Juan Cole

@jricole

Juan Cole, the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan, is the author, most recently, of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: A New Translation From the Persian.

A man on a rooftop looks at approaching flames as the Springs fire continues to grow on May 3, 2013, near Camarillo, California.

AI Will Only Intensify Climate Change. The Tech Moguls Don’t Care. AI Will Only Intensify Climate Change. The Tech Moguls Don’t Care.

The AI phenomenon may functionally print money for tech billionaires, at least for the time being, but it comes with a gargantuan environmental cost.

Dec 4, 2025 / Juan Cole

A Palestinian boy carries salvageable items amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israeli air strikes in the Rafah refugee camp.

Israel’s Wreaking of Devastation From the Sky Is Vintage Colonialism Israel’s Wreaking of Devastation From the Sky Is Vintage Colonialism

The use of airpower to try to subdue or at least curb Middle Easterners is, in fact, more than a century old.

Oct 16, 2025 / Juan Cole

Donald Trump sits next to Saudi Crown Prince in Oval Office

With Trump, the US Is Getting a Taste of Its Own Medicine With Trump, the US Is Getting a Taste of Its Own Medicine

The pathological US support for dictatorships in the Middle East is blowing back across the Atlantic Ocean.

Jul 31, 2025 / Juan Cole

Mohammed Bin Salman

Why Is Trump Suddenly Sidelining Israel? Why Is Trump Suddenly Sidelining Israel?

If Israel gets in the way of deal-making with the Gulf plutocrats, it could become an annoyance that Trump might feel he can’t afford.

Jun 6, 2025 / Juan Cole

President-elect Donald Trump with Elon Musk at a launch of a test flight of the SpaceX rocket in Brownsville, Texas.

Science Fiction Predicted the Rise of the Tech Bro Oligarchy Science Fiction Predicted the Rise of the Tech Bro Oligarchy

The racist tinge to Elon Musk’s hacking of the government eerily reflects cyberpunk's vision of the future—especially the science fiction coming out of South Africa.

Mar 19, 2025 / Juan Cole

Donald Trump listens as Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during their joint news conference at the White House, February 15, 2017.

The Fallout of Biden’s Middle East Policy Is Now Trump’s Responsibility The Fallout of Biden’s Middle East Policy Is Now Trump’s Responsibility

In Trump’s hands, the country's diplomatic strategy in the Middle East can only get worse.

Nov 12, 2024 / Juan Cole

Biden and Netanyahu

American Influence in the Middle East Is Evaporating Before Our Eyes American Influence in the Middle East Is Evaporating Before Our Eyes

Washington’s efforts in the Middle East have been profoundly undermined by its breathtaking hypocrisy.

Sep 30, 2024 / Juan Cole

Yemenis drive past a billboard depicting the navy destroyers of foreign countries, including the US and the UK, and the words “Navy coalition will be defeated” on a street in Sana’a, Yemen, on December 31, 2023.

We Should Pay Attention to the Ongoing Combat on the Red Sea We Should Pay Attention to the Ongoing Combat on the Red Sea

What we might call the Battle of the Tihamah has already lasted seven months and, surprisingly enough, given the opponents, its outcome remains in doubt.

Jul 5, 2024 / Juan Cole

Iranian oil refinery

In the Race to Lower Global Emissions, the Middle East Is Certainly Not Helping In the Race to Lower Global Emissions, the Middle East Is Certainly Not Helping

Some of the countries facing the biggest threat from the climate crisis seem all too intent on making it far worse.

Apr 25, 2024 / Juan Cole

Israeli forces invade Gaza.

With Every New Atrocity in Gaza, Iran Gains More Influence With Every New Atrocity in Gaza, Iran Gains More Influence

As a result of the ongoing carnage, Washington’s long struggle to exclude Iran from regional influence is visibly failing.

Mar 7, 2024 / Juan Cole

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