Ray Takeyh

Ray Takeyh is a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).His areas of specialization are Iran, the Persian Gulf, and U.S. foreign policy.

Dr. Takeyh is also an adjunct professor at the Center for Peace and Security Studies at Georgetown University. He recently held the post of senior adviser to the special adviser for the Gulf and Southwest Asia at the U.S. Department of State. He was previously professor of national security studies at the National War College; professor and director of studies at the Near East and South Asia Center, National Defense University; fellow in international security studies at Yale University; and fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Dr. Takeyh’s most recent book is The Guardians of the Revolution: Iran’s Approach to the World. He is the author of a number of previous books including Hidden Iran: Paradox and Power in the Islamic Republic (2006) and The Origins of the Eisenhower Doctrine: The U.S., Britain and Nasser’s Egypt, 1953–1957 (2000). Dr. Takeyh has published widely, including articles in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The National Interest, Survival, World Policy Journal, Washington Quarterly, Orbis, Middle East Journal, Political Science Quarterly, and Middle East Policy. His commentary has also been featured in many newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, and International Herald Tribune.

Dr. Takeyh has testified frequently at various congressional committees and has appeared on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, The Charlie Rose Show, NBC, CBS, CNN, BBC, FOX, and C-SPAN. Dr. Takeyh earned a doctorate in modern history from Oxford University.