Ambassador James Franklin Jeffrey takes listeners inside the world of U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East in his book Middle East Crises: Expeditionary Diplomacy with the Bush, Obama, and Trump Teams. He shares firsthand experiences negotiating with world leaders, managing conflicts, and making split-second decisions that shaped American foreign policy. From Iraq to Syria to Turkey, Jeffrey reveals how diplomacy, strategy, and careful decision-making prevent crises from escalating.



In this episode, Jeffrey discusses lessons from his decades-long career, including serving under three presidents, bridging military and diplomatic efforts, and guiding U.S. policy in some of the world’s most volatile regions. Listeners will gain insight into crisis management, leadership under pressure, and the personal habits that contributed to his success. This conversation offers both an insider’s view of diplomacy and practical strategies for decision-making.



Quotes:



“Presidents make all the hard decisions, but we can give them advice, and most importantly, we can give them confidence that we can carry out whatever they decide.”



“Try lots of base runs and walks… you make the outage very slowly. You do base runs, not home runs, to make it on the margins better.”



“Even the most powerful country can only influence what other nations decide to do with their lives; progress happens at the margins.”



“Your decisions of any consequence… you rationally look at the options, quickly review the situation, compare alternatives, communicate, and execute vigorously.”



Resources:




Connect with Ambassador James Jeffrey on LinkedIn



Get the book Middle East Crises: Expeditionary Diplomacy with the Bush, Obama, and Trump Teams by James Franklin Jeffrey on Amazon