Jon B. Alterman

Senior Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and Director, Middle East Program
Jon B. Alterman

Jon B. Alterman is a senior vice president, holds the Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and is director of the Middle East Program at CSIS. Prior to joining CSIS in 2002, he served as a member of the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State and as a special assistant to the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, and from 2009-2019 he served as a member of the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel. In addition to his policy work, he often teaches Middle Eastern studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the George Washington University. Earlier in his career, Alterman was a scholar at the U.S. Institute of Peace and at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a legislative aide to Senator Daniel P. Moynihan (D-NY) responsible for foreign policy and defense. From 1993 to 1997, Alterman was an award-winning teacher at Harvard University, where he received his Ph.D. in history.

Alterman has lectured in more than 35 countries on five continents on subjects related to the Middle East and U.S. policy toward the region. He is the author or coauthor of four books on the Middle East and the editor of five more. In addition to his academic work, he is sought out as a consultant to business and government and is a frequent commentator in print, on radio, and on television. His opinion pieces have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and other major publications. He is a former international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he is now a life member. He received his A.B. from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs.

Programs & Projects

Areas of Expertise

In the News

All content by Jon B. Alterman

Filter by

1 - 10 of 478 results

The Kurdish Roots of Iran’s Freedom Movement

The death of Mahsa Amini has brought Iranian Kurds’ long struggle for representation to the forefront. Join the Middle East Program as we discuss the history and future of Kurdish identity in Iran.

Event by Jon B. Alterman , Jason Rezaian , Behrouz Boochani , and Tara Azizi — January 26, 2023

Photo by SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Hanna Notte: Russia in the Middle East After Ukraine

This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Hanna Notte, a senior research associate with the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. They talk about Russia's interests in the Middle East and where they stand after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia's growing economic and defense relationship with Iran, and how Arab states view Russia's war in Ukraine. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Danny Sharp, discussing the implications for U.S. policy in the region and what U.S. decision-makers should do about it. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Natasha Hall , and Daniel Sharp — January 24, 2023

CSIS Babel

The Arab World at an Inflection Point

CSIS expert Jon B. Alterman explains why the Arab world is once again at an inflection point as leaders make consequential decisions about their countries’ economies, governance style, respect for freedom of speech, and level of income inequality.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — January 17, 2023

Photo: MAHMOUD KHALED/AFP/Getty Images
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Jihad Azour: The Middle East's Economic Outlook

Jon speaks with the Jihad Azour of the IMF about the Middle East's economic outlook and the political consequences of economic reforms.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Natasha Hall , and Daniel Sharp — January 10, 2023

CSIS Babel

The Middle East’s Economic Outlook

Jon Alterman speaks with Jihad Azour, director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia department, about the institution’s role in assisting MENA countries in crisis and bolstering the region’s economic outlook.

Transcript by Jon B. Alterman — January 10, 2023

Photo: iLab/CSIS
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Khalid Albaih: The Information Bubble

Jon Alterman speaks with Khalid Albaih about how he got his start in political cartoons and the role of the internet for debating political ideas and art.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Will Todman , and Lubna Yousef — December 27, 2022

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

C. Raja Mohan: India's Middle East Strategy

Jon Alterman speaks with C. Raja Mohan about India's foreign policy in the Middle East and how Indian policymakers think about the region.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Will Todman , and Lubna Yousef — December 13, 2022

CSIS Babel

India's Middle East Strategy

Jon Alterman speaks with C. Raja Mohan about India's foreign policy strategy in the Middle East and how it's changed in recent years under Prime Minister Modi.

Transcript by Jon B. Alterman and C. Raja Mohan — December 13, 2022

Photo: iLab/CSIS
The Truth of the Matter

World Cup Geopolitics

CSIS's Jon Alterman joins the podcast to discuss the geopolitics associated with the World Cup and the broader ramifications for the United State and the Middle East.

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Jon B. Alterman — December 1, 2022

CSIS the truth of the matter
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Tamar Hermann: Israel's Rightward Shift

Jon speaks with Tamar Hermann about the rightward shift of young Jewish Israelis and changing attitudes about Arab citizens of Israel.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Natasha Hall , and Daniel Sharp — November 29, 2022

CSIS Babel