Michael Rubin is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum. A former Pentagon official, Dr. Rubin has lived in post-revolution Iran, Yemen, and both pre- and postwar Iraq. He also spent time with the Taliban before 9/11. For more than a decade, he taught classes at sea about the Horn of Africa and Middle East conflicts, culture, and terrorism, to deployed US Navy and Marine units. Dr. Rubin is the author, coauthor, and coeditor of several books exploring diplomacy, Iranian history, Arab culture, Kurdish studies, and Shi’ite politics.
Key Points and Summary – U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack’s diplomatic approach in the Middle East is undermining American interests and snatching defeat from the...
Azerbaijan’s Demand for a Zangezur Corridor is about War, not Peace MEGHRI, ARMENIA—The last train left the old, abandoned Soviet station in this dusty,...
ATEQ, YEMEN—Driving from Aden to Ateq, the capital of Yemen’s Shabwah Governorate, takes cars, trucks, and buses past Wadi Omran, which was once ground...
On June 24, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognize Palestine as an independent state in September; he may unwittingly have jump-started...
France’s Recognition of Palestine Encourages Terrorism, Anti-French Separatism: French President Emmanuel Macron announced on July 24, 2025, that France will unilaterally recognize Palestine as...
ADEN, YEMEN—The resumption of Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping should surprise no one. The Houthis do not believe the international community is serious...