Winfield Myers

Michael Rubin

Director of Policy Analysis

Michael Rubin is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he specializes in Middle Eastern countries, particularly Iran and Turkey. 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 Most Brutal Unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Is Staffed by Ethnic Azeri Officers and Rank-and-File
Pahlavi’s Anti-regime Organization Reflects His Hands-off Political Style, and He Must Impose Some Discipline to Move Forward
The United States Has the Assets to Defeat Iran Without Immunizing Pakistan for Its Actions
The Rational Move for the Iranian Regime, If It Wishes to Survive, Would Be to Concede Military Defeat and Renounce Its Nuclear Ambitions
It Is Quite Likely Today That the Islamic Republic Has Greater Support in the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft than It Does Among the Iranian People
The MEK Claimed to Be Iran’s Most Popular Movement and Said They Were the Real Deal, but There Were Red Flags
The Prison in Tehran for Decades Has Been the Top Symbol of the Islamic Republic’s Oppression
It Is in the U.S. National Interest to Support Israel’s June 13th Strike on Iran’s Nuclear Program
The Islamic Republic Can Still Cause Tremendous Destruction Short of a Nuclear Explosion
Like Ukraine, Israel Is Fighting a New Style of War for Which the United States Has Yet to Train or Prepare
Australia Should Look at How It Might Contribute When the Guns Fall Silent. The Attack on Iran Was a Long Time Coming, and a Result of Israeli Fears an Iranian Nuclear Breakout Was Imminent. This Is Why.
Some Should Be Extradited to the U.S. To Serve the Rest of Their Lives in Prison, or Offered the Chance to Turn State’s Evidence
If Israel Can Precisely Target Regime Officials Without Causing Civilian Casualties, Iranians Might Cheer On Regime Change
Canberra’s Indulgence of the Fringe Left Regarding Israel Increasingly Makes Australia a Liability for the United States
Statement before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission On Human Rights in Turkey, June 10, 2025
Too Often, Policymakers in the White House and Pentagon, or Pundits on Cable News Shows, Approach War Fighting in Far off Lands with a 6,000-Mile Screwdriver
Now That Azerbaijan Has Seized Nagorno-Karabakh, Its Role as a Fig Leaf Is Gone
Azerbaijan’s per Capita Income Is Below That of Neighboring Armenia and Georgia, Even Though Neither of Those Neighbors Has Oil or Gas Income
Given Erdoğan’s Increasing Belligerence Toward Israel, Including Calls for Military Action and Violent Jihad Against It, It Is Time to Recognize the Potential for a Military Conflict