About
The Middle East Forum Observer

The Middle East Forum Observer was founded in 2024 and provides rapid analysis on leading Middle East developments, from Marrakech to Mashhad and the Bab el-Mandeb to the Black Sea.

More than just an outlet for opinion and opeds, the Observer explores topics in greater depth than American newspapers or opinion essays, often drawing upon primary language research or technical expertise on topics like shipping, aircraft leasing, or counter-terrorism finance. Policymakers and intelligence analysts not only in the United States and Europe, but also across the Middle East regularly read Observer articles. Newspapers and policy journals from Israel to Iran excerpt and debate the Observer’s takes.

As with the Middle East Quarterly, Middle East Forum Observer is open access. All content is available without charge. The Middle East Forum Observer allows reposts of its articles as an integral whole with a citation that includes author, date, title, publication and original URL.

More from MEF
An aerial view of Qeshm Island.
Middle East Forum Observer
To Win the War Against Iran, the United States Must Seize Qeshm Island
In U.S. Hands, Qeshm Would Flip the Script—Iran No Longer Could Easily Target the Strait of Hormuz
July 11, 2026
 · 
Shay Khatiri
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in an October 2025 photo.
Middle East Forum Observer
Erdogan Has Become Turkey’s Most Successful Coup Leader
Erdoǧan’s Colleagues Have Not Reined in His Ambition and He Refuses to Retire
July 11, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
A recovery plant for natural gas liquids processing and extraction in Saudi Arabia.
Middle East Forum Observer
Middle Eastern Countries are Failing to Reduce Dependence on Fossil Fuels
The Region Emitted More than 3 Billion Tons of Greenhouse Gases Last Year; Iran Accounted for Roughly Half of the Total
July 11, 2026
 · 
Dalga Khatinoglu
Israeli surgeons at Soroka Medical Center removed a brain tumor from chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau Yahya Sinwar while he was imprisoned. Sinwar survived and later became the leader of Hamas in Gaza before masterminding the October 7 massacre.
Middle East Forum Online
Israel Saved Its Enemies. Turn Mercy Into Leverage
Israel Should Link Offers of Medical Treatment for Wounded Enemies to Information Operations That Publicly Document Leadership’s Dependence on Israeli Capabilities
July 10, 2026
 · 
Jose Lev Alvarez
Since assuming emergency powers in July 2021, Tunisian President Kais Saied has methodically dismantled democratic institutions, sidelined elected bodies, muzzled independent media, and violated human rights under the pretext of combating corruption and terrorism.
Middle East Forum Online
Tunisia Is Dying While Chasing Political Ghosts
Legal Theater Cannot Feed a Collapsing Nation
July 10, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub
U.K. Islamist organizations, including the Muslim Council of Britain, demand media regulator Ofcom take action against X for hosting Uwe Boll’s Citizen Vigilante starring Armie Hammer.
FWI News
U.K. Muslim Organizations Call for Action Against X While Using Platform to Advance Islamism
Muslim Council of Britain Slams Ofcom for Double Standards Over Citizen Vigilante
July 10, 2026
 · 
Jules Gomes
Al-Sharaa is a veteran of the global jihadist movement who gained operational experience fighting American forces alongside al-Qaeda in Iraq after the 2003 invasion. Following his subsequent incarceration at Camp Bucca, he spearheaded the creation of Jabhat al-Nusra, which operated as al-Qaeda’s official Syrian franchise. Image: Al-Sharaa in Berlin, March 30, 2026.
Middle East Forum Online
U.S.’s Overture to Ahmed Al-Sharaa: A Risky Bet on ‘Reformed’ Islamism
Sharaa’s Elevation from International Terrorist to Diplomatic Partner Is the Most Sophisticated Mutation of Salafi-Jihadist Ideology in the Modern Era
July 10, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub
The Islamic Republic is not only burying a former supreme leader but, more importantly, trying to convert his death into a staged affirmation of authority, legitimacy, and transnational Shia leadership. Image: Mourners attend a farewell ceremony for Iran’s late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 6, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.
Middle East Forum Online
What the Politics of Tears Means for Iran’s Future
Khamenei’s Funeral Lays Bare the Regime’s Reliance on Spectacle over Genuine Loyalty
July 10, 2026
 · 
Saeid Golkar
Kaohsiung Port harbor, downtown, the Taiwan Strait, and Shoushan Mountain in Taiwan.
Middle East Forum Observer
Can Israel Help Prevent a ‘Hormuz 2.0’ in the Taiwan Strait?
A Naval Blockade of Taiwan Would Cripple the Global Electronics Industry and Automotive Sector and Hamper Artificial Intelligence
July 10, 2026
 · 
Jose Lev Alvarez
Jerusalem’s task now is convincing Washington that the F-35 question and the Libya question are, in substance, the same question, asked in two different theaters. Image: a U.S. Air Force F-35B Lightning II.
Middle East Forum Online
Turkey Doesn’t Need F-35s to Threaten Israel; It’s Already Testing Its Arsenal in Libya
For Israeli Security Planners Gauging What Turkey Would Do with Expanded Access to Advanced Western Technology, the Most Useful Case Study Is Libya
July 9, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub