Middle East

The Middle East Program heads CSIS’s work on the region within the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department, which analyzes a wide range of political, security, and socioeconomic issues related to the Middle East and North Africa.

Photo: CSIS

Photo: CSIS

New forms of water conflict 

David Michel looks at attacks on water by terrorist groups and examines how digitalization creates cybersecurity vulnerabilities for the water sector and everything that depends on it.

Podcast Episode by David Michel — March 24, 2025

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Recent Events

Photo: CSIS

Photo: CSIS

China in the Middle East

November 4, 2024 • 11:30 am – 12:30 pm EST
Video On Demand
Hosted by Middle East Program
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Experts

Jon Alterman

Jon B. Alterman

Senior Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and Director, Middle East Program
Seth G. Jones

Seth G. Jones

President, Defense and Security Department; Harold Brown Chair
Daniel Byman

Daniel Byman

Director, Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program
Will Todman

Will Todman

Chief of Staff, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department; and Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

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Hidden Depths

New forms of water conflict 

David Michel looks at attacks on water by terrorist groups and examines how digitalization creates cybersecurity vulnerabilities for the water sector and everything that depends on it.

Podcast Episode by David Michel — March 24, 2025

Photo: CSIS
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Nicolas Pelham: Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syria’s Future

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Nicolas Pelham, the Middle East correspondent for The Economist. Together, they discuss his latest article, “The Great Pretender: How Ahmed al-Sharaa Won Syria,” an in-depth profile of the Syrian leader based in part on a mid-February interview. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Ninar Fawal, and Natasha Hall — March 20, 2025

CSIS Babel

Tipping Point: The Politics of Water Insecurity in the Middle East

While parts of the Middle East are inherently water scarce, tensions in the region and governance issues have brought the region to a tipping point. There is an urgent need to address the politics of water insecurity to alleviate this existential threat.

Commentary by Natasha Hall — March 10, 2025

Hidden Depths

Water as a Weapon and Victim of Conflict

In water-scarce regions, water is more than just a resource; it is a lifeline. But in conflict-affected regions around the world, opposing parties are deliberately targeting water supplies—destroying water infrastructure or seizing and controlling water systems to weaken opponents and exert power over populations.

Podcast Episode by David Michel — March 10, 2025

Photo: CSIS

The Thirst for Power

The Middle East has battled water insecurity for centuries, but today, the region is on a razor’s edge. Tackling the politics and power dynamics that have exacerbated scarcity is the only way to tackle this existential issue.

Report by Natasha Hall — March 7, 2025

Iranian Networks in the Middle East

Renad Mansour, senior research fellow & project director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House and Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East & North Africa Programme at Chatham House join Dr. Jon Alterman to discuss emerging trends in Iran's transnational networks.

Event — March 6, 2025

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Analysis: Trump’s Middle East Strategy

Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman about the state of U.S. Middle East policy and its possible future trajectories.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman and Asher Grant-Sasson — March 6, 2025

CSIS Babel