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
U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff Has Not Yet Come to Baghdad, Which Many in the Trump Administration Still View Through the Outdated Lens of 2003 Rather Than 2025
Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron Virtue Signal, but Hamas’s Terrorism Cannot Be Legitimated
U.S.-Backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: Cyprus Could Be a ‘Humanitarian Transit Area’ in a $2B Scheme to ‘Temporarily’ House Palestinian Refugees
The Irony of Focus on Palestinians Is That, of All the Aspirants in the Broader Middle East, They May Be the Least Deserving
There Is a Growing Dissonance Between Trump’s Enthusiasm for Supposed Strong Leaders Such as Erdoğan and Trump’s Promise to ‘Make America Great Again’
Azerbaijan’s Demand for a Zangezur Corridor Is About War, Not Peace
What Happens in Gaza Does Not Stay in Gaza. By Validating Hamas’s Choices, European Leaders Today Promote Hamas as a Model
Macron Fears the Restiveness of His Own Arab Population and Wishes to Appease a Domestic Islamic Bloc That Cares Little for French Laicism
The Choice for the Trump Administration Is Stark: Defeat the Houthis or Double Down on Failed Strategies That Enable the Houthis to Thrive
As the Saudis Failed to Rebuff the Houthis, Their Plan B Has Been to Appease Them and, by Extension, Iran
By Recognizing a Palestinian State, the French President Unleashes Cascading Conflict
Houthi Attacks on Red Sea Shipping Persist as Ineffective U.N. Agreements Enable Their Strategy
A Major Problem Is the Small-Mindedness and Corruption of Most Presidential Leadership Council Members
The U.S. and the U.N. Must Immediately Channel All Aid Through Aden, a Port from Which the International Community Can Distribute It as Needed
Even the Most Efficient Bureaucracy Will Fail If It Refuses to Station U.S. Diplomats Where They Are Most Needed
Western Diplomats and the United Nations Have Some Explaining to Do
Islah’s Senior Leaders Support Both Hamas and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
The International Community No Longer Can Afford to Prioritize Diplomatic Virtue Signaling over Effective Strategies
Each Group Should Reveal Their Expenditures and Sources of Income