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 blue domes of the church provide a sharp contrast to white houses overlooking the Aegean Sea in Oia, a village on Santorini Island, Greece.
Middle East Forum Observer
Will the United States Allow Turkey to Partition the Aegean?
Greeks Believe U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack Is Seeking an Artificial Crisis
June 4, 2026
 · 
Christos Konstantinidis
Turkey dispatched two F-16 fighter jets to Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, in late January 2026.
Middle East Forum Observer
Turkey Holds Somalia’s Constitution Hostage
A Compliant Federal Government in Mogadishu Protects Turkey’s Offshore Concessions, Its Naval Access, and Its Base Facilities
June 4, 2026
 · 
Siyad Madey
Children at the Islamic Education Center in Houston, which has received almost half a million dollars from the Texas state government, perform a song pledging allegiance to Iran's Supreme Leader
Articles by Islamist Watch
Uncovering the Iranian Regime Influence Operation to Radicalize Texas Students
A Dangerous Foreign Islamist Network Today Operates Openly in Educational Institutions Across Texas, Propelled by Regime-Aligned Activist Groups and Wealthy Khomeinist Mosques
June 3, 2026
 · 
Sam Westrop
Human rights organizations and legal experts have long argued that Turkey’s exploding prison population reflects not merely rising crime but also the systematic weaponization of the criminal justice system under Erdoğan’s increasingly authoritarian rule.
Middle East Forum Online
Turkey’s Rulers Rely on Sprawling Prison System to Suppress Opposition and Silence Critics
Turkey’s Prison Population Had Exceeded 420,000 Inmates as of May 2026, Far Surpassing the System’s Official Capacity
June 3, 2026
 · 
Abdullah Bozkurt
An Israeli airstrike on a village in South Lebanon; April 06, 2026.
Middle East Forum Online
Why Israel Will Struggle to Achieve Peace with Lebanon
Israel Is Evidently Unable to Develop a Policy or Strategy Able to Finally Place Relations with Its Smaller Northern Neighbor on a Firm and Stable Footing
June 3, 2026
 · 
Jonathan Spyer
Middle East Forum Online
Congressional Testimony from MEF’s Michael Rubin on Turkey’s Authoritarian Crackdown
Erdoğan’s Repression Is No Longer Only a Turkish Human Rights Crisis, but a Threat to U.S. Interests and Regional Stability
June 3, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
A close-up of Iranian banknotes and currency.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran’s Capital Flight Has Surged 4.5-Fold in Five Years
Access to Foreign Exchange and Import Licenses Remains Heavily Influenced by State Institutions and Semi-State Organizations
June 3, 2026
 · 
Dalga Khatinoglu
Press Releases
Middle East Forum’s Michael Rubin to Testify Before Congress on Turkey’s Authoritarian Crackdown
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearing, Co-Chaired by Reps. Christopher H. Smith and James P. McGovern, Examines Whether Turkey Can Reverse Its Democratic Backsliding
June 3, 2026
The Iraqi Kurdistan Region parliament buildings in Erbil, Iraq.
Middle East Forum Observer
Does Kurdistan Need a National Security Council?
The Kurdistan Region No Longer Can Treat National Security Policy as Ad Hoc and Personality Driven
June 3, 2026
 · 
Frzand Sherko
When French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot rushed to convene an emergency U.N. Security Council session to condemn Israel's military advance toward the Zahrani River, he described the operations as “unacceptable.” Image: Barrot in Paris, March 11, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Rescuing Hezbollah: Inside France’s Panic over Israel’s Deepening Incursion
France Has a Particular Investment in the Fiction That Lebanese Sovereignty and Hezbollah’s Military Infrastructure Can Coexist Indefinitely
June 2, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub