The Gulf

The Middle East Program; Energy Security and Climate Change Program; Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program; and Burke Chair in Strategy study the evolving political, economic, and security context of the GCC states, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen.

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Yemen’s Crisis

September 19, 2019 • 10:30 am – 12:00 pm EDT
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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

All The Gulf Content

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(Un)scripted Diplomacy?

A popular Saudi Ramadan show has an unexpected focus on China.

Blog Post by Ninar Fawal — June 4, 2025

Houthi Aggression and a Roadmap for Peace in Yemen

Maged Al-Madhaji, chair and co-founder of the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, joins Dr. Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, to discuss Houthi attacks on international shipping and the war in Yemen.

Event — September 4, 2024

Houthi Aggression and a Roadmap for Peace in Yemen

The CSIS Middle East Program hosted a conversation with Maged Al-Madhaji, chair and co-founder of the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, on the Houthis’ strategy attacking shipping, military responses, and a way forward to end the war in Yemen.

Transcript — September 4, 2024

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Hasan Alhasan: The Strategies of Gulf States

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Hasan Alhasan, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies based in Manama, Bahrain. Prior to joining IISS, he served for five years on the staff of the Crown Prince of Bahrain as a senior analyst on foreign policy and national security. Together, they compare Gulf states’ foreign policies and their underlying strategies. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Will Todman and Leah Hickert to discuss how Gulf states handle shifts in U.S. strategies and what the Gulf expects from its Great Power partners.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Will Todman, and Leah Hickert — July 23, 2024

CSIS Babel

The Unique Promise of Environmental Cooperation in the Gulf

Environmental issues hold unique promise for fostering negotiation and cooperation in the Gulf. A new CSIS brief explores the potential of environmental diplomacy to bring broader geopolitical benefits.

Brief by Will Todman and Lubna Yousef — July 11, 2023

Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Iran's "Cloudy" Accusations

In mid-2022, Iranian authorities accused Israel and the United Arab Emirates of stealing their rain. But Iran’s increasingly dire water shortages make it harder to blame others for the Iranian government’s poor water management. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

Podcast Episode — June 6, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Nicolas Pelham: Morocco's Missing King

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Nicolas Pelham of The Economist about the Moroccan monarchy and King Mohammed VI’s unusual friendship with a German kickboxer.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Danny Sharp — May 30, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Hafsa Halawa: Egypt's Economic Turmoil

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Hafsa Halawa of the Middle East Institute and author of a new paper entitled Gulf Investment in Egypt, A balance of mutual need. They talk about the economic crisis that has plagued Egypt, shedding light on the factors that have contributed to its tumultuous state.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Will Todman, and Lubna Yousef — May 16, 2023

CSIS Babel