Didier LEROY

Bio 

Didier Leroy’s multidisciplinary academic career enabled him to obtain a master’s degree in Oriental Philology and History (Assyriology), a master’s degree in Religious Studies (Islamology) and a transdisciplinary master’s degree in Advanced Studies (Contemporary Challenges and Debates) at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). He then defended a PhD thesis in Social, Political and Military Sciences on the ideological and structural evolution of Lebanese Hezbollah, under the joint supervision of the ULB and the Royal Military Academy (RMA).

Didier Leroy worked for more than ten years as a researcher for the RMA’s chair of Sociology and as an assistant at the Centre d’études de la coopération internationale et du développement (CECID) of the ULB. In 2017, he joined the Centre for Security and Defence Studies (CSDS) of the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID). He is also an associate researcher at the Observatoire des mondes arabes et musulmans (OMAM) of the ULB and at the Observatoire du Moyen-Orient et de l’Afrique du Nord (OMAN) of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM).

Didier Leroy’s numerous missions in the Arab world (Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, etc.) have given him the opportunity to conduct research on geopolitics and Islamism (Muslim Brotherhood, Salafi movements, Shia militias, etc.). This field experience led him to lecture in several universities (Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Lumière Lyon 2, Lebanese University, etc.) and military academies (Canadian Forces College, NATO Defense College, Swedish Defence University, etc.). In addition, he is regularly consulted by prominent international organisations (European Union, NATO, etc.) and frequently appears in the media (France24, Euronews, New York Times, etc.).

Didier Leroy was the recipient of a travel scholarship from the Fonds national de la recherche scientifique (FNRS) in 2008, of the “Prix de la vulgarisation scientifique” (scientific popularisation award) from ULB’s inter-age university (CEPULB) in 2018 and of the NATO Human Factors and Medicine Panel Excellence Award in 2020. Finally, he has been a member of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) since 2018.

Expertise

• Middle East history and geopolitics
• Associated ideologies (Arab nationalisms, islamisms, etc.)
• Associated conflicts (Israeli-Arab conflict, Syrian war, Iran-Saudi Arabia rivalry, etc.)
• Islamic movements (Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood, Daesh, etc.)
• Dynamics of radicalisation and Jihadi terrorism
• Sunni-Shia divide and religious minorities
• Popular uprisings (“Arab Springs”)
• Arab armed forces
• Resilience theories

 
Publications (selection)

• BERGER, Chloé, et Didier LEROY. « La ‘Guerre des Douze Jours’ : Premières Répercussions sur le Golfe », European Institute for Studies on the Middle East and North Africa (EISMENA), 29 août 2025, https://eismena.com/article/la-guerre-des-douze-jours-premieres-repercussions-sur-le-golfe-2025-08-29. 
• BERGER, Chloé, et Didier LEROY. “US-Iran Showdown: First Lessons from Operation Midnight Hammer”, Royal Higher Institute for Defence, e-Note n°76, 2 July 2025, https://www.defence-institute.be/en/publications-2/e-note/e-note-76-chloe-berger-didier-leroy-2/.
• BERGER, Chloé, et Didier LEROY. “Israel-Iran Showdown: First Lessons from Operation Rising Lion”, Royal Higher Institute for Defence, e-Note n°75, 27 June 2025, https://www.defence-institute.be/en/publications-2/e-note/e-note-75-chloe-berger-didier-leroy/.
• BERGER, Chloé, et Didier LEROY. « Vers la fin de la stratégie iranienne de guerre par procuration ? », Diploweb, 8 juin 2025, https://www.diploweb.com/Vers-la-fin-de-la-strategie-iranienne-de-guerre-par-procuration.html.
• BERGER, Chloé, and Didier LEROY. “A Broken ‘Axis of Resistance’? Reflecting on Iran’s Proxy Warfare Strategy.” Security & Strategy (Royal Higher Institute for Defence), no. 155 (April 2025): 1-113, https://www.defence-institute.be/en/publications-2/security-strategy/ss-155-chloe-berger-didier-leroy/.