Middle East Program

Providing fresh analysis of the drivers of change in the Middle East

The CSIS Middle East Program is dedicated to producing “opportunity driven” research rather than “threat driven” commentary. Rather than merely reacting to crises, the program seeks to understand how emerging trends, opportunities, and pressures affect the choices people and their leaders make, with an eye toward contributing to the policy debate in the United States and abroad. 

Our work ranges from detailed reports to brief analysis papers and can be found in both the academic and popular press. We frequently host roundtables and conferences inviting dignitaries and thought leaders to join us in unpacking the Middle East. You can follow our latest work on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. 

Our research is broad, fitting mostly into four sub-regions and four thematic areas:

Sub-Regions

Warfare, volatile oil prices, economic and social reform, and environmental change are shifting the strategic logic of the Arabian Peninsula. The Middle East Program works with others to understand the new challenges and opportunities on the Arabian Peninsula and their impacts on regional affairs and global politics. The program’s Arabian Peninsula work includes the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen, and adjoining Iraq. Find out more here. 

Iran and its allies across the region will play a crucial role shaping future regional conflicts and coloring the region’s geopolitics. Questions and uncertainty continue to surround the future of U.S. engagement with Iran. The Middle East Program examines evolving domestic trends within Iran, Iran’s regional engagement, and U.S. policy toward Iran. Find out more here.

The Israel-Hamas war has emerged as a defining moment for the region, Syria’s decades-long conflict continues to fester, and Egypt and Lebanon’s simmering economic stressors threaten to tip over into a broader crisis. The Middle East program analyzes the political, geopolitical, and humanitarian dynamics across Egypt and the Levant. Find out more here.

Migration, environmental degradation, and socio-political change have drawn the Maghreb—defined by the program as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya—from the margins of U.S. Middle East policy toward mainstream concerns. The Middle East Program is examining the changing political, economic, and security trends in the region. Find out more here.

Themes

Russia and China are expanding their presence in the Middle East, while global trends that put new emphasis on middle powers and the Global South are reshaping the strategic approach of Middle Eastern states. The Middle East Program is examining key trends in Great Power engagement with the Middle East and the region’s evolving geostrategy. Find out more here.

For more than a decade, calls for social, political, and economic change have reshaped the region. The Middle East Program is tracking key socio-political dynamics to identify the trends that will continue to shape the region over the next decades. Find out more here.

The Middle East contains both the world’s largest energy reserves, as well as some of the most water-scarce nations in the world. As the region grapples with the global energy transition and accelerating climate change, the Middle East Program is exploring how these dynamics are restructuring state-society relationships and how governments and civic groups can respond. Find out more here.

From Gaza to Syria to Yemen, the Middle East is home to some of the world’s most complex humanitarian emergencies. The region receives billions of dollars in aid every year, but international donors are rethinking how best to scale and direct their assistance. The Middle East Program is investigating key trends in aid and reconstruction to inform international assistance. Find out more here.

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Featured Analysis

Photo: ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

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.

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Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — September 30, 2024

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See all analysis by the Middle East Program

Featured Projects

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Babel will take you beyond the headlines to discuss what’s really happening in the Middle East and North Africa. It features regional experts who explain what’s going on, provide context on pivotal developments, and highlight trends you may have missed. Jon Alterman, senior vice president, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts the podcast along with his colleagues from the Middle East Program. This podcast is made possible through the generous support of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates. All views, positions, and conclusions expressed here should be understood to be solely of those of the speaker(s). Listen on Apple Podcasts.

Podcast Series by Jon B. Alterman, Will Todman, and Natasha Hall

All Middle East Program Content

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China and the Middle East

China sees the Middle East as the point of the spear of creating a different world which is more mercantilist and less committed to international law and multilateralism.

Congressional Testimony by Jon B. Alterman — April 19, 2024

A Strategic Approach to Red Sea Security

Iran did not create the Houthi movement, but it has long seen it as useful. The Houthis have been a low-cost way to give Iran additional regional reach. They represent a modest investment in regional forces that reject the legitimacy of the status quo.

Congressional Testimony by Jon B. Alterman — February 14, 2024

Has the United Nations Failed Ukraine and the World?

For many, Russia’s actions in Ukraine crystallized a fundamental threat to human rights and humanitarian principles. However, Russia’s tactics were most clearly distilled during the Syrian conflict. In Syria, the Assad regime and Russia presented a successful blueprint for how to exploit multilateral institutions and humanitarian assistance.

Congressional Testimony by Natasha Hall — September 27, 2023

Chinese and Russian Influence in the Middle East

Dr. Jon B. Alterman, Senior Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy and Director, Middle East Program, testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism.

Congressional Testimony by Jon B. Alterman — May 9, 2019

U.S. Policy In North Africa

Haim Malka, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow of the CSIS Middle East Program, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on "U.S. Policy in North Africa."

Congressional Testimony by Haim Malka — November 4, 2015

Potential Implications in the Region of the Iran Deal

Dr. Jon B. Alterman, Senior Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy and Director, Middle East Program, testified before the House Armed Services Committee.

Congressional Testimony by Jon B. Alterman — July 29, 2015

Bad Options and Hard Choices in Syria Policy

Jon B. Alterman, Brzezinski Chair of the Global Security and Geostrategy and director of the Middle East Program, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa.

Congressional Testimony by Jon B. Alterman — June 5, 2013