Livestream: Iran, Middle East Instability & National Security

In partnership with Northwestern Michigan College’s International Affairs Forum, the Central Michigan University Hart-Milliken Speaker Series hosts national security expert Javed Ali, Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, former Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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.

This event will take place at the Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium in Traverse City with a livestream at CMU in Anspach 256 moderated by CMU faculty member Thomas Greitens, chairperson of the School of Politics, Society, Justice and Public Service. The Philip A. Hart and William G. Milliken Endowed Speaker Series for Integrity in Politics is named in memory of former U.S. Senator Philip A. Hart and former Michigan Governor William G. Milliken.