ALEX VATANKA

Alex Vatanka specializes in Middle Eastern affairs with a particular focus on Iran. From 2006 to 2010, he was the Managing Editor of Jane’s Islamic Affairs Analyst, based in Washington. From 2001 to 2006, he was a senior political analyst at Jane’s in London where he mainly covered political developments in the Middle East. He joined the Middle East Institute as a scholar in 2007. Since 2006, he also lectures as a Senior Fellow in Middle East Studies at the US Air Force Special Operations School (USAFSOS) at Hurlburt Field. Beyond Jane’s and the Middle East Institute, he has written for such outlets as Christian Science Monitor, Americas Quarterly, the Journal of International Security Affairs, BBC Persian Online, Jamestown Foundation, The World Today, Daily Beast, the Jerusalem Post and the Council of Foreign Relations. He has frequently appeared on media outlets such as the BBC World Service, CNN, MSNBC, Sky News, C-SPAN, Al Jazeera, Voice of America, and CBC. A native of Iran, he holds a BA in Political Science, and an MA in International Relations, and is fluent in Farsi and Danish.