Jon B. Alterman

Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy
Jon Alterman

Jon B. Alterman holds the Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Before assuming his current role, he led the CSIS Middle East program for more than 20 years and was a senior vice president at CSIS for more than a decade. Prior to joining CSIS in 2002, he served on the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State and as special assistant to the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. From 2009 to 2019, he served as a member of the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel. In addition to his policy work, he is also a non-resident fellow at the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology and has frequently taught at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, the George Washington University, and other local universities. Earlier in his career, he was a scholar at the U.S. Institute of Peace and at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, as well as a legislative aide to Senator Daniel P. Moynihan (D-NY), responsible for foreign policy and defense. From 1993 to 1997, he was an award-winning teacher at Harvard University, where he received his PhD in history. Alterman has lectured in more than 35 countries on five continents on subjects related to the Middle East and global strategy. He is the author or coauthor of four books and editor of five more. In addition to academic work, he consults for business and government and is a frequent commentator in print, on radio, and on television. His opinion pieces have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and other major publications. He is a former international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he is now a life member. He received his AB from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.

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Iran and Venezuela: Regime Change? | The High Top

Jon Alterman and Ryan Berg compare the swift removal of Maduro in Venezuela with the ongoing war in Iran, tracing what the differences in scope, objectives, and regional fallout reveal about U.S. strategy and the future of regime stability.

Event — March 10, 2026

State of Play

Would Regime Change Solve the Iran Challenge?

Jon Alterman, Daniel Byman, and Mona Yacoubian joined Will Todman on a live episode of State of Play.

Podcast Episode by Will Todman, Jon B. Alterman, Daniel Byman, and Mona Yacoubian — March 5, 2026

Photo: iLab/CSIS
Audio Briefs

Why Decapitation Will Not Solve the United States’ Iran Problem

An audio version of “⁠Why Decapitation Will Not Solve the United States’ Iran Problem⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Jon B. Alterman. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman — March 3, 2026

Audio Briefs

The United States Cannot Go It Alone in Venezuela

Decisive U.S. action in Venezuela has showcased U.S. power but risks provoking long-term resistance from adversaries, hedging by partners, and anxiety among allies. Without coalition-building and post-crisis leadership, short-term success could erode U.S. influence.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — January 5, 2026