After Hormuz: Will the Houthis Block Another Chokepoint? On March 28th, Iran's Yemeni proxy joined the war in the Middle East, firing missiles at Israel. But they have not yet played one of the most important cards still at their disposal – attacking…

In this video, @willtodman.bsky.social unpacks some of the most important implications that we will see if the Houthis block Bab al-Mandab.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=get5...

Visualizing Iran’s Escalation Strategy Iran is abandoning calibrated retaliation for rapid escalation—expanding the war across the region and raising stakes globally. The Middle East Program breaks down Tehran’s strategy with two new…

"Iran’s vertical escalation strategy seeks to inflict economic and psychological pain on its Gulf and regional neighbors, as well as provoke widespread disruption across global markets," writes Mona Yacoubian.

www.csis.org/analysis/vis...

Israel's Escalating War in Lebanon: What's at Stake? | CSIS Events Senior Adviser and Director of the CSIS Middle East Program is joined by Dr. Paul Salem, The Hon. David Schenker, and Dr. Randa Slim to discuss the escalating conflict in Lebanon.

Lebanon is facing a rapidly escalating conflict with profound humanitarian and regional consequences. Watch this discussion on where the crisis is heading—and what’s at stake for Lebanon, Israel, and the wider Middle East. www.csis.org/events/israe...

How Does Saudi Arabia See the War with Iran? Saudi Arabia finds itself in an unprecedented war with Iran. Not surprisingly, Saudi views of this war are complicated.

How does Saudi Arabia view the war with Iran and what are the factors driving its restraint? Read Non-resident Senior Adviser and former ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney’s commentary to learn more:

www.csis.org/analysis/how...

Visualizing Iran’s Escalation Strategy Iran is abandoning calibrated retaliation for rapid escalation—expanding the war across the region and raising stakes globally. The Middle East Program breaks down Tehran’s strategy with two new…

As the war with Iran reached its one-month mark on March 28, complex escalation dynamics continue to drive the conflict.

Read Mona Yacoubian's commentary, accompanied by data visualization, to learn more about Iran’s escalation strategy.
www.csis.org/analysis/vis...

What Are the Hidden Costs of the War with Iran? | State of Play | CSIS Events The CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department invites you to a live episode of State of Play to explore the hidden costs of the war with Iran on Tuesday 24 March at 4:00pm EDT.

Watch our expert panel discussion on the hidden costs of war with Iran, featuring
Will Todman, Mona Yacoubian, Emily Harding, and Caitlin Welsh.

www.csis.org/events/what-...

Israel's Escalating War in Lebanon: What's at Stake? | CSIS Events Senior Adviser and Director of the CSIS Middle East Program is joined by Dr. Paul Salem, The Hon. David Schenker, and Dr. Randa Slim to discuss the escalating conflict in Lebanon.

Where is the conflict in Lebanon heading? What are the most likely scenarios? And what is at stake for Lebanon, Israel, and the wider region if the conflict continues to intensify?

Our panel of experts answer here: www.csis.org/events/israe...

Iran’s War Strategy: Don’t Calibrate—Escalate Threatened by regime change and determined to deter future attacks, Iran is opting for unbridled escalation in its war against the United States and Israel.

Mona Yacoubian highlights that in “less than 24 hours into the war, Iran expanded the geographic arena of conflict, hitting nine countries." Read below to learn more about Iran’s war strategy: www.csis.org/analysis/ira...

What Are the Hidden Costs of the War with Iran? | State of Play | CSIS Events The CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department invites you to a live episode of State of Play to explore the hidden costs of the war with Iran on Tuesday 24 March at 4:00pm EDT.

🗣️ TODAY: A live State of Play episode exploring the hidden costs of the war with Iran, featuring @WillTodman, @myacoubian, Emily Harding, and Caitlin Welsh.

Tune in at 4 PM EDT!

www.csis.org/events/what-...

Who Is Iran's New Leader? Less than a week after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was announced as his successor and the new Supreme Leader of Iran. Who is Mojtaba…

Who is Iran's new supreme leader? Iran expert and CSIS Non-resident Senior Adviser Vali Nasr provides a timely explanation below:

www.youtube.com/shorts/NV4fU...

