Mark Dubowitz is the chief executive of FDD, a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan policy institute, where he leads projects on Iran, sanctions and nonproliferation.
He is an expert on Iran’s nuclear program and global threat network, and is widely recognized as one of the key influencers in shaping sanctions policies to counter the threats from the Iranian regime.
According to The New York Times, “Mark Dubowitz’s campaign to draw attention to what he saw as the flaws in the Iran nuclear deal has taken its place among the most consequential ever undertaken by a Washington think tank leader.”
Mark was featured as one of the key “financial warriors” in the book “The Iran Wars.” Politico magazine featured Mark as one of Washington’s leading policy experts challenging Iran’s illicit behavior, observing that he is “…constantly thinking up—and promoting—new ways to squeeze the regime…” According to a former U.S. official quoted by Buzzfeed: “If you want to know what’s going to happen next in Iran policy, there’s a pretty good bet that it’s whatever has been in the latest Mark Dubowitz or FDD op-ed.” And OZY Media labeled Mark and FDD the “politicians’ brain trust on Iran sanctions … carv[ing] a niche in the charged debate on Iran with intensive research and sheer intellectual firepower.”
Mark has advised the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle on Iran issues and testified more than twenty times before the U.S. Congress and foreign legislatures.
A former venture capitalist and technology executive, Mark co-founded FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power and is the author or co-author of over twenty studies on economic sanctions and Iran’s nuclear program. He is widely published and cited in U.S. and international media.
Mark has a master’s degree in international public policy from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies where he focused on China, and JD and MBA degrees from the University of Toronto.
Raised in Toronto, he is a proud American citizen, and has lived in Washington, D.C. since 2003.
Mark Dubowitz’s Recent Media
Mark Dubowitz’s quotes
January 2019
Quoted in Politico: Pompeo, in Cairo speech, to rebuke Obama’s Mideast vision
Quoted in Foreign Policy: Mike Pompeo Is Flying Solo in the MiddleEast
Quoted in The Atlantic: In the Middle East, Is Trump the Anti-Obama or Obama 2.0?
Quoted in The Washington Post: In report card on Trump’s foreign policy, criticisms span continents and topics
February 2019
Quoted in The Washington Free Beacon: Assessing Trump’s Foreign Policy, Two Years In
Quoted in NBC News: Rebuffed on Iran diplomacy, Trump is getting more traction on Venezuela
Quoted in The Washington Post: Pompeo shrugs off expected no-shows ahead of U.S.-hosted conference on Middle East
Quoted in The Washington Examiner: Netanyahu holding rare public meetings with Arab leaders at Warsaw summit
Quoted in The National Interest: We Are All Realists Now
Quoted in Radio Farda: Activists, Democratic Party Figures Call On Next U.S. President To Rejoin JCPOA
Quoted in CNN: Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif announces resignation on Instagram
Quoted in Foreign Policy: Will Iran Lose Its Last Link to the West?
Quoted in Arab News: Could Zarif’s resignation be the first of many for the Iranian regime?
