Norman T. Roule Offers an Insider’s Perspective on Iran at the Pardee School
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n April 09, 2026, Norman T. Roule, a distinguished Middle East expert, provided an update on Iran to faculty and students at the Pardee School. A former colleague of Professor Joseph W. Wippl and John D. Woodward, Jr., Mr. Roule served for 34 years in the Central Intelligence Agency, where he directed numerous programs focused on the Middle East.
Most notably, from November 2008 to September 2017, Mr. Roule served as National Intelligence Manager for Iran at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In that capacity, he was the Intelligence Community’s senior official responsible for coordinating national intelligence policy and activities related to Iran, including engagement with senior policymakers at the National Security Council, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and Congress.
Operating under Chatham House rules, Mr. Roule drew on his unique experiences to explain the complexities of the Iran problem. Nina Stephens, a BU junior, attended the talk and found that “Mr. Roule’s expertise and pragmatic approach had opened my eyes to questions I had previously left unnoticed. I had gone into the conversation expecting to feel increasingly hopeless about US-Iranian relations, however the talk, if not uplifting, was certainly illuminating in the true workings of diplomatic practice and national intelligence. “
Similarly, Jacob Serfaty, found “the talk was really eye opening in that Mr. Roule discussed the situation from a non-emotional/non-bias standpoint point. Furthermore, he discussed events and figures the media has not covered, which changed my perspective in a refreshing way.”
Since retiring from government service, Mr. Roule has advised private-sector clients on political, security, military, economic, telecommunications, and energy developments across the region, with particular emphasis on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Iran. He maintains close relationships with multiple senior political and economic officials across the GCC.
Mr. Roule’s presentation was sponsored by the Pardee School’s International History Institute and the BU Division of Military Education.
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