Michael Doran

Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East

michael_doran

At A Glance:

Michael Doran is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at Hudson Institute. He specializes in Middle East security issues.

Researcher
Zineb Riboua
Research Fellow and Program Manager, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East

Biography

Michael Doran is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at Hudson Institute. He specializes in Middle East security issues and co-hosts the Counterbalance podcast.

In the administration of President George W. Bush, Doran served in the White House as a senior director in the National Security Council, where he was responsible for helping to devise and coordinate United States strategies on a variety of Middle East issues, including Arab-Israeli relations and US efforts to contain Iran and Syria. He also served in the Bush administration as a senior advisor in the State Department and a deputy assistant secretary of defense in the Pentagon.

Born in Kokomo, Indiana, Doran went to elementary school in Carmel, outside of Indianapolis, before his family moved to Fullerton, California, where he graduated from Sunny Hills High School. He received a BA from Stanford University and an MA and PhD in Near Eastern studies from Princeton University.

Before coming to Hudson, Doran was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He has also held teaching positions at New York University, Princeton University, and the University of Central Florida. His latest book, Ike's Gamble, was published by Free Press in 2016. He appears frequently on television, and has published extensively in Foreign Affairs, the American Interest, Commentary, Mosaic, the Wall Street Journal,  the Washington Post, and the New York Times.

Events
09
July 2025
Virtual Event | Invite Only
Israel’s Economic Resilience after October 7: Navigating War and Strategic Pressures
Featured Speakers:
Noach Hacker
Michael Doran
Getty Images
09
July 2025
Virtual Event | Invite Only
Israel’s Economic Resilience after October 7: Navigating War and Strategic Pressures

Noach Hacker, Israel’s minister of economic affairs, will join Hudson’s Michael Doran for a discussion on how Israel has fortified its economic foundations for moments of extreme crisis. 

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Noach Hacker
Michael Doran
07
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Postponed | Designating the Polisario Front: A Conversation with Rep. Joe Wilson
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Congressman Joe Wilson
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) speaks during a news conference hosted by members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus at the Capitol on February 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
07
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Postponed | Designating the Polisario Front: A Conversation with Rep. Joe Wilson

Michael Doran, director of Hudson’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, will host Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) for a discussion on the strategic benefits of designating the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) speaks during a news conference hosted by members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus at the Capitol on February 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Congressman Joe Wilson
02
July 2025
Past Event
After Midnight Hammer: The State of Iran’s Nuclear Program and What’s Next in the Middle East
Featured Speakers:
David Albright
Michael Doran
Maxar satellite imagery collected on June 22 shows extensive damage at the Fordow underground nuclear enrichment complex. (Getty Images)
02
July 2025
Past Event
After Midnight Hammer: The State of Iran’s Nuclear Program and What’s Next in the Middle East

David Albright, one of the leading experts on the Iranian nuclear program, will join  Michael Doran for a fireside chat on the state of Iran’s nuclear ambitions following Operations Rising Lion and Midnight Hammer.

Maxar satellite imagery collected on June 22 shows extensive damage at the Fordow underground nuclear enrichment complex. (Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
David Albright
Michael Doran
09
June 2025
Past Event
Antisemitism: A Rising National Security Threat
Featured Speakers:
Asaf Romirowsky
Michael Doran
Liel Leibovitz
Zineb Riboua
Getty Images
09
June 2025
Past Event
Antisemitism: A Rising National Security Threat

Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East will hold a discussion to examine the current threat landscape and consider what steps Washington can take to protect America’s global security interests and ensure the safety of US citizens at home.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Asaf Romirowsky
Michael Doran
Liel Leibovitz
Zineb Riboua
President Barack Obama holds a copy of the Iran nuclear agreement presented to him by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi during the House Democratic Issues Conference on January 28, 2016, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Brendan Smialowski via Getty Images)
Caption
President Barack Obama holds a copy of the Iran nuclear agreement presented to him by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi during the House Democratic Issues Conference on January 28, 2016, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Brendan Smialowski via Getty Images)
michael_doran
michael_doran
Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East
Commentary
9 Min Read
President Donald Trump appears on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
Caption
President Donald Trump appears on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
michael_doran
michael_doran
Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East
Commentary
Long Read