Mideast Correspondent

Description:

The Wall Street Journal is seeking an enterprising, deeply sourced correspondent to join our team of reporters covering Iran and its geopolitical footprint across the Middle East. Based in our Dubai bureau, this role is critical to the Journal’s global national security and foreign affairs report.

The successful candidate will work with our team to produce high-impact, agenda-setting coverage of the Islamic Republic: its internal politics and economy, succession struggles, military and nuclear ambitions, and regional proxy network. Because direct access to Iran itself is restricted, the reporter must excel at remote sourcing, cross-border investigative reporting, forensic open-source intelligence analysis, and tapping into the broader Iranian diaspora and commercial networks operating through the Gulf.

Fluency in Farsi and deep expertise in Iranian domestic and security affairs are required for this role.

You Will
 

• Break News: Consistently deliver scoops and beat-leading coverage on Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions evasion networks, regional proxy dynamics, ballistic missile/drone proliferation, and high-level leadership shifts.
• Deliver Ambitious Enterprise Reporting: Conceptualize, report, and write deeply textured narrative features, forensic reconstructions, and investigative pieces that demystify the internal mechanics of the Iranian state and society.
• Cultivate High-Level Sourcing: Source deeply among regional diplomats, intelligence officials, sanctions monitors, military analysts, Iranian business leaders, and dissident networks.
• Collaborate Globally: Partner with colleagues in Washington, New York, London, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, and across the globe to trace Iran’s broader impact.
   

You Have
 

• Experience: 8+ years of professional journalism experience covering international affairs, foreign policy, or national security, with significant time dedicated to Iran and Middle East security.
• Language Proficiency: Professional working fluency in Farsi (Persian) —including the ability to conduct complex interviews, monitor state and dissident media, read technical/official documents, and parse nuances in speeches—alongside native or bilingual English writing skills.
• Domain Knowledge: Comprehensive understanding of Iranian political institutions, regional militia relationships across the Axis of Resistance, and U.S./multilateral sanctions frameworks.
• High Ethical Standards & Resilience: Impeccable editorial judgment, unwavering accuracy under deadline pressure, and strict adherence to Dow Jones ethical codes and source protection protocols.