Joshua Harris, a career diplomat with over two decades of Foreign Service experience, has been nominated as the next US Ambassador to Malaysia. The formal nomination was sent to the US Senate for confirmation on July 22, 2026 [1, 2, 3].
Harris holds the rank of Minister-Counselor in the Senior Foreign Service and currently serves as Chargé d’Affaires leading the US mission in Iraq since September 2, 2025 [2, 3]. His diplomatic career includes postings in Slovenia, Iraq, Libya, Croatia, and assignments in Baghdad, Ljubljana, and Zagreb [1, 3].
He previously acted as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, overseeing Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia [1, 3]. In 2024, Harris was nominated as US Ambassador to Algeria, highlighting his extensive regional experience [3].
Harris graduated from Georgetown University’s Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service and the London School of Economics. He is a polyglot fluent in Arabic, Croatian, French, Italian, Polish, and Slovenian [1, 3]. He joined the Foreign Service after the September 11, 2001 attacks [2].
The ambassador post in Kuala Lumpur has been vacant since February 2026, after Edgard Kagan’s tenure ended. David Gamble is currently acting as Chargé d’Affaires in Malaysia [3]. Kagan described US-Malaysia ties under his watch as "stronger, more resilient and effective than ever" [3].
Harris’s nomination follows the withdrawal of former Trump nominee Nick Adams, an Australian-American political influencer whose controversial views sparked protests in Malaysia [1, 2].
Senate confirmation hearings for Harris are pending. If approved, he will succeed Kagan and take up the ambassadorial post in Kuala Lumpur.
