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 Benghazi, Libya.
Middle East Forum Observer
Trump’s Libya Unity Policy Welcome, But Should Not Ignore History
The U.S. Should Recognize That Having Dual Capitals, Rather than Centralization, Is Necessary for Stability in a Diverse, Tribal Society
June 21, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
Nabih Berri is leader of the Amal Movement and speaker of parliament in Lebanon.
Middle East Forum Observer
Amal’s Double Game in Lebanon
The Movement Presents Itself as a Pragmatic Lebanese Institutional Force, but It Remains Entangled with Hezbollah’s Power
June 21, 2026
 · 
Jan Kapusnak
The most significant aspect of the Trump-Netanyahu meeting is, of course, the US president’s proposal itself. If implemented, it would represent Israel’s most direct path to victory in Gaza. Photo: At the White House, April 7, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Anatomy of a Gamble
Tehran Has Emerged from This Last Chapter Strengthened on the Strategic Level
June 20, 2026
 · 
Jonathan Spyer
A file photo of Berbera International Airport in Somaliland.
Middle East Forum Observer
Israel Is Negotiating a Military Base at Berbera
The Houthis’ Leader Has Warned That ‘Any Israeli Presence in Somaliland’ Will Become a Military Target for the Militant Group
June 20, 2026
 · 
Siyad Madey
FWI News
Western Islamists Respond to the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran
Sunni and Shia Radicals, Along With Their Fellow Travelers, Praise Iran’s “Victory”
June 19, 2026
 · 
Mahyar Entezari
Happier days at Eurosatory the major arms fair in Paris on June 17, 2014, when Israel was allowed to participate, here with an exhibit by Israeli Military Industries, Ltd. This year, the French have erected barriers erected around the stands of Israeli defense companies.
Middle East Forum Online
Without Israel, a Europe of Fools Would Be Disarmed
While Israeli Culture Is Treated Like Contaminated Goods, Its Weapons Are Courted Without Shame
June 19, 2026
 · 
Giulio Meotti
An Israeli airstrike on a village in South Lebanon; April 06, 2026.
Middle East Forum Online
The Lebanon Trap Inside the Iran Deal
The Problem Is That Hezbollah Continues to Pose an Existential Threat to Israel
June 19, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
The Home Office has established a panel into the "grooming" gangs largely comprised of Muslim men from rural Pakistan who raped more than 250,000 young women from white, working class families in England over the course of decades. The new inquiry comes after decades of denial about the root causes of the abuse, observers state.
FWI News
‘Rape Gang Inquiry’ Links Horrific Sex Crimes to Perpetrators’ Religious Beliefs
Lawmakers from Restore Britain and Reform UK Demand Death Penalty for Rapists
June 19, 2026
 · 
Jules Gomes
The flag of the Islamic Republic flies over the skyline of Tehran.
Middle East Forum Observer
The U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding Imperils a Democratic Future for Iran
The Memorandum Helps Recast the Regime as the Custodian of Iranian Sovereignty, Rather than a Phase in Its Political Evolution
June 19, 2026
 · 
Mehrdad Marty Youssefiani
Vice President JC Vance in a file photo.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iranian Press Reflects Internal Schisms after U.S.-Iran Meeting Is Scrapped
Nour News Framed the Postponement of Talks Not as a Crisis but as Part of a Broader Struggle over the Post-War Order
June 19, 2026
 · 
Mardo Soghom