CNAS Welcomes Elisa Ewers as Director of Middle East Security Program

Washington, January 21, 2026 — The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is delighted to welcome Elisa Ewers as senior fellow and director of the Middle East Security Program.

Ewers brings more than 25 years of experience, including at the highest levels of national security, to her position at the Center. She has served at senior levels in the White House, the United Nations, the State Department, the Department of Defense, and most recently on Capitol Hill.

“I’m pleased to join CNAS and lead its Middle East research,” said Ewers. “There is no shortage of relevant issues to engage on, as the region remains important to America’s national security. I am grateful to serve alongside such a seasoned team.”

Ewers has served both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations. She previously led the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s policy and legislative work on the Middle East and North Africa, as well as on nonproliferation, arms control, and international economics. She is widely recognized for her deep expertise and experience in the Middle East and beyond.

“Elisa has served as both a senior policymaker and top thinker on the Middle East’s key security challenges,” said Richard Fontaine, chief executive officer of CNAS. “We are thrilled to have her lead the CNAS Middle East team at a moment of significant uncertainty in that critical region.”

Before reentering government service, Ewers served as an adjunct senior fellow with the CNAS Middle East Security Program, where she coauthored multiple reports including on relations with Iran and on reevaluating U.S. military posture in the Middle East.

Ewers’s analysis is highly sought after and frequently published in leading media outlets. Her most recent work on the importance of achieving Hezbollah’s disarmament in Lebanon appeared in Foreign Policy, and was also recently featured on CBS News to discuss the protests in Iran.