Middle East Intelligence Analysis Internship

Job Description

About the Role
ISW offers diverse in-person, remote, and hybrid internships for Fall 2026, dedicated to training future national security leaders. Interns play a crucial role by conducting detailed open-source intelligence analysis to provide timely information on conflicts, directly informing policymakers and warfighters. The Middle East Intelligence Analysis Internship, specifically, involves supporting analysts and contributing to intelligence products, fostering critical skills within the broader mission of The General David H. Petraeus Center for Emerging Leaders.

What You’ll Do
• Conduct the daily collection and analysis of open-source information in native language sources.
• Contribute to long-term research projects on Iran’s Axis of Resistance, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Yemen under the guidance of ISW researchers.
• Collaborate with the wider research team to generate the Middle East portfolio’s intelligence products, such as the daily Iran Update.
• Assist with editing, documenting, and compiling materials for publications.
• Support the planning, preparation, and execution of public events and private briefings held by ISW.
• Receive hands-on training from supervisors and a formal development program taught by leadership.
• Be trained to use innovative technologies to conduct open-source collection and analysis.

You’re a Good Fit If You
• Are motivated and organized college students or recent graduates with demonstrated expertise in a related field.
• Possess excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills.
• Display the ability to conduct complex tasks in a timely and efficient manner.
• Are self-motivated, independent, creative, and capable of working in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• Show commitment to—and interest in—the core mission and values of ISW.
• Are authorized to work in the United States and be physically present in the United States during their internship tenure.
• If attending a US university on a student visa, are eligible for and obtain a CPT authorization before beginning at ISW.

Bonus Qualifications
• Preferably possess strong critical language capabilities in Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Kurdish, or Farsi.
• Preferably possess a programming language such as Python.

Role Highlights & Compensation
• Internships are offered in-person, remote, and hybrid.
• Program starts on September 8, 2026, and runs until December 11, 2026.
• This is a full-time internship (five days per week), but part-time work will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Opportunity to analyze conflicts in ways that directly inform policymakers and warfighters.
• Interns work directly with analysts.
• Interns receive classroom education, regular leadership engagement, and a chance to work with cutting-edge technologies.
• Interns have the opportunity to stand at the front lines of military research and policy development.
• Interns have worked with ISW to draft, edit, and publish their own research under mentorship.
• ISW has hired many interns onto its staff.
• ISW will work with students to gain academic credit for internships where applicable.
• A scholarship program offers up to a $1,000 monthly living stipend, which is classified as taxable income.