CSIS Middle East Program

NEW report: The Middle East has battled water insecurity for centuries, but today, the region is on a razor’s edge. By 2050, every single country in the region will live under extremely high water stress. Yet, in a region beset with wars, fragility, and political tensions, it is harder than ever to develop agreements and reforms that would alleviate water scarcity. This is why we started the Water and the Future of the Middle East project, culminating in this deeply researched volume on how to tackle the politics that got us here in #Iraq #Syria #Yemen #Jordan and #Palestine Informed by hundreds of interviews and lifetimes of experience, Hassan Janabi, Lyse MAUVAIS, Maha Yassin, Ciarán ó Cuinn, Mohammad Al-Saidi, Neda Zawahri and I tackle an existential issue for the region often buried under the headlines of the day. Feedback always welcome https://lnkd.in/eJuPtCMa

New Report | Wars, fragility, and political tensions have created an increasingly difficult environment for addressing the growing threat of water insecurity in the Middle East. In a new report, Natasha Hall and contributing authors Hassan Janabi, Lyse MAUVAIS, Mohammad Al-Saidi, Maha Yassin, and Neda Zawahri assess the challenges and policy options for overcoming the politics of water scarcity in the Middle East, with a focus on northeastern Syria, the Yemeni highlands, southern Iraq, and Jordan. The report produces a new set of actionable policy recommendations for domestic and international actors, including: 1?? Building local capacity and monitoring capabilities in conflict-affected countries, such as Syria and Yemen. 2?? Incorporating water negotiations into peace negotiations. 3?? Destigmatizing alternate supplies of water, including wastewater treatment plants. Find out more about what local actors and international donors can do to address water security in the Middle East by reading the full report here: https://lnkd.in/dDxzYKTd

Does the Trump administration have a Middle East strategy? President Trump's comments on Gaza and Iran have roiled the Middle East, but the administration's desired end states for the region remain unclear. On the latest episode of #Babel, Jon Alterman unpacks President Trump's recent statements on the region and assesses what a new U.S. foreign policy for the region could look like. Listen to the full episode here to learn more: https://lnkd.in/eEtGgA3v

The Middle East has battled water insecurity for centuries. But today, recent foreign aid cuts, combined with terrorism designations, sanctions, and conflict-induced fragility, have put the region on a razor’s edge. On March 11 at 10:00 AM ET, Natasha Hall will host a panel of experts to discuss the politics of water scarcity in the Middle East and her upcoming report "The Thirst for Power: Overcoming the Politics of Water in the Middle East." The event will feature comments from: ?? Ciarán ó Cuinn, author of the report's foreword. ?? Robyn Savage, author of the report's chapter on northeast Syria ?? Hassan Janabi, author of the report's chapter on Iraq ?? Neda Zawahri, author of the report's chapter on Yemen Find out more about the event and register to attend here: https://lnkd.in/eSPHhVQV

Spoke to Ben Rhodes on the geopolitical challenges #Syria faces. If I sound exasperated, I am. Never has the right thing & the strategic thing to do been so closely aligned. To see that opportunity thrown away is heartbreaking. #Turkey #Israel #Russia #PKK https://lnkd.in/eU8pi63p

This morning, Natasha Hall joined Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes on Pod Save the World to discuss the geopolitical factors shaping Syria's post-Assad political transition and consolidation. Together, they break down: ?? The impact of international sanctions, terrorism designations, and cuts to foreign assistance on Syrian stabilization. ?? Turkey's interests in Kurdish-controlled northeastern Syria. ?? Russia's rapidly evolving relations with HTS and the potential for its return to Syria. ?? The impact of Israeli-imposed buffer zones in Syria. Listen to her full analysis to find out more: https://lnkd.in/e3xz3pbB

Upcoming Event | Join the CSIS Middle East Program for a conversation with Renad Mansour for a conversation about the future of Iran's transnational networks and his upcoming paper "Reshaping Iran's Axis: Navigating Adaptive Transnational Networks in the Middle East." ?? 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET ?? March 6, 2025 ?? Online Register to watch the event here: https://lnkd.in/e95cgaCu

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Max Bergmann about the Middle East issues that unite and divide European countries and how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may be reshaping European perspectives on the region. Together, they discuss the key questions facing Europe amid a shift in U.S. foreign policy in the region, including: ?? Can the European Union develop a cohesive foreign policy towards the Middle East? ??? How will European efforts to ramp up their defense industrial capacity affect their hard power projection in the Middle East? ?? What issues in the region could catalyze cooperation between the United States and European countries? Listen to their full conversation below to find out more: https://lnkd.in/d3grcTTU

Tune in to C-SPAN to watch CSIS Middle East Program senior fellow Natasha Hall's comments on U.S. foreign policy in Gaza, Syria, and more ??

The sudden collapse of the Assad regime in Syria in December heralds a new era of political contestation in Syria, the Middle East, and beyond. In a new article for the journal Survival, Natasha Hall assesses the prospects for Syria's political transition and the ideological, geopolitical and economic calculations of the seven most significant international actors with stakes in Syria's political trajectory. Read Natasha's latest work here: https://lnkd.in/gpkcQwMX