FILES: Victoria Taylor speaks during a panel at the MERI Forum 2023 in Erbil, hosted by the Middle East Research Institute.
Atlantic Council appoints Victoria J. Taylor to lead Iraq Initiative
NEWSROOM — The Atlantic Council announced Monday that Victoria J. Taylor, a career diplomat with more than two decades of experience in national security and foreign affairs, has been named director of the think tank’s Iraq Initiative under its Middle East Programs.
Taylor most recently served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran from July 2023 until May 2025. A member of the Senior Foreign Service, she has held senior roles at the U.S. State Department, including director for North African Affairs, deputy director for Western Europe, and assignments in the Office of Iranian Affairs and on the Turkey Desk. She also served at the National Security Council as director for Balkans, Caucasus, and Black Sea Affairs.
Her overseas postings have included deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Croatia and assignments in Tunisia, Georgia, Pakistan, and elsewhere.
“At a moment of significant regional change, Iraq’s security and economic development remain critical for regional stability and for advancing broader U.S. interests in the Middle East,” Taylor said. “I’m excited to join the Atlantic Council team and build on the Iraq Initiative’s work to strengthen the U.S.-Iraq partnership and help build a sovereign, secure, and prosperous Iraq.”
As director of the Iraq Initiative, Taylor will lead the Council’s research and policy engagement related to Iraq, offering analysis and recommendations to U.S. and regional policymakers and business leaders. The initiative promotes Iraq’s regional integration, political stability, and economic development, and seeks to expand U.S. understanding of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq’s minority communities, the Council said.
“The Atlantic Council is well-positioned to shape the conversation around the future of a critical MENA country like Iraq and the future of bilateral relations between Washington and Baghdad,” said William Wechsler, senior director of the Council’s Middle East Programs. “Under Taylor’s leadership, we will be able to become one of the main conveners of policy discussions and producers of thought-leadership on Iraq in a time of important regional upheaval.”
Taylor, a native of Springfield, Missouri, holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and diplomatic history from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in development studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She speaks French, Mandarin, Russian, and Urdu.
The Atlantic Council, based in Washington, works with global policymakers, business leaders, and civil society to address strategic challenges and strengthen cooperation between the United States and its partners.