Sanam Naraghi Anderlini is the Director of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa programme. She is an expert on Middle East security, focusing on Iranian and Gulf politics, US foreign policy, and regional geopolitical dynamics. Sanam leads projects on Gulf Arab economic and security issues, Iran’s regional objectives, women’s empowerment, and socio-economic and climate challenges. She also provides insights into UK, US, and European policy priorities in the region, as well as the goals of China and Russia. Sanam is the James Anderson professorial lecturer in the Middle East Studies department at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS Europe) in Bologna, Italy, where she has taught since 2008. Previously, she was on the faculty of SAIS Washington’s Middle East Studies programme. She authored "Action and Reaction: Women and Politics in Iran" (Bloomsbury 2013) and regularly contributes commentary to major media outlets, including CNN, Bloomberg, BBC News, and The New York Times. Sanam holds a BA in political science and history from Barnard College, Columbia University, and an MA and PhD in international relations and international economics from Johns Hopkins University. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and advises high-ranking government officials in the US, Europe, UK, and the Middle East.