Ahmad Khalid Majidyar is a Middle East & South Asia analyst with a focus on Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. He was previously a senior fellow and the director of IranObserved Project at the Middle East Institute.
From 2008 to 2015, Majidyar worked as a senior research associate at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he co-authored two monographs on Iran: Iranian Influence in the Levant, Egypt, Iraq and Afghanistan (AEI 2012), and The Shi’ites of the Middle East: An Iranian fifth column? (AEI 2014). He also published a number of research papers on Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
As an instructor with the Naval Postgraduate School’s Leadership Development and Education for Sustained Peace program (2008-2016), Majidyar provided graduate-level seminars to more than 3,000 U.S. and NATO military leaders on Afghanistan and the broader region. In addition, he has provided briefings on Iran and Afghanistan at the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Joint IED Defeat Organization, the National Defense University, the State Department, and Congress; and he has spoken as a guest analyst at think tanks, universities, and world affairs councils.
Majidyar’s articles on Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan have been published in Foreign Policy, The New York Times, Fareed Zakaria’s GPS, Fox News, U.S. News & World Report, Daily Telegraph, and Forbes, among others. He has also discussed Middle Eastern topics on the BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera English, Sky News, CBC Canada, Bloomberg News and Voice of America’s Dari, Farsi, Urdu and English services.
Previously, Majidyar worked as a media analyst with the BBC Monitoring in Afghanistan and as a humanitarian aid worker with the UNHCR in Pakistan.
The Latest from Ahmad Majidyar
Iranian Missile Boat Harasses U.S. Warships, Points Laser at Marine Helicopter in Persian Gulf
U.S. military officials said on Wednesday that three U.S. Navy ships and a Marine helicopter had an “unsafe and unprofessional” encounter with an Iranian Navy vessel in international waters in the Persian Gulf. The amphibious assault ship U.S.S.
Tillerson’s Remarks Trigger Angry Reactions in Tehran
U.S. Secretary Rex Tillerson’s yesterday remarks at a Congressional hearing have drawn angry reactions from Tehran. Tillerson told the House Foreign Relations Committee that the Trump administration has not yet finalized its Iran policy but emphasized that it is determined to counter Iran’s subversive activities in the Middle East. “Well, our Iranian policy is under development. It’s not yet been delivered to the president. But I would tell you that we certainly recognize Iran’s continued destabilizing [role] in the region.
I.R.G.C. Forces Clash with Armed Militants in Southeast Iran
ranian security forces today dismantled a “terrorist unit” in the country’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, according to the public relations directorate of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ (I.R.G.C.) Ground Forces. “After receiving intelligence regarding the presence of a Takfiri terrorist team in Ghasr-e Ghand region of Sistan and Baluchestan, I.R.G.C. ground forces units from the Quds Base were deployed to the area. They clashed with terrorists today (Thursday) after bringing under siege the highlands of Ghasr-e Ghand,” the I.R.G.C.
Iranian Media Weighs Pros and Cons of Tehran’s Role in Gulf Crisis
After President Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh last month, Iranian leaders were worried about the creation of a U.S.-supported alliance of regional Arab states led by Saudi Arabia to counter Irani
I.R.G.C. Outlet: U.S. and Its Allies Unable to Hamper Iran’s Objectives in Syria
Iran and its allied militia forces will continue to defy American threats, establish control over regions along Iraqi-Syrian border, foil “plots” by the U.S.
Iran Voices Opposition to Iraqi Kurdistan’s Independence Referendum Plan
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has voiced opposition to the Iraqi Kurdistan’s decision to hold an independence referendum in September.
Iran Continues to Blame U.S. and Saudi Arabia for Tehran Attacks
Iranian leaders continue to blame the United States and Saudi Arabia for last week’s terrorist attacks in Tehran although Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has confirmed that the Islamic State was behind the assaults.
Afghan Militia Led by Soleimani Reach Syrian-Iraqi Border in Defiance of U.S.
Iranian-led Afghan Shiite militia forces have made significant territorial gains in southeastern Syria and have reached the shared border between Syria and Iraq, the Iranian media reports.
Authorities in Iran Kill Four Individuals Allegedly Linked with Islamic State
Iranian police forces have killed four individuals with alleged ties to the Islamic State in the southern province of Hormozgan, the Iranian media reported today. Azizollah Maleki, the provincial police chief, said an Islamic State flag, machine guns and explosives were also confiscated.
Iran Navy Commander: Iranian Warships to Continue Missions despite Regional Concerns
The commander of Iran’s Navy has accused the Gulf of Aden littoral states of attempting to disrupt the presence of Iranian naval flotillas in high seas, but he emphasized that the Iranian forces will continue their naval missions in the Gulf of Aden and in international waters beyond the region without paying attention to such “hostile” attempts.
Rouhani Blasts U.S. Strikes in Syria and Reiterates Support for Assad
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani hailed the latest military gains by the Syrian army and its allies and reiterated Tehran’s continued support to Damascus in a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad earlier today. The Iranian president also condemned the latest U.S. strikes against pro-Damascus forces in southeastern Syria as a violation of international law.
