Join MEI’s Arts and Culture Center for a live performance by pioneering duo Sons of Yusuf, brothers Ya’koob and AbdulRahman, who blend rap with traditional Arabic instruments, poetry, and storytelling ...

In recent weeks, the Iran-backed Houthis have fired missiles and drones deep into Saudi Arabia, striking high-profile targets, including Riyadh’s airport and Aramco’s headquarters. The attacks follow ...

Mehrdad Akhlaghi was appointed defense minister in October 2026 by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He is an unusual choice, as, unlike most of his predecessors, he does not come from a uniformed ...

One striking thing about US President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this past week is how isolated he was in making this call. The Israeli Prime Minister has ...

This individual is a guest contributor. MEI is not able to assist with contact requests. Hunter Stoll is a defense analyst at the RAND Corporation and a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve. He holds an ...

Ross Harrison is a senior fellow and book series editor at the Middle East Institute (MEI). He is also a faculty member in the Political Science Department at the University of Pittsburgh, where he ...

Alex Vatanka is a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute. He specializes in Middle Eastern regional security affairs with a particular focus on Iran. He was formerly a Senior Analyst at Jane’s ...

Karen E. Young is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI), where she leads the Economics and Energy Initiative. She is also a senior research scholar at the Columbia University Center on ...

Alan Eyre is a Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow at the Middle East Institute and the founder and president of EyreAnalytics LLC. He retired from the US Foreign Service in September 2023 after a 40-year ...

Jonathan “Jonny” Gannon retired during the summer of 2025 as a senior executive at CIA. Originally an operative, he has over 26 years of experience navigating national security challenges and building ...

Professor Chuck Freilich served for over 20 years in Israel’s national security establishment, as a senior analyst and a deputy national security adviser. After leaving government, he was a long-time ...