Alex Vatanka is a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute. He specializes in Middle Eastern regional security affairs with a particular focus on Iran. He was formerly a Senior Analyst at Jane’s Information Group in London. Alex is also a Senior Fellow in Middle East Studies at the US Air Force Special Operations School (USAFSOS) at Hurlburt Field and teaches as an Adjunct Professor at DISAS at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He has testified before the US Congress and lectured widely for both governmental and commercial audiences, including the US Departments of State and Defense, US intelligence agencies, and a list of international corporations.
Born in Tehran, he holds a BA in Political Science (Sheffield University, UK), and an MA in International Relations (Essex University, UK), and is fluent in Farsi and Danish. He is the author of two books: The Battle of the Ayatollahs in Iran: The United States, Foreign Policy and Political Rivalry Since 1979 (2021) and Iran and Pakistan: Security, Diplomacy, and American Influence (2015).
He has also written chapters for a number of books, including Authoritarianism Goes Global (2016); Handbook on Contemporary Pakistan (2017); Russia in the Middle East (2018), Winning the Battle, Losing the War: Addressing the Drivers Fueling Armed Non-state Actors and Extremist Groups (2020); Global, Regional and Local Dynamics in the Yemen Crisis (2020); Routledge Handbook of Counterterrorism and Irregular Warfare Operations (2021); and Understanding New Proxy Wars (2022). He is presently working on his third book, Iran’s Arab Strategy: Defending the Homeland or Exporting Khomeinism?
Education
B.A. in Political Science at Sheffield University; M.A. in International Relations at Essex University
Languages
Farsi, Danish
Countries of Expertise
Iran
Issues of Expertise
Iran domestic and foreign affairs, Iranian military and security forces, Iran-US relations, Political Islam in Middle East
Website
Vatanka.com
Books
- The Battle of the Ayatollahs in Iran: The United States, Foreign Policy and Political Rivalry since 1979 (2020)
- Iran-Pakistan: Security, Diplomacy, and American Influence (2015)
Book chapters
- Authoritarianism Goes Global (2016)
- Handbook on Contemporary Pakistan (2017)
- Russia in the Middle East (2018)
- Winning the Battle, Losing the War: Addressing the Drivers Fueling Armed Non-state Actors and Extremist Groups (2020)
- Global, Regional and Local Dynamics in the Yemen Crisis (2020)
Select articles
- Iran’s IRGC has long kept Khamenei in power (Foreign Policy)
- China’s Great Game in Iran (Foreign Policy)
- Will Iraq get stuck in the middle with Iran? (Foreign Affairs)
- Why Protesters are so angry with Rouhani (Foreign Affairs)
- Iran and Russia Growing Apart (Foreign Affairs)
- Iran’s Bottom-Line in Afghanistan (Atlantic Council)
- Iran Courts China (Foreign Affairs)
- Donald Trump Needs a Good Cop on Iran (Foreign Policy)
- How Deep is Iran’s State? (Foreign Affairs)
- After Rafsanjani (Foreign Affairs)
The Latest from Alex Vatanka
Monday Briefing: Erdogan Reaching Out to Russia; Update on Battle for Aleppo
In this week’s Monday Briefing MEI experts provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including Turkish President Erdogan’s trip to Russia tomorrow, Iranian President Rouhani’s upcoming meeting with President Putin in Baku, the ongoing battle for Aleppo, strains in U.S.-Pakistan relations over the Haqqani Network, and what’s next for Tunisia’s political transition following the vote of no confidence in the current government.
Iran-U.S. Relations and the Next U.S. President
This paper is part of a MEI scholar series titled “The Middle East and the 2016 Presidential Elections.”
Summary
Monday Briefing: Chilcot Report, French FM in Lebanon, Iran Economy
In this week’s Monday Briefing, MEI experts Daniel Serwer, Alex Vatanka, and Paul Salem provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including the recent Chilcot Report, European trade delegations visit to Iran, and France’s push to end the Lebanon stalemate.
Will Chilcot Report Impact U.S. Policy on Syria?
Daniel Serwer, MEI Scholar
Weekly Briefing: Baghdad Bombing, NATO Summit, Israel’s Africa Outreach, and Saudi Embassy Trial in Iran
In this week’s briefing, MEI experts Hassan Mneimneh, Daniel Serwer, Paul Scham, and Alex Vatanka provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including the ISIS bombing in Baghdad, this week’s NATO summit in Warsaw, Israel’s outreach to Africa, and the trial in Iran over the ransacking of the Saudi embassy.
Iraqi PM Under Pressure after ISIS Atrocity
Hassan Mneimneh, MEI Scholar
Monday Briefing: Brexit’s Impact on the Middle East; Syria File Changes Hands in Iran
In this week’s Monday Briefing, MEI experts Daniel Serwer, Paul Scham, and Alex Vatanka provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including Brexit’s impact on the Middle East, how Brexit is distracting the E.U. from Israel-Palestine issues, and Iran’s more moderate reshuffling of officials focusing on Syria.
Brexit’s Impact on the Middle East
Daniel Serwer, MEI Scholar
Monday Briefing: International Syria Support Group, Mustafa Badreddine, Global Refugee Summit, and India's Modi to Visit Iran
In this week’s Monday Briefing, MEI experts Robert S. Ford, Randa Slim, Paul Salem, and Alex Vatanka provide analysis on recent events including Tuesday’s meeting of the International Syria Support Group in Vienna, the death of Hezbollah senior leader Mustafa Badreddine, the global Refugee Summit to be held in Istanbul, and Indian PM Modi’s upcoming visit to Iran.
Monday Briefing: Syria Cease-fire, Yemen Talks, and Iran Elections
In this week’s Monday Briefing, MEI experts Charles Lister, Charles Schmitz, and Alex Vatanka provide analysis on recent events including the Syrian cease-fire, Al-Qaeda losses in Yemen, and Iran’s parliamentary elections.
Cease-fire Dead in Syria
Charles Lister, Resident Fellow
Hit the Gas in Iran: Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh's Big Plans
This article was first published on Foreign Affairs.
Fighting in Tehran Over the Spoils of Post-Sanctions Era
Read the full article on Foreign Policy.
Two weeks ahead of critical elections, President Hassan Rouhani can boast of achieving two of his key election pledges from 2013: He secured a groundbreaking diplomatic nuclear deal with world powers and has removed crippling sanctions on the country. Rouhani should, therefore, feel confident ahead of the Feb. 26 vote and see himself as well on course to winning re-election in 2017.
