Dana Stroul is a seasoned U.S. foreign policy expert specializing in the Middle East. Prior to her government roles, she worked on Capitol Hill as a professional staff member, contributing to congressional foreign policy efforts and Senate committees focused on international relations. From 2008 to 2013, she served in the Middle East policy office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, addressing key issues such as U.S.-Egypt relations, the U.S. military drawdown in Iraq, and related strategic reviews. She subsequently served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, leading the formulation of Department of Defense policy and strategy for multiple countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Oman. She is currently Director of Research and Shelly and Michael Kassen Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), having joined the institution in February 2024.