March 2019
Quoted in The New York Times: The Foreign Policy Fiasco That Wasn’t
Quoted in Bloomberg: Trump Team Divided Over Iran Oil Waivers As Next Deadline Nears
Quoted in NBC News: After Vowing to Strangle Iran’s Economy, Trump Admin Divided Over How Far To Squeeze Tehran
Quoted in Los Angeles Times: Trump’s Tweet Lifting Just-Announced North Korea Sanctions Spawns Confusion
Quoted in The Washington Post: In Trump’s Golan Heights Announcements, Politics Overshadowed Security
Quoted in Business Insider: Trump Just Threw Out The US’s North Korea Policy Because He ‘Likes’ Kim Jong Un, And Now Everyone Is Really Confused
Quoted in Politico: Trump Surprises His Own Aides By Reversing Northing Korea Sanctions
Quoted in The Atlantic: Trump’s Golan Announcement Was No Impulse Tweet
Quoted in Mosaic Magazine: A New U.S. Law Can Combat The Use of Human Shields
Quoted in Fox New: Critics Slam UN For Pointing Fingers At Israel In New Report While Not Also Condemning Hamas’ Use of Human Shields
Quoted in The Times of Israel: Seeking Safety From Terror And Extremism: 7 Things To Know For March 18
Quoted in Mosaic Magazine: Britain Has Discarded The Delusion That Hizballah Has Two Wings, But Europe Clings To It
Quoted in The Tower: Experts: Europe’s View Of Two Wings of Hezbollah is “At Odds With Reality”
April 2019
Quoted in The Jerusalem Post: Flood of Condemnations of New York Times for Antisemitic Cartoon
Quoted in Jewish News Syndicate: Outrage Ensues Over Anti-Semitic Cartoon Published in ‘The New York Times’
Quoted in The Boston Globe: Iran Sanctions Redux – And Why A Blunt Cudgel Can’t Replace Targeted Tools
Quoted in Associated Press: US Eases Effects of Sanctions On Iran’s Elite Guard Force
Quoted in The Washington Post: U.S. To Impose Sanctions on Allies In Drive to Push Iranian Oil Sales to Zero
Quoted in Bloomberg: Trump To End Iran Waivers, Escalating Feud; Oil Prices Climb
Quoted in Foreign Policy: Lifting Sanctions Isn’t As Simple As It Sounds
Quoted in Mosaic Magazine: What Opponents of Sanctions on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Get Wrong
Quoted in American Center For Law And Justice: Why Declaring Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps A Terrorist Group Makes Sense
Quoted in NBC News: Trump Labels Iran’s Revolutionary Guard A Terror Group
Quoted in Bloomberg: Trump Offers Clarity On Iran’s Terrorist Aims
Quoted in The Washington Post: Trump Plans to Designate Iranian Military Unit as a Terrorist Group
Quoted in Agence France-Presse: Washington Accuse De “Terrorisme” Les Gardiens De La Revolution, Tehran Riposte
Quoted in New Dehli Times: American Sanctions On Iran Are Finally Paying Dividends
Quoted in The Wall Street Journal: U.S. To Designate Iranian Guard Corps A Foreign Terror Group
Quoted in Jewish Telegraphic Agency: For Some Conservatives, The Poway Shooting Is All About Ilhan Omar
May 2019
Quoted in The Economic Times: Congratulatory Messages Pour In For Narendra Modi From USA At Unprecedented Level
Quoted in Asharq Al-Awsat: US Researcher: Trump Doesn’t Need Congress Permission to Counter Iran’s Threat
Quoted in The Arab Weekly: Political Pressures, Infighting Muddle Washington’s Reactions Towards Iran
Quoted in Associated Press, Haaretz: Romney: U.S. War with Iran ‘Just Not Going to Happen’
Quoted in The Times of Israel: Zarif Plays Down Tensions As IRGC Chief Says Iran, US In Midst of Intel War
Quoted in Associated Press: Iran Tests President Trump’s ‘America First’ Pledge
Quoted in Arab Times: China Backs Iran…Russia Warns of U.S. Pressure
Quoted in Associated Press: Trump Says Iran, Too, May Be Confused About War Signals
Quoted in Politico: Pompeo and Bolton Tensions Escalate as Iran Debate Intensifies
Quoted in The New Yorker: War Games: Trump, Bolton, And the Alleged March to Fight Iran
Quoted in USA Today: Trump Says He Doesn’t Want War With Iran. Is John Bolton Driving The US Into A Conflict Anyway?
