Middle East Program

Providing fresh analysis of the drivers of change in the Middle East

The CSIS Middle East Program provides fresh analysis of the drivers of change in the Middle East to decision makers and thought leaders in the United States and abroad.

The Middle East Program is a source for new ideas that go beyond the conventional wisdom, disseminated through written scholarship, events, and commentary in leading news outlets.

Follow us on Twitter @CSISMidEast and like us on Facebook.

Dr. Alterman serves as the director of the Middle East Program, a position he has held since 2002. Under his leadership, the Middle East Program has launched a biweekly podcast and numerous miniseries, convened events with many of the top thinkers in the field, and conducted innovative research on the Middle East including work on the Chinese influence, sustainability, and cultural shifts in the region.

Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter:

Contact Information

Media Queries

Featured Analysis

Photo: QASSEM AL-KAABI/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: QASSEM AL-KAABI/AFP via Getty Images

The Impacts of Raisi’s Death

On May 19, 2024, Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, and foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, died in a plane crash. Jon Alterman breaks down what their deaths mean for Iranian politics and the wider region. 

Listen to Article

Critical Questions by Jon B. Alterman — May 20, 2024

See all analysis by the Middle East Program

Featured Projects

All Middle East Program Content

Filter by

1 - 10 of 862 results
Audio Briefs

The Impacts of Raisi’s Death

An audio version of “The Impacts of Raisi’s Death,” a new Critical Questions by CSIS’s Jon B. Alterman. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman — May 20, 2024

Audio Briefs

The Impacts of Raisi’s Death

On May 19, 2024, Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, and foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, died in a plane crash. Jon Alterman breaks down what their deaths mean for Iranian politics and the wider region. 

Critical Questions by Jon B. Alterman — May 20, 2024

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Nicholas Blanford: Hezbollah’s Struggle Against Israel

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Nicholas Blanford, a Beirut-based security consultant, the author of two books on Lebanon, and a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. They talk about Hezbollah’s evolution, its ties to other actors in the region, and the role the group is playing in the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Leah Hickert, and Will Todman — May 14, 2024

CSIS Babel

Nicholas Blanford: Hezbollah’s Struggle Against Israel

Jon Alterman speaks with Nicholas Blanford, a Beirut-based security consultant and non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council about Hezbollah’s evolution, its ties to other actors in the region, and the role it's playing in the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Transcript — May 14, 2024

The Truth of the Matter

Israel’s Troubles

CSIS’s Jon B. Alterman joins the podcast to discuss the complex set of options that Israel and the United States are facing to secure peace in the Middle East.

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Jon B. Alterman — May 9, 2024

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

A Mezze: The Bonds of Marriage between Syria and Iraq

Desperate for stability and lured by promises of a life of luxury, a Syrian widow accepted a marriage proposal from a member of an Iraqi militia. She did not know that she would become one of dozens of Syrian women to fall victim to Iraqi marriage exploitation in the past year alone. 

 

Podcast Episode by Josh Phillips — May 7, 2024

CSIS Babel

The Bonds of Marriage between Syria and Iraq

Josh Phillips discusses the increasing number of Syrian women marrying Iraqi militia fighters leading to exploitation and abuse. Read more about why these marriages take place and the impact of gender-based discrimination and economic insecurity on women's lives.

Blog Post by Josh Phillips — May 1, 2024

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Hans Grundberg: Mediation in Yemen

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Hans Grundberg, the United Nations' special envoy of the secretary-general for Yemen. They discuss what a UN mediator does, why successful mediation is about more than just reaching a peace agreement, and how the internationalization of conflicts complicates mediation. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Leah Hickert — April 30, 2024

CSIS Babel

Hans Grundberg: Mediation in Yemen

Jon Alterman speaks with Hans Grundberg, the United Nations special envoy of the secretary-general for Yemen, about why successful mediation is about more than just reaching a peace agreement and how the internationalization of conflicts complicates mediation. 

Transcript — April 30, 2024

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Iran and Israel: A Cycle of Retaliation

Leah Hickert speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at CSIS, about the tensions rising between Iran and Israel, as well as the potential for regional escalation. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman and Leah Hickert — April 23, 2024

CSIS Babel