Middle East

The Middle East Program heads CSIS’s work on the region, which analyzes a wide range of political, security, and socioeconomic issues related to the Middle East and North Africa, with special attention to the ways that changes in the Middle East and North Africa have effects beyond the region.

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Middle East Notes and Comment: Saudi Arabia Steps Out

By paying so much attention to China in the recent Saudi-Iran deal, Americans risk missing the most important part of this agreement: the changing regional role of Saudi Arabia.

Newsletter by Jon B. Alterman — March 24, 2023

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Jon B. 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

Senior Vice President; Harold Brown Chair; and Director, International Security Program

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The Truth of the Matter

Eliot Cohen on Russia-Ukraine and Iran-Israel

CSIS’s Dr. Eliot Cohen joins the podcast to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine and how Israel and the United States have increasing concerns about Iran’s military and nuclear weapons program.

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Eliot A. Cohen — February 6, 2023

CSIS the truth of the matter

Dire Straits: China’s Push to Secure Its Energy Interests in the Middle East

To meet its vast energy needs, China is expanding its footprint along the Strait of Hormuz—a vital chokepoint for transporting oil. As Beijing looks to secure its interests in the region, it may leverage commercial inroads to further military and intelligence activities.

Digital Report by Matthew P. Funaiole , Brian Hart , and Lily McElwee — February 3, 2023

The Truth of the Matter

U.S.-Israeli Military Exercises

Wall Street Journal Middle East Correspondent Dion Nissenbaum joins the podcast to discuss his reporting from aboard the U.S. George H.W. Bush in the Mediterranean Sea while the United States and Israel conducted their largest-ever military exercises, and Israel’s drone strike inside Iran just days later.  

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz — February 2, 2023

CSIS the truth of the matter
Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Salmon Farming in the UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) doesn’t seem like the ideal place for a salmon farm, but aquaculture is becoming an increasingly large part of the UAE's food security strategy.

Podcast Episode — February 1, 2023

CSIS Babel

The Kurdish Roots of Iran’s Freedom Movement

The death of Mahsa Amini has brought Iranian Kurds’ long struggle for representation to the forefront. Join the Middle East Program as we discuss the history and future of Kurdish identity in Iran.

Event by Jon B. Alterman , Jason Rezaian , Behrouz Boochani , and Tara Azizi — January 26, 2023

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Hanna Notte: Russia in the Middle East After Ukraine

Jon Alterman speaks with Hanna Notte about Russia's interests in the Middle East and where they stand after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia's growing economic and defense relationship with Iran, and how Arab states view Russia's war in Ukraine.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Natasha Hall , and Daniel Sharp — January 24, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Untying the Knot

To bring divorce rates down in Egypt, the government is intervening before couples tie the knot in the first place.

Podcast Episode — January 17, 2023

CSIS Babel

The Arab World at an Inflection Point

CSIS expert Jon B. Alterman explains why the Arab world is once again at an inflection point as leaders make consequential decisions about their countries’ economies, governance style, respect for freedom of speech, and level of income inequality.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — January 17, 2023