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
The worst option for the U.S. would be to rest on laurels and stand down, for the danger of loose nuclear material getting into the hands of terrorists or irregular forces will remain high until it can be secured and spirited out of Iran.
Middle East Forum Online
The Next Iran ‘Nightmare': The Nuclear Material
When Khamenei—or His Successors—Do the Inevitable and Surrender Their Nuclear Program, Then It Will Need to Be Extricated from Iran
June 22, 2025
 · 
Michael Rubin
Middle East Forum Online
U.S. Strikes Iran: How Will the Islamic Republic Respond?
President Trump Warned Any Retaliation Will be Met With Overwhelming Force
June 22, 2025
 · 
Jim Hanson
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020.
Middle East Forum Observer
The Long Game: How Trump and Netanyahu Orchestrated Iran’s Strategic Defeat
The U.S. President and Israeli Prime Minister Proved That American Power, Properly Applied, Remains Decisive
June 21, 2025
 · 
Gregg Roman
A Shi'ite mosque in Qom, Iran.
Middle East Forum Observer
Will the Islamic Republic Use Muharram to Whip up Fervor?
Rather than Accepting Responsibility for the Disaster He Has Wrought, Khamenei Will Equate Himself to the Greatest Shi’ite Martyr
June 21, 2025
 · 
Shay Khatiri
An oil tanker at sea.
Middle East Forum Observer
Could a Strait of Hormuz Closure Stop All Persian Gulf Oil and Gas Exports?
Disruption Could Cause Oil Prices to Surge Above $100 per Barrel, Worsening Inflation and Economic Instability Globally
June 21, 2025
 · 
Umud Shokri
United States Marine Corps troops with an armored vehicle humvee, ready for patrol.
Middle East Forum Observer
After Striking Iranian Sites, the U.S. Should Strengthen Its Presence in Kurdish Regions of Iraq and Syria
With Limited Troops in Both Countries, the U.S. Needs a Defense System That Can Intercept Tactical Ballistic and Cruises Missiles
June 21, 2025
 · 
Sirwan Kajjo
A line of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps troops cross the street in Tehran, Iran, in 2022.
Middle East Forum Observer
Destroy Iran’s Ethnic Azeri Revolutionary Guard Units
The Most Brutal Unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Is Staffed by Ethnic Azeri Officers and Rank-and-File
June 21, 2025
 · 
Michael Rubin
An IDF M109 howitzer artillery cannon fires 155mm shells at the Gaza Strip to attack Hamas targets. Gaza Envelope, Israel, October 25, 2023.
Middle East Forum Online
Coming Full Circle: The Global Implications of Israel’s Success in Iran
Regimes That Were Hostile to the Jewish State, or Doubted Its Effectiveness, Are Now Reconsidering
June 21, 2025
 · 
Michel Gurfinkiel
Reza Pahlavi, the oldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, in a 2023 file photo.
Middle East Forum Observer
The Problem with Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi
Pahlavi’s Anti-regime Organization Reflects His Hands-off Political Style, and He Must Impose Some Discipline to Move Forward
June 21, 2025
 · 
Michael Rubin
Kurdish men in a village in Iran.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran’s Kurds at a Crossroads
When the Future Is Unpredictable, Pushing Change Becomes Difficult—Especially Without Unity
June 21, 2025
 · 
Kamal Chomani