Great Powers and Geostrategy

Analyzing Great Power engagement with the Middle East and the region’s geostrategic questions

Most analysts note the growing Russian and Chinese presence in the Middle East and presume that the Great Powers will increasingly compete for influence there, given the region’s energy reserves and security vulnerabilities. Yet, even now, the Great Powers see the Middle East differently from each other. Changes in the global energy mix, demographics, trade patterns, and other factors are likely to heighten those differences in the coming decades. The Middle East Program examines evolving trends in Great Power-Middle East engagement, as well as Great Power conflict and collaboration within the region, with a focus on geostrategy.

 

Photo: Rolex - Pool/Getty Images

China and the Middle East

 

For the Middle East Program’s research on China in the region, please click here.

Featured Analysis

Photo: Hasan Belal/Anadolu/Getty Images

Photo: Hasan Belal/Anadolu/Getty Images

Natasha Hall in The New York Times: There's Still a Chance to Get Syria Right

Syria is in a fragile state after the overthrow of Bashar al Assad. The United States can help ensure a stable post-Assad transition by engaging the new government, lifting its broad sanctions, and keeping its regional allies in check.

Commentary by Natasha Hall — April 2, 2025

Photo: Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images

Photo: Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images

Trump Takes on the Houthis

The Trump administration is escalating attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen in response to Houthi assaults on commercial shipping. The U.S. government is also increasingly blaming Iran for Houthi actions, which could intensify the conflict between the two countries.

Critical Questions by Jon B. Alterman — March 27, 2025

All Great Powers and Geostrategy Content

Filter by

11 - 20 of 270 results

Syria: Iran and Hezbollah’s Savior and Achilles’ Heel

Without a political solution to the Middle East’s protracted conflicts, Israel’s tactical gains and Iran’s losses will be ephemeral. The consequences to civilians and U.S. interests will be permanent. The experience with Syria’s civil war provides a case in point.

Commentary by Natasha Hall — October 16, 2024

Seizing Middle East Opportunities

U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East has so far failed to avert regional escalation, but the assassination of Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah offers a new opportunity for U.S.-led diplomacy at a critical juncture.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — September 30, 2024

Audio Briefs

Seizing Middle East Opportunities

An audio version of “Seizing Middle East Opportunities,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Jon B. Alterman. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman — September 30, 2024

Audio Briefs

The Middle East’s View of the “China Model”

China does not seek to replace or outcompete the United States in the Middle East. Instead, China is working to untie the Middle East from the United States and make the region and the world more receptive to China through its model of political and economic development.

Report by Jon B. Alterman — September 19, 2024

The Impacts of Raisi’s Death

On May 19, 2024, Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, and foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, died in a plane crash. Jon Alterman breaks down what their deaths mean for Iranian politics and the wider region. 

Critical Questions by Jon B. Alterman — May 20, 2024

Jon B. Alterman for Foreign Affairs: A Détente Option for Iran

Jon Alterman delves into U.S.-Iran relations, exposing the failures of deterrence and advocating for a nuanced, strategic response to foster stability and predictability amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — April 3, 2024

Why Did the United States Just Bomb Yemen?

On January 11, U.S. and British militaries attacked 60 Houthi targets. Jon Alterman explains why this happened, the regional dynamics at play, and what this means for peace talks in Yemen.  

Critical Questions by Jon B. Alterman — January 12, 2024

China’s Essential Role in the Gulf States’ Energy Transitions

China has established itself as an essential partner in Gulf states’ energy transition, serving as an investor and developer in renewable energy projects. Western governments, however, have been reluctant to compete with Chinese enterprises in the region.

Brief by Faris Al-Sulayman and Jon B. Alterman — December 11, 2023