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 port of Berbera, Somaliland, in February 2026.
Middle East Forum Observer
The Houthi Blockade Forces Berbera’s Proof of Concept
Watch for Talk of Naval Rotations Through the Port and Emirati Moves to Expand Energy and Export Infrastructure
August 1, 2026
 · 
Siyad Madey
Before attending the funeral of Lindsay Graham, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) arrived at the White House for his first closed-door meeting with Donald Trump since the war against the Islamic Republic was launched five months ago. Image: Netanyahu and Trump in the White House, July 28, 2026.
Middle East Forum Online
Netanyahu Meets Trump to Seek Red Lines
While Israel Is Beating the Drums of War, Trump Seems to Be Marching to a Different Beat
July 31, 2026
 · 
Giulio Meotti
History shows what Tehran does with quiet periods. It rebuilds stockpiles. It moves weapons to its proxies. It studies what worked and what failed. The factories that build Shahed-type drones (above) do not shut down because diplomats are talking. The smuggling routes into Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen keep running.
Middle East Forum Online
The U.S.-Iran Pause Didn’t Stop Tehran’s Drone War, and This Worries Israel
Drones Kept Flying, Rockets Were Falling, and Iran’s Proxies Keep Operating as If Nothing Has Changed
July 31, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held separate meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump on the very same morning, but couldn’t manage a sit-down with each other. Image: Netanyahu during a visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, in August 2019.
Middle East Forum Online
Giving Ukraine the Cold Shoulder in D.C., Netanyahu Freezes Out Ally Against Iran
Despite the Common Foe, the Ukraine-Israel Relationship Remains Awkward and Tepid, to the Detriment of Both Countries
July 31, 2026
 · 
Lazar Berman
Both Somaliland’s clan structure and vibrant democratic culture make bribery in Chinese leadership more difficult, since secrecy is harder to maintain. Shame matters. Exposure of any leader taking bribes would be swift, and such exposure would stigmatize tens of thousands through clan association. Image: Hargeisa in May 2024.
Middle East Forum Online
China Offered Somaliland More than a Quarter of a Billion Dollars to Drop Taiwan. Somaliland Said No
While Somaliland Is Impoverished, It Is Also Principled
July 31, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
U.K. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told Parliament that police had thwarted a "credible" far-right terrorist threat against the UK Ijtima before all 12 suspects were released without charges related to the alleged plot.
FWI News
U.K. Government Narrative of Far‑Right Plot to Attack Islamist Event Implodes
Top Muslim MP Accuses Home Secretary of Fabricating Anti-Muslim Terror Threat
July 31, 2026
 · 
Jules Gomes
President Donald Trump and U.S. Envoy Massad Boulos, to the left of Trump, meet with African leaders at the White House in July 2025.
Middle East Forum Observer
Any U.S. Bet on Eritrea Is a Losing Move
U.S. Envoy Boulos Has Raised Eyebrows Throughout the Region Because of His Confusing Strategic Logic
July 31, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
The Buriganga River port of Sadarghat in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is the country's largest and busiest river port.
Middle East Forum Observer
Is a Turkey-Pakistan-Bangladesh-China Axis Emerging?
Beyond Defense Cooperation, There Is Ideological Convergence Among These Countries in Terms of Political Islam
July 31, 2026
 · 
Imran Khurshid
Interviews conducted by the Violence Prevention Network failed to detect the extremism of Abdul Rehman Ballout, the ISIS supporter who just two weeks later carried out a deadly car and knife attack on Berlin’s Pride Parade, killing one woman and injuring 29 others. The heavily taxpayer-funded NGO is now under fire for downplaying Islamist ideology while promoting left-wing and pro-Islamic narratives.
FWI News
NGO Tasked With Deradicalizing Berlin Pride Jihadi Downplays Reality of Islamism
Security Services Tracked IS-Linked Assailant Until Hour Before Terrorist Attack
July 30, 2026
 · 
Jules Gomes
Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed building in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela as recovery operations continue in July 2026.
Middle East Forum Observer
Israel Must Turn Venezuela’s Recovery Into Iran’s Eviction Notice
Margarita Island Is the Keystone in Iran’s Western Hemispheric Geopolitical Structure
July 30, 2026
 · 
Jose Lev Alvarez