WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 28, 2025 – The Atlantic Council announced that Victoria J. Taylor, former deputy assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran, will be the new director of the Iraq Initiative within its Middle East Programs. 

Taylor brings a distinguished background as a national security leader with over two decades of experience in the Middle East and Europe. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Taylor also served at US Department of State as the director for North African Affairs, as the deputy director for Western Europe, in the Office of Iranian Affairs, and on the Turkey Desk.  She also served at the National Security Council as the director for Balkans, Caucasus, and Black Sea Affairs, and abroad as the deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Croatia, as well as in postings in Tunis, Tbilisi, Islamabad, and Lahore. 

“At a moment of significant regional change, Iraq’s security and economic development remain critical for regional stability and for advancing broader US 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 US-Iraq partnership and help build a sovereign, secure, and prosperous Iraq.” 

As director of the Iraq Initiative, Taylor will lead the Council’s work on Iraq, providing policy recommendations and analysis to US and regional policymakers and business leaders that advance Iraq’s regional integration, stability, and democratic and economic development, as well as broaden Washington’s understanding of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and Iraq’s minority communities. 

“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 Atlantic 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 hails from Springfield, Missouri. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and diplomatic history from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in development studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She speaks French, Mandarin, Russian, and Urdu. 

For questions or interview requests, please contact press@atlanticcouncil.org.