Middle East

The Middle East is undergoing a transformative moment where the old order is vanishing and a new one is beginning to take shape. Wars in Gaza and Iran, the evolution of terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, and the fall of Bashar al Assad have dramatically changed the region, leading to unprecedented conflict and alliances in the midst of changing economies and energy flows. CSIS experts grapple with these fast-moving developments and explore questions surrounding issues such as geopolitics and geostrategy, governance, counterterrorism, economics, and water security.

Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images; AFP/Getty Images

Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images; AFP/Getty Images

The Middle East at a “Hinge Moment”

The Middle East has entered a hinge moment—the old order dying, a new one yet to emerge. As the region’s own actors, fortified by newfound agency, compete to shape this unsettled interval, many trajectories, from renewed conflict to stabilization, remain possible.

Commentary by Mona Yacoubian — September 9, 2026

See all analysis on the Middle East

Latest Podcasts

See all podcast episodes on the Middle East

Recent Events

See all events on the Middle East

Related Programs

Experts

Jon Alterman

Jon B. Alterman

Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy
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
Douglas Comstock

Douglas Comstock

Fellow for Satellite Imagery Analysis and Open-Source Intelligence, iDeas Lab
Masha Kotkin

Masha Kotkin

Fellow, Energy Security and Climate Change Program
Andrew Faulhaber

Andrew Faulhaber

Visiting Fellow, Intelligence, National Security, and Technology Program

All Middle East Content

Filter by

1 - 10 of 2180 results

The Middle East at a “Hinge Moment”

The Middle East has entered a hinge moment—the old order dying, a new one yet to emerge. As the region’s own actors, fortified by newfound agency, compete to shape this unsettled interval, many trajectories, from renewed conflict to stabilization, remain possible.

Commentary by Mona Yacoubian — September 9, 2026

Who's Paying for the Iran War? | The High Top

Who is paying the price for the U.S.-Iran war? Jon Alterman and Joseph Majkut examine the global energy crisis, rising costs in Asia, China’s role in stabilizing oil markets, and what the war means for Gulf security and U.S. influence.

Event — August 25, 2026

Open for Business

This installment of Charting the Middle East spotlights growing trade volumes between Syria and select countries or regions since the fall of Assad and the lifting of sanctions.

Newsletter by Philip Luck — August 20, 2026