Will Iranians Overthrow Their Government? Iran recently experienced a wave of antigovernment protests, and in the aftermath of the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei, President Trump urged the Iranian people to overthrow their government. But…

According to CSIS Non-resident Senior Adviser Vali Nasr, Iran’s internal political issues that came to light during mass protests in January, have been superseded by the current war. www.youtube.com/shorts/S7e5k...

Iran’s War Strategy: Don’t Calibrate—Escalate Threatened by regime change and determined to deter future attacks, Iran is opting for unbridled escalation in its war against the United States and Israel.

In her latest Commentary, Mona Yacoubian highlights three scenarios for the future of the war with Iran. Read below to learn more about the potential trajectory of the war:

www.csis.org/analysis/ira...

How Does Saudi Arabia See the War with Iran? Saudi Arabia finds itself in an unprecedented war with Iran. Not surprisingly, Saudi views of this war are complicated.

"The kingdom now weighs the damage to the Iranian regime against the potential regional volatility and economic damage being wrought, and the absence of a clear endgame," writes Michael Ratney.

www.csis.org/analysis/how...

The War with Iran Threatens Syria’s Recovery Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa has a strategy for Syria's recovery. The war with Iran could jeopardize that.

Regional war threatens to spark conflict between Syria and its neighbors and jeopardizes Syria’s efforts to consolidate territorial control and attract the private sector investment needed to rebuild.

Read the latest by @willtodman.bsky.social:

www.csis.org/analysis/war...

Von der Leyen’s Foreign Policy Power Struggle and the Iran War with Mona Yacoubian | The Eurofile | CSIS Podcasts Max and Donatienne discuss Ursula von der Leyen’s role in EU foreign policy before turning to a conversation with Mona Yacoubian to discuss the Iran war and Europe’s role in it.

CSIS MEP Senior Adviser and Director Mona Yacoubian joined @erep.csis.org's The Eurofile podcast to discuss Europe's role in the war with Iran. Listen here:

www.csis.org/podcasts/eur...

The War with Iran Threatens Syria’s Recovery Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa has a strategy for Syria's recovery. The war with Iran could jeopardize that.

War with Iran threatens “each pillar” of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa's strategy for political and economic stabilization in Syria.

CSIS Senior Fellow @willtodman.bsky.social breaks down what the current conflict means for Syria.

Russia and China: Gaining from the war with Iran? | State of Play | CSIS Events The CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department invites you to a live episode of State of Play to explore the implications of the war with Iran for China and Russia on Monday 16 March at 4:00pm.…

What does war with Iran mean for China and Russia in the long term?

In this live episode of State of Play, CSIS experts discuss the potential for strategic gains for China and Russia while the United States is occupied in Iran.

www.csis.org/events/russi...

Russia and China: Gaining from the war with Iran? | State of Play | CSIS Events The CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department invites you to a live episode of State of Play to explore the implications of the war with Iran for China and Russia on Monday 16 March at 4:00pm.…

“China imports over half of its seaborne crude oil from the Middle East—and about 25 percent of that from Iran.”

CSIS’s Bonny Lin explores the potential impacts on China as the war continues.

Watch the full episode of State of Play here:

www.csis.org/events/russi...

Who Is Iran's New Leader? Less than a week after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was announced as his successor and the new Supreme Leader of Iran. Who is Mojtaba…

Who is Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei? Watch below as Vali Nasr provides some insight into Iran’s new Supreme Leader:

www.youtube.com/shorts/NV4fU...

Will Iranians Overthrow Their Government? Iran recently experienced a wave of antigovernment protests, and in the aftermath of the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei, President Trump urged the Iranian people to overthrow their government. But…

Vali Nasr explains why the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not led to the toppling of the Islamic Regime.

Watch below to learn more:
www.youtube.com/shorts/S7e5k...

Israel's Escalating War in Lebanon: What's at Stake? | CSIS Events Senior Adviser and Director of the CSIS Middle East Program is joined by Dr. Paul Salem, The Hon. David Schenker, and Dr. Randa Slim to discuss the escalating conflict in Lebanon.