Quoted in Associated Press: Trump Sows Confusion on Iran as Tensions Appear to Ease
Quoted in Financial Times: John Bolton, Donald Trump’s Foreign Service Policy Bad Cop
Quoted in CNN: US Narrative on Iran Questioned As Allies Call for ‘Restraint’
Quoted in The Daily Beast: Trump Readies A New War on Iran’s Economy
Quoted in The Jerusalem Post: War With Iran Forthcoming? Most Experts Say They Don’t Think So
Quoted in The Arab Weekly: Iran ‘Calibrates’ Its Moves But Does Not Know What To Expect
Quoted in NBC News: Trump’s Top Intelligence and Military Advisers Held Unusual Meeting at CIA on Iran, Officials Say
Quoted in Al-Monitor: Congress Tries to Defund US Nuclear Transfers to Saudi Arabia
Quoted in Associated Press, Reuters: US Puts New Sanctions on Iran As Tehran Threatens to Enrich Uranium
Quoted in Bourse & Bazaar: New Iran Metals Sanctions Target Jobs, Not Government Revenue
Quoted in The Jewish Voice: US-Iranian Tensions Rise; Conflict Imminent as Show of Military Might On Display
Quoted in Agence France-Presse: Risks Rise As US Warns Iran With Aircraft Carrier
Quoted in CNN: Iran To Reduce Comitments to Nuclear Deal Amid US Pressure, Military Moves
Quoted in NBC News: Officials: U.S. Carrier Group, Bombers Going To Mideast Due to Multiple Iran Threats
Quoted in The National: US Move to Deter Iran Also Carries Risk of Confrontation
Quoted in Associated Press: US Sending Aircraft Carrier to Mideast, Citing Threats
Quoted in Huffington Post: U.S. Deploys Aircraft Carrier and Bombers to Send ‘Unmistakable Message’ to Iran
Quoted in Politico: Navy Strike Group Deployed to Send ‘Message’ to Iran
Quoted in Reuters: How Trump’s Hawkish Advisors Won Debate on Iran Oil Sanctions
June 2019
Quoted in The Washington Post: As Insults Fly, Options for Avoiding Conflict Between The U.S. and Iran Narrow
Quoted in The Washington Post: With Sanctions on Iran’s Supreme Leader, Trump Targets Both a Religious Authority and an Economic Empire
Quoted in Politico: Trump Fudges His Red Line As Iran Takes Out a U.S. Drone
Quoted in The Algemeiner: Policy Experts Split In Analysis of Trumps Iran Strike Stand-Down
Quoted in USA Today: Donald Trump Talks Tough To Adversaries – But Doesn’t Always Follow Through
Quoted in The New York Times: The Pirates of Tehran
Quoted in Jewish Affairs Council: Intransigent Tehran Must Be Sent A Message On Nuclear Deal in Australia/Israel
Quoted in Agence France-Presse: Iran Will Not Be Bullied: Washington Willing to Talk with “No Preconditions”
July 2019
Quoted in The Washington Post: Trump Administration Will Again Waive Nuclear Sanctions on Iran
Quoted in Politico: Rand Paul Angles to Become Trump’s Emissary to Iran
Quoted in The New York Times: The Iran Crisis: How We Got There and What’s Next
Quoted in The Times of Israel: Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff: July 8, 2019
Quoted in The New York Times: Iran Announces New Breach of Nuclear Deal Limits and Threatens Further Violation
Quoted in Politico: Trump Wants to Talk. Iran isn’t Interested.
Quoted in Jewish News Syndicate: Israeli Experts Debate How To Approach An Increasingly Belligerent Iran
Quoted in Associated Press: AP Analysis: Trump Smiles With North Korea, Threatens Iran
Quoted in The Wall Street Journal: U.S Sanctions Threat Still Looms Over Iran’s Top Diplomat
August 2019
Quoted in The Washington Post: Iran’s Attacks on One U.S. Think Tank Are a Threat To All
Quoted in The Jerusalem Post: What Does Trump-Rouhani Meeting Mean for Israel?
