Babel: Translating the Middle East

Overview

Babel: Translating the Middle East is a weekly podcast produced by the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington, D.C. think tank, featuring regional experts discussing current developments in the Middle East and North Africa.

History

Babel was created in 2019 by Jon Alterman, then director of the CSIS Middle East Program, who hosted the show for its first several years alongside program colleagues. The podcast has run themed miniseries, including a 2022 seven-part series on U.S. power and influence in the Middle East. In 2025, Alterman moved into a new role as the Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy at CSIS, and Mona Yacoubian became director of the Middle East Program.

Notable works

Episodes have covered topics including U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, the fall of the Assad government in Syria, Hezbollah's involvement in regional drug trafficking networks, and reconstruction after conflict across the region.

Key personnel

Creator and founding host: Jon B. Alterman
Co-hosts: Will Todman, Natasha Hall

Audience

Babel is aimed at foreign policy professionals, students and the general public interested in Middle East affairs, and is funded in part through the support of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates.

Location and contact info

Publisher
Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.
Website
https://www.csis.org/podcasts/babel-translating-middle-east