Sanam Vakil

the Director of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa programme. She is a leading expert and commentator on Middle East security with expertise on Iranian and Gulf politics, US foreign policy and geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East.

Sanam leads project work on Gulf Arab economic and security dynamics, Iran’s regional objectives, women’s empowerment and regional governance, socio-economic and climate challenges. Sanam also brings insight and perspectives of UK, US and European policy priorities in the Middle East alongside understanding of China and Russia’s regional goals.

Sanam is also the James Anderson professorial lecturer in the Middle East Studies department at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS Europe) in Bologna, Italy where she has taught Middle East politics since 2008. Previously, Sanam was on the faculty of SAIS Washington’s Middle East Studies programme.

Sanam is the author of Action and Reaction: Women and Politics in Iran (Bloomsbury 2013). She is also a regular contributor providing commentary and analysis at CNN; Bloomberg; BBC News, CNBC, BBC; Sky News; Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, The Financial Times; The New York Times; The Wall Street Journal; The Times; The Guardian; The Telegraph; The Independent; and National Public Radio.

Sanam received her BA in political science and history from Barnard College, Columbia University and her MA and PhD in international relations and international economics from Johns Hopkins University.. Sanam is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is regularly consulted by high ranking government officials in the US, Europe, UK, and Middle East.