Quoted in The Wall Street Journal: Tehran Threatens a Think Tank
Quoted in The Atlantic: Iran’s Enemy DU Jour: A Guy Who Runs a Think Tank
Quoted in The Algemeiner: American Think-Tanks Defiant After Iran Threatens Action By ‘Security Apparatuses’
Quoted in The Independent: Trump and Rouhani Suggest They Could Meet to Resolve US-Iran Crisis
Quoted in The Jerusalem Post: Foreign Ministry, US State Dept. Condemn Iran’s Threats Against Think Tank
Quoted in The Media Line: Iran Sanctions US-Based Think-Tank
Quoted in Radio Farda: Iran ‘Sanctions’ American Think Tank Critical of Islamic Republic
Quoted in The Washington Times: France’s G-7 Invitation of Zarif Underscores U.S., European Division On Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions
Quoted in New York Times: Iranian Official Makes Surprise Appearance on Sidelines of G7 Summit
Quoted in The Jerusalem Post: Iran Sanctions U.S. Think Tank for COmbating Tehran’s Nuclear Program
Quoted in The Washington Examiner: Terror-Sponsor Iran Threatens Washington Think Tank with Actions by ‘Security Apparatuses’
Quoted in Associated Press: Trump Wields Sanctions Hammer; Experts Wonder To What End
Quoted in USA Today: Donald Trump Calls Hong Kong Protests ‘Tough,’ ‘Tricky’ But Declines to Warn Beijing
Quoted in Quoted in Politico: Trump’s Use of Immigration as 2020 Wedge Could Backfire on Other Policies
Quoted in Voice of America: US Silent on Ousting Iran’s Sanctioned FM Zarif From Social Media
Quoted in NPR: U.S. Quietly Waives Some Sanctions to Allow Key Part of Iran Nuclear Deal to Continue
September 2019
Quoted in Radio Farda: US Announces New Sanctions, As Hopes for a Meeting with Rouhani Evaporate
Quoted in CNN: Trump Issues Warning and Extends an Olive to Iran as Allies Push for Talks
Quoted in The Washington Post: Trump Condemns Globalism, Touts Nationalistic View of Foreign Affairs at U.N.
Quoted in American Military News: Pompeo Should Be Tried Before International Court For ‘Economic Terrorism,’ Iran Foreign Minister Says
Quoted in The Washington Post: Iran’s Foreign Minister Says Diplomacy with the U.S. is Over
Quoted in The Arab Weekly: US Cautious, Ambivalent Towards Iran’s Alleged Attacks
Quoted in The New York Times: Iranian Students Start at U.S. Universities Are Barred From Country
Quoted in CNN: Trump Announces New Iran Sanctions After Saudi Attack
Quoted in The Times: Last Hawk Down. Now Donald Trump Eyes Iran Deal
Quoted in Yahoo Finance: Crude Spikes After Saudi Drone Attack; Trump Orders Strategic Release
Quoted in The Wall Street Journal: Trump Has Few Options to Respond to Saudi Oil Attack
Quoted in Townhall: Embrace of Iran’s Foreign Minister Creates an Opening for Propaganda and Terrorism
Quoted in The Washington Post: Death to Think Tanks? The Latest in Iran’s Pointless Campaign
Quoted in Israel Hayom: ‘The US Must Not Ease Up on Iran’
Quoted in The Times: Tehran Silent Over Alleged Breach of Nuclear Rules
Quoted in The Jerusalem Post: Iran Refuses to Cooperate with UN Nuclear Agency Investigation
Quoted in Jewish Telegraphic Agency: 70 Top Think-Tank Scholars Sign Letter to Support Foundation for Defense of Democracies
October 2019
Quoted in NBC News: Trump’s Syria Pullout, Aiding Russia and Turkey, is When America Stopped Leading the World
Quoted in USA Today: Trump Declares ‘Big Success’ in Syria, Lifts Sanctions on Turkey
Quoted in Washington Examiner: The Ultimate Middle East Missile Target: Nuclear Reactors
Quoted in Al-Monitor: Trump’s Syria Pullout Divides Iran Hawks
Quoted in USA Today: Mike Pence Announces That Turkey Agreed to a Five-Day Cease-Fire in its Syria Assault
