Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) is organizing a foreign policy forum for 2016 White House contenders that will take place in Iowa later this year, The Hill has learned.

{mosads}Rogers, a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is pairing with former Iowa Republican Party Chairman Matt Strawn and Sam Clovis, an influential conservative in the state, to organize the event.

The former congressman has long been focused on foreign policy and has previously suggested he might run for the White House at some point to draw attention to national security issues.

He sent out a press release on Tuesday teasing “a significant announcement impacting the frst-in-the-nation caucuses and the 2016 Republican Presidential Primary.”

But a source involved in the event says the former congressman, who now has a Michigan radio show, is looking at shaping the GOP debate rather than participating in it.

“There will be many of us who want to help shape the debate,” said the source. “I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out where his interests are… Because of the RNC debates we’re not going to see a lot of debates. But you’re going to see a lot more forums, you’re going to see a tremendous amount of forums.”

Rogers and his partners will officially unveil the event and its details on Thursday at a press conference in Des Moines.