Camden Conference Talk hosted by the Rockland Public Library, Oct 1st

Camden Conference Talk hosted by the Rockland Public Library

US Policy in the Middle East: Seven Months into a Four-Week War

With Christopher Barr presenting 

October 1, 2026, at 6:00pm in the Community Room

Rockland, Maine - Despite numerous assurances early on that the conflict with Iran would be a short one, it has now stretched on for nearly seven months with few signs that there will be a clear and sustainable end to the hostilities. While some aspects of the conflict, including its duration, were clearly foreseeable, others have been less so. Christopher Barr will help to untangle both the predictable and unpredictable knock-on effects of the Trump Administration’s war with Iran by putting it in the context of broader and longer-running conflicts in the Middle East, including those in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. He will also discuss the roles played and challenges faced by the Administration and Congress, as well as US allies and partners and adversaries alike.

Christopher Barr is the President of the World Affairs Council of Maine, supporting the Council’s work to connect Maine and the world through dialogue, education, and civic engagement with engaging programming and public diplomacy. Previously, Chris served on the professional staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2013 to 2025 where he covered the Middle East and North Africa, Nonproliferation, International Financial Institutions and Public Diplomacy. Chris lives in Yarmouth with his wife, two sons and a (mostly) Labrador mix. To learn more about the World Affairs Council of Maine, go to https://wacmaine.org/

All are welcome to attend. The Rockland Public Library is located at 80 Union St in Rockland. For more information, please contact Jeannie Sullivan at jsulilvan@rocklandmaine.gov