Quoted in Associated Press: Trump Impulsiveness a Theme in Impeachment, Syria
Quoted in USA Today: Trump Says Longtime Allies the Kurds Are ‘Not Angels,’ Says Turkey’s Invasion of Syria ‘Not Our Problem’
Quoted in Ahval News: U.S. Federal Court Charges Turkish Bank with Sanctions Evasion
Quoted in Daily Caller: US Blacklists Chinese Firms for Role in Abuse of Muslim Minorities
Quoted in The Jerusalem Post: Lindsay Graham, Nikki Haley on Trump’s Syria Plan: Disaster in the Making
Quoted in Bloomberg: U.S. Diplomats say ‘Contain the Damage’ Has Become Their Job Description
November 2019
Quoted in CNS News: US backed Iranian Protestors Against ‘Corrupt’ Regime; Regime Blames Hardships on US Sanctions
Quoted in Politico: ‘Combustible’: Trump’s Pivotal Moment with Iran
Quoted in Voice of America: More European Nations Join Effort to Bypass US Sanctions on Iran
December 2019
Quoted in The Wall Street Journal: Iran, Cut Off From Vital Cash Reserves, is Approaching Economic Peril
Quoted in Jewish Insider: Netanyahu Takes Credit on Foiling Iran Talks as WH Considers New Deployments
Quoted in Voice of America: US: Sanctions Have Cut Iran’s Accessible Foreign Currency to $10 Billion
Quoted in Bloomberg: U.S. Seeks to Squeeze Shipping, Metals in Iran Sanctions Bid
Mark Dubowitz’s broadcast appearances
January 2019
Mark Dubowitz discusses the February 2019 Iran Summit in Poland on Fox News’ America HQ
February 2019
Mark Dubowitz discusses the JCPOA on Radio Free Europe’s “Radio Farda”
April 2019
Mark Dubowitz discusses the designation of the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization on The Journal Editorial Report with Paul Gigot
May 2019
Mark Dubowitz discusses Iranian sanctions, their affect on the Iranian people, and President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran on Fox and Friends
Mark Dubowitz discusses Mike Pompeo’s travels as well as Iran’s announcement that they will be taking steps away from parts of the JCPOA on The Journal Editorial Report with Paul Gigot
Mark Dubowitz discusses Secretary Pompeo on NPR’s “All Things Considered”
June 2019
Mark Dubowitz discusses the allegation that former members of the Obama administration and privately telling Iran to “wait out” sanctions on Fox and Friends
Mark Dubowitz discusses New Sanctions on Iran on BBC News Hour
August 2019
Mark Dubowitz discusses sanctioning Javad Zarif on NPR’s “All Things Considered”
Mark Dubowitz is mentioned on America’s News HQ in relation to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s threats made against FDD and Mark Dubowitz
Mark Dubowitz is mentioned on America’s News HQ’s discussion of threats made by Iran against The Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Mark Dubowitz
September 2019
Mark Dubowitz discusses Iran’s threats against FDD, the support FDD has received from U.S. government officials and think tank experts, and the need for continued sanctions pressure on the Iranian regime on America’s News HQ
Mark Dubowitz discusses National Security Advisor candidates, the fingerprints of Iran in recent Houthi drone strike, and potential Trump-Rouhani talks on America’s News HQ
Mark Dubowitz discusses the effects of the Trump administration’s Maximum Pressure campaign on Iran’s economy and unilateral snap-back sanctions on The Journal Editorial Report
October 2019
Mark Dubowitz discusses the Kurds on The Journal Editorial Report
November 2019
Mark Dubowitz discusses Turkey, Syria, the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the Islamic Republic of Iran on America’s News HQ