HAPPENING NOW: Israel's Escalating War in Lebanon: What's at Stake?

Submit your questions here: www.csis.org/events/israe...

Israel's Escalating War in Lebanon: What's at Stake? | CSIS Events Senior Adviser and Director of the CSIS Middle East Program is joined by Dr. Paul Salem, The Hon. David Schenker, and Dr. Randa Slim to discuss the escalating conflict in Lebanon.

🗣️ STARTING IN ONE HOUR: Israel's Escalating War in Lebanon: What's at Stake?

Questions from the audience are welcome. Register to watch below:

www.csis.org/events/israe...

Israel's Escalating War in Lebanon: What's at Stake? | CSIS Events Senior Adviser and Director of the CSIS Middle East Program is joined by Dr. Paul Salem, The Hon. David Schenker, and Dr. Randa Slim to discuss the escalating conflict in Lebanon.

🗣️ TODAY: Join us for a virtual live discussion at 11:15 AM EDT unpacking Israel's escalating war in Lebanon, featuring Mona Yacoubian, Paul Salem, David Schenker, and Randa Slim.

Questions from the audience are welcome. Register to watch below: www.csis.org/events/israe...

How Does Saudi Arabia See the War with Iran? Saudi Arabia finds itself in an unprecedented war with Iran. Not surprisingly, Saudi views of this war are complicated.

"The kingdom now weighs the damage to the Iranian regime against the potential regional volatility and economic damage being wrought, and the absence of a clear endgame," writes Non-resident Senior Adviser and former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney.

www.csis.org/analysis/how...

Iran’s War Strategy: Don’t Calibrate—Escalate Threatened by regime change and determined to deter future attacks, Iran is opting for unbridled escalation in its war against the United States and Israel.

Iran’s aggressive retaliation against U.S. and Israeli strikes highlights Tehran’s war strategy: eschewing calibrated retaliation for unbridled escalation. In a new Commentary, Mona Yacoubian analyzes this escalation strategy.

Read below:

www.csis.org/analysis/ira...

Israel's Escalating War in Lebanon: What's at Stake? | CSIS Events Senior Adviser and Director of the CSIS Middle East Program is joined by Dr. Paul Salem, The Hon. David Schenker, and Dr. Randa Slim to discuss the escalating conflict in Lebanon.

🗣️ NEW EVENT:

🚨 Join us TOMORROW for a virtual live discussion unpacking Israel's escalating conflict in Lebanon, featuring Mona Yacoubian, Paul Salem, David Schenker, and Randa Slim.

Questions from the audience are welcome. Register to watch below:

www.csis.org/events/israe...

The Middle East was the next frontier for AI. Then war broke out. The Gulf was ground zero for the AI buildout, until war intervened. Drone strikes on Amazon facilities in Bahrain and the UAE have forced hyperscalers like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon to rethink…

Yesterday, Mona Yacoubian spoke to CNBC to discuss the war with Iran and its impact on the Gulf's burgeoning AI landscape. Watch here: www.cnbc.com/video/2026/0...

What will Iran look like in one year? Eight guesses from foreign policy experts. Suzanne Maloney, Ivo Daalder, Mona Yacoubian, Jamie Fly, Kori Schake, Uzra Zeya, Kevan Harris, Linda Robinson

What will Iran look like in one year? Mona Yacoubian provides analysis for NOTUS: www.notus.org/perspectives...

The Regional Reverberations of the U.S. and Israeli Strikes on Iran After U.S./Israeli strikes, how will regional actors respond and what reactions might emerge from Iran’s proxies amid rising Middle East tensions?

The Middle East stands at a hinge moment. Mona Yacoubian analyzes the broader implications of the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran—from proxy dynamics to the future of Gulf security—and what this means for the region’s emerging order.

Read more below:

www.csis.org/analysis/reg...

U.S. and Israel Strike Iran - What Comes Next? | CSIS Events CSIS experts share analysis on U.S. and Israel's strikes on Iran.

Rapid escalation between the U.S., Israel, and Iran is reshaping the strategic landscape of the region in real time. Join CSIS experts as they discuss the strikes, the retaliations, and the long-term consequences for regional stability.

www.csis.org/events/us-an...