Jim Hanson

Chief Strategist

Jim Hanson is Chief Strategist for the Middle East Forum. He previously served in U.S. Army Special Forces and conducted counterterrorism, counterinsurgency and foreign internal defense operations in more than two dozen countries. He is the author of several books including Winning the Second Civil War - Without Firing a Shot and Cut Down the Black Flag - A Plan to Defeat ISIS.

Appearances and Writing
Middle East Forum Online
Trump Makes a Civilian Nuclear Deal with Saudi Arabia
Jim Hanson Explains on FOX What This Means for the Region
July 22, 2026
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Jim Hanson
Middle East Forum Online
Is the Iranian Regime Fracturing?
There are Signs of Internal Dissent
July 14, 2026
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Jim Hanson
MEF Chief Strategist Jim Hanson on FOX News
MEF in the Media
Is Regime Change on the Table for Iran?
Trump says ‘Let’s just finish the job’
July 9, 2026
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Jim Hanson
Donald Trump wrote on Dec. 2 that “if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity.”
Middle East Forum Observer
Analysis of Trump’s Iran Deal Logic
Trump’s Actions Suggest He Wants Competing Power Blocs Based on Shared Geography and Historical Linkages in the Middle East
June 23, 2026
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Jim Hanson
MEF in the Media
The Deal is Signed — Now What?
June 18, 2026
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Jim Hanson
MEF in the Media
Are We at the Iran End Game?
May 28, 2026
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Jim Hanson
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump.
Middle East Forum Observer
Are the U.S. and Israel Still Allies?
To Preserve the Alliance, Policymakers Must Demonstrate Its Importance and Counter Wildly False Accusations About Israel
April 28, 2026
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Jim Hanson
The Iranians pipe most oil they produce to Kharg Oil Terminal, on Kharg Island about 15 miles off the coast of Iran in the northern Persian Gulf. Kharg is responsible for about 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports.
Middle East Forum Observer
Trump Should Blockade Iranian Shipping in Strait of Hormuz
It Would Be a Simple Decision for the President to Say No Cargo Can Leave the Strait Without U.S. Approval
April 9, 2026
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Jim Hanson
MEF in the Media
New Jihadists – Homegrown or Imported?
Who is Behind the Recent Terror Attacks?
March 17, 2026
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Jim Hanson
MEF in the Media
Help the Kurds Start the Resistance in Iran
Not a Separatist Movement but a Safe Haven
March 6, 2026
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Jim Hanson