CFR On the Record

In this moment of renewed debate over the United States’ role in the world, CFR launches the Future of American Strategy Initiative, a multiyear effort to develop a strategic vision for U.S. foreign policy and answer a defining question: Where does America go from here?

Led by Senior Fellow Rebecca Lissner, a leading U.S. foreign policy practitioner and scholar, the Future of American Strategy Initiative will bring together perspectives across ideological lines to develop new thinking on U.S. foreign policy.

In this episode, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee discuss the defense priorities, investments, and strategic choices that will define American power in the decade ahead.

Host: Dasha Burns, White House Bureau Chief and Host, The Conversation, Politico; Host, Ceasefire, C-SPAN

Guests: Elissa Slotkin, U.S. Senator from Michigan (D); Member, Senate Armed Services Committee; Member, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Tim Sheehy, U.S. Senator from Montana (R), Member, Senate Armed Services Committee

Introductory Remarks: Michael Froman, President, Council on Foreign Relations; CFR Member

Rebecca Lissner, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy and Director of the Future of American Strategy Initiative, Council on Foreign Relations

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In this episode, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda discusses the economic impact of the Middle East conflict on Asia and the Pacific, ADB’s response, and the need for countries to strengthen resilience against future shocks.

Host: Brad W. Setser, Whitney Shepardson Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

Guests: Masato Kanda, President, Asian Development Bank

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In this episode, panelists discuss European responses to the war in Iran, efforts in conflict resolution, and the implications for the transatlantic relationship, EU cohesion, and Europe’s long-term strategic direction.

Host: Serge Schmemann, Editorial Writer, New York Times; CFR Member

Guests: Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, Chief Executive Officer and President, German Marshall Fund of the United States

Douglas E. Lute, Chair, International and Defense Practices, BGR Group; Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO (2013-17); CFR Member

Ellie Geranmayeh, Deputy Director, Middle East and North Africa Programme and Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations

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In this episode, panelists assess the evolving situation in Iran, identify U.S. policy options for ending the conflict, and examine the implications of each potential next step.

Host: Janine Zacharia, Carlos Kelly McClatchy Lecturer, Stanford University; CFR Member

Guests: Brian H. Hook, Vice Chairman, Cerberus Global Investments, LP; Former U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (2018– 2020)

Michele Flournoy, Cofounder and Managing Partner, WestExec Advisors; Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (2009– 2011); Member, Board of Directors, CFR

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: U.S. Policy Options in the War with Iran

In this episode, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael M. Grossi discusses his candidacy for UN secretary-general, his plans and priorities for the future of the United Nations, and the challenges facing nuclear security, nuclear energy, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty regime.

Host: Esther Brimmer, James H. Binger Senior Fellow in Global Governance, Council on Foreign Relations

Guests: Rafael M. Grossi, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency; Nominee, Position of UN Secretary-General

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: 2026 UN Secretary-General Candidates Series: A Conversation With Rafael M. Grossi

In this episode, panelists examine how multilateral partnerships, innovative approaches, and strengthened financing can scale recovery and humanitarian efforts, enhance inclusion, and deliver durable outcomes for crisis-affected communities.

Host: Shannon K. O'Neil, Senior Vice President of Studies and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair, CFR

Guests: Reem Alabali Radovan, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany

Hanin Sayyed, Minister of Social Affairs of Lebanon

David Miliband, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Rescue Committee; Former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, United Kingdom

Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President, The Rockefeller Foundation; Former Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development; CFR Member

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: Delivering at the Frontline: Scaling Support for Fragile and Conflict-Affected States

In this episode, former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo discusses her view that European industry is being hollowed out by China and that the only path forward is a unified global trading bloc excluding China—an idea she said is being thwarted by the Trump administration. The episode also covers the legacy of the CHIPS Act and Raimondo’s fears that artificial intelligence could create mass unemployment and destabilize democracy.

Host: Tracy Alloway, Odd Lots Co-host, Bloomberg

Guest: Gina M. Raimondo, Distinguished Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce

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In this episode, panelists discuss the implications of U.S.-China relations on the international economy, including how tariff negotiations, supply chain restructuring, and technological competition effect global business. 

Host: Michael Froman, President, Council on Foreign Relations

Guests: Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Office, Pfizer, Inc; CFR Member 

Gina M. Raimondo, Distinguished Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

Geoff Martha, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Medtronic, Inc. 

John E. Waldron, President and Chief Operating Officer, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.; CFR Member

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: U.S.-China Relations and the Global Economy

In this episode, Dr. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the president of the United Arab Emirates, discusses the rapidly evolving conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States and its implications for the Middle East, including the diplomatic and security challenges facing Gulf states.

Host: Ethan Bronner, Israel Bureau Chief and Senior Editor, Bloomberg; CFR Member

Guests: Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the President, United Arab Emirates

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: A Conversation with Anwar Gargash

In this episode, panelists discuss the ongoing geoeconomic consequences of the conflict in Iran, including global energy flows and oil prices, economic development and AI buildout in the Gulf region, and sanctions on Russia. They also explore inflation and interest rates as markets respond to the crises.

Background Reading:

Host: Edward Fishman, Senior Fellow and Director of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

Guests: Edward Morse, Senior Advisor and Commodities Analyst, Hartree Partners, LP; CFR Member

Meghan L. O’Sullivan, Director and Professor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School; Member, Board of Directors, Council on Foreign Relations

Brad W. Setser, Whitney Shepardson Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

Karen E. Young, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs; CFR Member

Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.

To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: The Geoeconomic Ripple Effects of the War in Iran