In 2002, he was assigned to the Middle East, where he covered the Iraq War and reported from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, and elsewhere.

According to The Washington Post, "In the pages of the New Yorker, Evan Osnos has portrayed, explained and poked fun at this new China better than any other writer from the West or the East.

"[18] He received two awards from the Overseas Press Club and the Osborn Elliott Prize for excellence in journalism from the Asia Society.

Among other topics, he examined the politics behind a chemical leak in West Virginia[27] and twice profiled Vice President Joe Biden, which became the basis for a book.

"[29] Wildland: The Making of America's Fury (2021) follows three dissimilar communities in the US and demonstrates how their interconnections reveal "seismic changes in American politics and culture.

"[30] The book, a New York Times bestseller, focused on a period of political dissolution bounded by the terrorist attacks of 2001 and the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.