Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on the Iran War

Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta says he was surprised that the Trump administration apparently had no plan to deal with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz before launching strikes on Iran in late February. “I think that basically is a failure of planning for what would be an obvious consequence of a war in the Middle East,” Panetta told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

With hundreds dead, millions more displaced, billions spent, and oil prices surging, many are asking: Was this war avoidable? How might it end? And will America’s traditional allies continue to rebuff President Trump’s calls for help? Panetta, who served as defense secretary and CIA director in the Obama administration, will address those questions—and what it all means for the future of the Middle East and for American politics at home.

Join Commonwealth Club World Affairs for an in-depth conversation with one of America’s most seasoned national security voices.

Notes

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Panetta photo courtesy of the speaker.

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Speakers

Leon E. Panetta, Chairman, The Panetta Institute for Public Policy; Former Secretary of Defense

Moderator: TBA

11:15 a.m. doors open & check-in
12–1 p.m. program
(all times Pacific Time)

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