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The Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program (WITT) focuses on the activities and capabilities of countries like China, Russia, and Iran as well as the threat and evolution of paramilitary groups and terrorist networks
Led by Dr. Daniel Byman, the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program (formerly known as the Transnational Threats Project) conducts research and analysis on irregular and hybrid warfare, terrorism, and military operations. The program examines Chinese, Russian, and Iranian irregular and hybrid warfare activities, such as covert action, economic warfare, support to non-state partners, cyber operations, disinformation, political warfare, and espionage. It also assesses terrorist and paramilitary activities by such organizations as Lebanese Hezbollah, Shia militias, the Houthi movement (or Ansar Allah), the Islamic State, al Qaeda, and far-right and far-left extremist networks. Finally, the program researches the military capabilities of China, Russia, and other U.S. adversaries and examines how the United States and its allies can best respond.
The Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program conducts fieldwork overseas, builds and analyzes data sets, and utilizes satellite imagery and other types of qualitative and quantitative analysis. It also draws from an extensive network of policy experts from the U.S. and partner governments, Congress, academia, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector. In partnership with CSIS’s Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab, the program translates its research into high-quality videos, podcasts, reports, visualizations, and other products designed to engage audiences and inform policy discussions through objective analysis. The Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program's work is highly valued by government officials, corporate executives, and other influential leaders seeking to understand, prevent, and counter transnational threats.
Photo: Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu via Getty Images
Russia has performed poorly on the battlefield in Ukraine and will likely hit the 1 million casualty mark in the summer of 2025. New CSIS data details Russia's slow rate of advance, heavy losses of equipment, and significant casualties.
Brief by Seth G. Jones and Riley McCabe — June 3, 2025
Photo: Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images
The United States and Israel are devastating Iran's leadership and inflicting significant damage on Iran's already-weak military. Iran, however, is hitting back, and the biggest long-term costs to the United States are likely to be felt outside the Middle East.
Commentary by Daniel Byman — April 2, 2026
Commentary by Daniel Byman — March 19, 2026
Brief by Joseph Majkut, Alexander Palmer, and Raj Sawhney — March 17, 2026
Commentary by Daniel Byman — March 11, 2026
Transcript — March 4, 2026
The United States and Israel are devastating Iran's leadership and inflicting significant damage on Iran's already-weak military. Iran, however, is hitting back, and the biggest long-term costs to the United States are likely to be felt outside the Middle East.
Commentary by Daniel Byman — April 2, 2026
Even as Israel and the United States fight in Lebanon, Israel is also in a major war with Hezbollah—a war designed to keep the group weak and off balance.
Commentary by Daniel Byman — March 19, 2026
Please join the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program for a discussion and presentation of, Energy Infrastructure and the Defense Industrial Base.
Event — March 18, 2026
A short, spoken-word summary from CSIS’s Joseph Majkut on his brief with Alexander Palmer and Raj Sawhney, “Energy Infrastructure and the Defense Industrial Base.”
Podcast Episode by Joseph Majkut — March 18, 2026
This paper recommends extending defense-critical electric infrastructure designations to industrial nodes, creating dedicated permitting and finance pathways to facilitate energy production, and integrating energy resilience into supply chain risk assessments.
Brief by Joseph Majkut, Alexander Palmer, and Raj Sawhney — March 17, 2026
Even after the latest war with Iran ends, lower-level hostilities between Iran and Israel—and perhaps the United States—might continue.
Commentary by Daniel Byman — March 11, 2026
The CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department invites you to a live episode of State of Play on the lessons from regime change operations in the Middle East and beyond.
Event — March 4, 2026
The CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department unpack the lessons from regime change operations in the Middle East and beyond.
Transcript — March 4, 2026
The United States and Israel have set a high bar for success in their war on Iran. CSIS's Daniel Byman outlines the key questions surrounding the recent attack in Foreign Policy.
Commentary by Daniel Byman — February 28, 2026
Early in the morning of February 27, Pakistan’s defense minister announced “open war” between Pakistan and the Taliban, a group that Islamabad frequently backed in its 30-year quest to rule Afghanistan.
Critical Questions by Alexander Palmer and Alexander Margolis — February 27, 2026
