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.

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A tall tower stands in front of a desert.

Analysis: The Regional Fallout of Syria's Unrest

Last weekend, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al Qaeda affiliate with a base in northwest Syria, launched a surprise offensive. The rebels captured Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo, and headed toward Homs and Hama, two major population centers. The weekend’s battles mark the first significant shift of battle lines in Syria since 2020. With Russian and Syrian airstrikes on rebel strongholds picking up, Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about the regional and geostrategic implications of a possibly new phase in Syria’s 13-year civil war.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman and Asher Grant-Sasson — December 3, 2024

Recent Events


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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

Experts


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Jon B. Alterman
Senior Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and Director, Middle East Program
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Seth G. Jones
President, Defense and Security Department; Harold Brown Chair
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Daniel Byman
Director, Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program
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Will Todman
Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Middle East Program