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

Analysis: Netanyahu Comes to Washington

Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about the current state of U.S.-Israel relations.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman and Asher Grant-Sasson — February 4, 2025

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Sinem Adar: Turkey's Syria Challenge

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Sinem Adar, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). Together, they discuss Turkey's evolving interests in Syria and their connection to Turkey’s wider foreign policy agenda. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Martin Pimentel, and Will Todman — January 28, 2025

CSIS Babel

Sinem Adar: Turkey’s Syria Challenge

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Sinem Adar. Together, they discuss Turkey's evolving interests in Syria. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Martin Pimentel and Will Todman to discuss the hard choices the United States needs to make about Kurdish forces.

Transcript — January 28, 2025

Russian Roulette

Russia and the Middle East in 2025

Maria spoke with Hanna Notte and Natasha Hall about the new balance of forces in the Middle East at the start of 2025, and what the current geopolitical situation in the region means for Russia.

Podcast Episode by Maria Snegovaya, Natasha Hall, and Hanna Notte — January 23, 2025

Russian Roulette podcast logo

Israel and Hamas Reach a Ceasefire

Middle East Program director Jon B. Alterman answers critical questions about the recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Critical Questions by Jon B. Alterman — January 21, 2025

Audio Briefs

Israel and Hamas Reach a Ceasefire

An audio version of “Israel and Hamas Reach a Ceasefire,” a new Critical Questions by CSIS’s Jon B. Alterman. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman — January 21, 2025

Audio Briefs
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Analysis: Gaza Peace?

Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about where the Gaza conflict stands after 15 months of warfare.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman and Asher Grant-Sasson — January 21, 2025

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

eL Seed: Arabic Calligraffiti

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with eL Seed about the cultural and political forces that shaped his artistic evolution and art’s role in spurring social change.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Martin Pimentel — January 14, 2025

CSIS Babel