DC. He held positions in the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Department of Homeland Security before joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation. While at the FBI, he also held senior roles on joint duty assignments at the National Intelligence Council and the National Counterterrorism Center, and the National Security Council under the Trump Administration. Ali holds a BA in political science from the University of Michigan, a JD from the University of Detroit School of Law, and an MA in international relations from American University. He provides TV and radio interviews on a range of national security issues to US and international networks and similar print commentary in such publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Hill, and Newsweek. Learn more about Javed Ali
here.
About the moderator
Major General Mike Lehnert, USMC Ret.
is the chair of the International Affairs Forum Advisory Board. He retired from the Marine Corps after 37 years of service in 2010. During that time he held thirteen separate commands and participated in military operations in Panama, Kuwait and Iraq where he led 5,000 Marines and sailors during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. He ran the Cuban and Haitian migrant camps during Operation Sea Signal in Guantanamo and returned there in 2002 as the Joint Task Force Commander responsible for securing the detainees transferred from the Afghan conflict. In 2010 he was honored with the Peacemaker award by the National Conflict Resolution Center for his work defending human rights at the Guantanamo Detention Facility where his experience was documented in Karen Greenberg’s book, The Least Worst Place. He holds a Masters degree in International Relations from the University of Maryland earned while he attended the Naval War College.
