Winfield Myers

Michael Rubin

Director of Policy Analysis

Michael Rubin specializes in Iran, Turkey and the Horn of Africa. His career includes time as a Pentagon official, with field experiences in Iran, Yemen, and Iraq, as well as engagements with the Taliban prior to 9/11. Mr. Rubin has also contributed to military education, teaching U.S. Navy and Marine units about regional conflicts and terrorism. His scholarly work includes several key publications, such as “Dancing with the Devil” and “Eternal Iran.” Rubin earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in history and a B.S. in biology from Yale University.

Articles by this Author
The State Department Is Elevating Petty Disputes Into a Self-Defeating Crisis
Israel Should Calibrate Its Strategy Toward Turkey to the Tactics Turkey Uses Against Israel
Israel Should Use Its Position to Moderate Azerbaijani Racism and Incitement Against Armenians
Erdoǧan Has Increased the Severity and Frequency of His Provocations, Seemingly to See What He Can Get Away With
Berri’s Death Could Mean the End of the Amal Movement, or at Least Its Relevance in Lebanese Politics
MEF’s Director of Policy Analysis Warns Congress That Erdoğan’s Military Buildup, Settlement Campaign, and Illicit Financial Networks Are Entrenching Ankara’s Occupation Ahead of the NATO Summit
Multiple Power Centers Have Always Characterized the Islamic Republic, Allowing the Regime to Entangle the United States in an Elaborate Game of Good Cop-Bad Cop
Trump’s Interim Iran Deal Could Give Tehran The Power To Disrupt The 2026 Midterm Elections
Trump May Describe the Agreement as a Sign of Iran’s Absolute Surrender, but Such Spin Has No Resonance in Lebanon
When Advocating U.N. Reform, Secretary of State Marco Rubio Should Ask a Single Question: How Will the U.N. Make Every Agency Run like United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees?
The U.S. Should Recognize That Having Dual Capitals, Rather than Centralization, Is Necessary for Stability in a Diverse, Tribal Society
The Problem Is That Hezbollah Continues to Pose an Existential Threat to Israel
With the U.S. Pledging Non-Interference in Domestic Affairs, the Revolutionary Guards May Believe They Have a Green Light to Slaughter Far More
As a Genocidal Regime That Occupies Other People’s Territories, Moral Clarity and Consistency Require Spain to Sit Home
Not Only Will Half-Measures Fail, but a Diplomatic Bargain That Allows the Islamic Republic to Rebuild Will Be as Bad as a Loss
Erdoğan’s Repression Is No Longer Only a Turkish Human Rights Crisis, but a Threat to U.S. Interests and Regional Stability
There Is Only One Sure Way to Prevent the Coming Bloodbath: End the Regime, Not Fund It
Once Trump Has a Credible Partner, He Should Dictate the Terms
Erdoğan’s Islamist Ambition Is Not Limited to West Asia; He Has Increasingly Made the Kashmiri Separatist Cause His Own
Jerusalem Should Deliver the Self-Described Human Rights Activists and Their Symbolic Aid to a State with Far Greater Crises