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, X, 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.

Contact Information

Media Queries

Featured Analysis

Photo: ABDULAZIZ KETAZ/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: ABDULAZIZ KETAZ/AFP via Getty Images

Can Syria Recover? Why Sanctions Relief Is Not Enough

President Trump’s recent announcement to lift sanctions on Syria is an important first step, but it’s not enough. The United States and Syria’s other partners now need to clear the remaining obstacles to stability and economic recovery.

Commentary by Natasha Hall and Ninar Fawal — May 29, 2025

See all analysis by the Middle East Program

Featured Projects

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Photo: iLab/CSIS

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, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy 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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Babel: Translating the Middle East

Mohanad Hage Ali: Hezbollah and the Captagon Trade

Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Together, they discuss Hezbollah’s involvement in these drug networks, as well as the opportunities to bolster Lebanese sovereignty and state institutions as a result of the group’s weakened standing.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Mona Yacoubian, and Asher Grant-Sasson — May 15, 2025

CSIS Babel

Mohanad Hage Ali: Hezbollah and the Captagon Trade

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Mohanad Hage Ali about Hezbollah’s involvement in drug networks. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Asher Grant-Sasson and Mona Yacoubian to discuss the challenges to Lebanese stability posed by a shifting drug trade.

Transcript — May 15, 2025

Trump Announces Lifting of Sanctions on Syria

President Trump’s announcement that he is lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria could yield both Gulf goodwill and lucrative business opportunities. While some are undoubtedly happy with the decision, it also foregoes U.S. leverage on Syria’s new government.
 

Critical Questions by Mona Yacoubian — May 13, 2025

Audio Briefs

Trump Announces Lifting of Sanctions on Syria

An audio version of “⁠⁠⁠Trump Announces Lifting of Sanctions on Syria⁠⁠⁠⁠,” a new Critical Questions by CSIS's Mona Yacoubian. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Mona Yacoubian — May 13, 2025

Audio Briefs
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Analysis: Will Trump’s Houthi Deal Stick?

On May 6, President Trump declared that the United States would immediately halt its bombing of Houthi targets. Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman about the core drivers behind this policy shift and the implications it might bear.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman and Asher Grant-Sasson — May 8, 2025

CSIS Babel

Iran’s Port Explosion

Middle East Program Research Associate Martin Pimentel answers critical questions about the recent explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port.

Critical Questions by Martin Pimentel, Jennifer Jun, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. — May 5, 2025

Audio Briefs

Iran’s Port Explosion

An audio version of “⁠⁠⁠Iran’s Port Explosion⁠,” a new Critical Questions by CSIS's Martin Pimentel, Jennifer Jun, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Martin Pimentel, Jennifer Jun, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. — May 5, 2025

Audio Briefs
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Dina Esfandiary: Will Iran Make a Deal with Trump?

Jon Alterman speaks with Dina Esfandiary, Middle East Geoeconomics Lead at Bloomberg, to discuss why the U.S. and Iran are negotiating again, how Tehran’s position has changed since 2015, and the different strategies both countries are likely to pursue. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Ninar Fawal, and Will Todman — May 1, 2025

CSIS Babel

Dina Esfandiary: Will Iran Make a Deal with Trump?

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dina Esfandiary about why the United States and Iran are negotiating again. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Ninar Fawal and Will Todman to discuss how various actors are responding to the ongoing nuclear talks.

Transcript — May 1, 2025

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Analysis: Trump’s Novel Middle East Diplomacy

Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about the promise and hazards posed by this shift in diplomatic strategy, especially in connection with the Middle East.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman and Asher Grant-Sasson — April 24, 2025

CSIS Babel