From 1997 to 1998, he was a national security fellow at
Harvard University. From 2005 to 2006, he was a
Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow, working on stability operations policy at the Department of Defense. He has been a professor at the
University of Minnesota. Kahl has published in leading
security studies journals, such as
International Security and
Security Studies, as well as
Foreign Affairs. Obama Administration From 2009 to 2011, he was the deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East in the Obama administration. In 2011, he was awarded the
Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service by Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates. In the Obama administration, Kahl was directly involved in negotiating the
Iran Nuclear Deal, as well as publicly advocating for it. In May 2018, it was revealed that aides to U.S. President
Donald Trump had contracted with the Israeli private intelligence firm
Black Cube to find evidence to support unsubstantiated and false claims that Kahl was being enriched by Iran lobbyists and that either he or deputy national security advisor
Ben Rhodes were cheating on their wives.
Biden Administration In November 2020, Kahl was named a member of the
Joe Biden presidential transition Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the
National Security Council. Kahl was nominated by Biden to serve as the under secretary of defense for policy. His nomination was subject to controversy in the Senate, with the Republican caucus unanimously opposing his confirmation due to his support for the
Iran nuclear deal, as well as for his criticisms of Trump administration policies. In 2021, 18 Republican United States Senators including Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), alleged that Kahl might have publicly disclosed classified or sensitive national security information on social media, and demanded an FBI investigation. Experts on classification told
Politico the Republican accusations against Kahl appeared to be politically motivated, asserting that the tweets did not appear to constitute a violation. On March 4, 2021, the Senate's
Armed Forces Committee held hearings on Kahl's nomination. The committee deadlocked on the nomination on March 24, 2021, therefore delaying his confirmation. The entire Senate voted to discharge Kahl's nomination from the committee in a 50–50 roll call vote; Vice President
Kamala Harris was needed to
break the tie. On April 27, 2021, Kahl was confirmed by a vote of 49–45, thanks in part to the absence of several Republican senators. In May 2023 it became known that Kahl would return to his role as a professor at Stanford University after being granted a two-year
leave of absence. In April 2024, Kahl joined the
Truman National Security Project's board of directors. Kahl was a member of the
Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee. It was disbanded in April 2025. == Publications ==