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Lecture

BG (Ret.) Dr. Oren Setter
After the Strikes: What Comes Next for Iran, Israel, and the Region with Carly Maisel

Sunday 8.03.2026

Summary

The Middle East has entered uncharted territory. In the days following the joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran’s nuclear, military and regime infrastructure — and the death of Supreme Leader Khamenei — the region faces a moment of historic volatility and possibility. In this session, Lockdown University sits down with Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Dr. Oren Setter, one of Israel’s foremost Iran experts with over 30 years in strategic intelligence and defense planning, to make sense of what just happened, what Iran’s next moves might be, and what a post-Khamenei Middle East could look like. From nuclear program remnants to regional proxies, regime succession to the prospects for a new deal — this is the conversation the moment demands.

BG (Ret.) Dr. Oren Setter

An image of BG (Ret.) Dr. Oren Setter

Brigadier General (Ret.) Dr. Oren Setter recently retired after a distinguished 30-year career with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), culminating as Deputy Director for Strategy and Negotiations at the Hostages Taskforce. In this capacity, he played a key role in the indirect negotiations with Hamas following the events of October 7th.

Previously, Dr. Setter led the IDF Strategic Planning Division, where he shaped the military’s strategies and policies across all mission domains. He also represented the IDF in high-stakes negotiations, including the Israel-Lebanon maritime border discussions.

A graduate of the IDF’s elite “Talpiot” program, Dr. Setter began his career as a systems analyst in the Israeli Air Force and the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense R&D, contributing to advanced projects like Iron Dome and the Tactical High Energy Laser. He later held senior leadership positions within Israel’s intelligence community, focusing primarily on Iran and its nuclear program, and is considered one of Israel’s foremost experts on the subject.

Dr. Setter’s contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Israel Defense Award.

He holds a BSc in Physics from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (as part of the Talpiot program), and a PhD in Operations Research from Tel Aviv University, specializing in R&D policy. He has also been a research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.