The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved on Wednesday the nomination of Joel Rayburn as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Rayburn had been nominated for the position in February by Donald Trump, but the appointment required Senate confirmation.
Joel Rayburn is a former U.S. Army colonel, diplomat, and recognized expert on Middle Eastern affairs. Over the course of his career, he has held several positions at the State Department and the National Security Council, focusing in particular on Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Iranian policies in the region.
He is also the author of several books on Middle Eastern history and politics, including Iraq After America, and has overseen official publications on the Iraq War. Rayburn is considered an influential voice on U.S. diplomacy in the Levant and on the region’s geopolitical dynamics.
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