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
A gas and oil rig off the coast of Cyprus.
Middle East Forum Observer
What Is Qatar Doing in the Eastern Mediterranean?
Its Rapid Expansion Into New Gas Fields Goes Beyond Supply and Clashes with Previous Qatari Strategy
December 20, 2024
 · 
Michael Rubin
FWI Research
South Africa’s Terror-Tied Ambassador Returns to Washington
December 19, 2024
 · 
Sam Westrop
Headquarters of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria.
Middle East Forum Online
New Head of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Held Secret Talks with ISIS
Erdoğan Loyalist Feridun Sinirlioğlu Was Elected Secretary General of OSCE, a 57-member Regional Security Organization Spanning North America, Europe, and Central Asia

December 19, 2024
 · 
Abdullah Bozkurt
Middle East Forum Online
Kurdistan: A Double-Edged Sword for Turkey
In a Rapidly Changing Political Environment, the Fate of Kurdistan Is Now Shaping the Future of the Middle East
December 19, 2024
 · 
Loqman Radpey
Sednaya prison near Damascus. Its liberation a week ago has resulted in a wave of belated outrage in much Western media toward the former dictator and his methods.
Middle East Forum Online
We All Knew Syria Was Hell
The Fact That This Regime Was a Monstrous One, Engaged in the Mass Slaughter of Syrian Civilians, Was Known to Both Policymakers and Publics in the West
December 19, 2024
 · 
Jonathan Spyer
Syrians celebrating the fall of Bashar al-Assad wave the new flag of Syria, December 8, 2024.
Middle East Forum Observer
New Phase for the Kurdish Question in Syria
Kurds Face a Jihadist Group Wielding Political Power and Significant Turkish Involvement in Syria’s Affairs
December 19, 2024
 · 
Sirwan Kajjo
The shield of Faz‘at Shabab al-Jabal.
Middle East Forum Online
Factions of al-Suwayda’ After Assad’s Downfall: Interview
As Assad’s Forces Lost Aleppo and Hama to the Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham-Led Insurgents, They Faced an Uprising in Southern Syria That Contributed to the Regime’s Collapse
December 18, 2024
 · 
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Middle East Forum Online
Turkey Plans to Run Syria Through a Parallel Structure
The Turkish Government Intends to Appoint Senior Officials Under the Guise of Advisors to Assist Syrian Authorities with Managing Various Government Portfolios
December 18, 2024
 · 
Abdullah Bozkurt
Kurdish soldiers in northern Syria, in a file photo.
Middle East Forum Observer
The Kurdish and Regional Blocs Competing in the New Syria
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and Turkey Will Allow Kurds to Be Partners Only If They Abandon a Secular and Democratic Worldview
December 18, 2024
 · 
Kamal Chomani
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a file photo.
Middle East Forum Observer
The United States Needs to Prepare to Kill Turks in Syria
Turkey’s Actions Already Cross the Rubicon and Place American Forces and Interests in Jeopardy
December 17, 2024
 · 
Michael Rubin