BRETT MCGURK ON ‘BRINK: INSIDE THE RACE TO FREE THE OCTOBER 7TH HOSTAGES’ - Join the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs for a conversation with Distinguished Fellow Brett McGurk to mark the publication of his new book, Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7 Hostages.

McGurk served in senior national security positions across four presidential administrations, most recently as President Joe Biden’s coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa. In that role, he helped lead negotiations to secure the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, conducted back-channel diplomacy with Iran, and helped coordinate the defense of Israel against two large-scale Iranian missile and drone attacks.

In conversation with Washington Post foreign affairs columnist David Ignatius, McGurk will discuss the book and his firsthand account of the diplomacy and decision-making that followed Hamas’s October 7 attack, including the war in Gaza, the US-Israel relationship, Iran, and the future of US policy in the Middle East.

ORIGINAL AIRDATE - 10/15/2026