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The Cipher Brief: National Security news, analysis and expert commentary.

Inside the High-Stakes U.S. Pressure Campaign on Iran

As the USS Gerald R. Ford joins the Abraham Lincoln, a former top U.S. intel official explains what Washington wants, and how Tehran’s response could trigger a new war

Inside the High-Stakes U.S. Pressure Campaign on Iran

EXPERT INTERVIEW – U.S. officials say a second aircraft carrier will be deployed to the Middle East amid the administration’s efforts to pressure [...] More

Middle EastIran
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The Open Source Report

<span>Global Intelligence Report for Monday, February 16, 2026</span>

Global Intelligence Report for Monday, February 16, 2026

President Trump Told Netanyahu He Would Back Israeli Strikes on Iran.

U.S. forces board second sanctioned oil tanker in Indian Ocean

Zelensky insists elections can only take place two months after a ceasefire

European leaders seek stronger defense pillar amid U.S. uncertainty at Munich Conference


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Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

From the Monroe Doctrine to Maduro: The Precedent Problem in U.S.

Rodney Faraon

OPINION — In 1895, Secretary of State Richard Olney sent a diplomatic note to Britain that contained one of the most remarkable sentences in American foreign policy history: "The United States is practically sovereign on [...] More

United StatesAmericasNorth America

Confidence, Interoperability, and the Limits of U.S. Decision Systems

Masoud Andarabi

OPINION — In recent months, U.S. policy debates have increasingly acknowledged that the decisive contests of the 21st century will not be fought primarily on conventional battlefields. They will be fought in the cognitive [...] More

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News & Analysis

Russia’s Promises of Security Lead to Ukraine's Frontlines

Russia’s Promises of Security Lead to Ukraine's Frontlines

DEEP DIVE — Moscow has spent nearly four years burning through human resources in Ukraine, and now they’ve found a new way to fill the gaps of loss: [...] More

RussiaEurope

Opinion

EU Takes Aim at Tehran: IRGC Terror Listing Opens New Front in Europe’s Iran Policy

Michael Jacobson

EU Takes Aim at Tehran: IRGC Terror Listing Opens New Front in Europe’s Iran Policy

OPINION — On January 29, Europe found its voice against Iran’s apparatus of terror. The European Union (EU) announced that it is adding Iran’s [...] More

Middle EastEuropeAlternative Perspectives

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Book Reviews

The Gray Man’s Back—And the Body Count’s Rising
The Gray Man’s Back—And the Body Count’s Rising

Putin’s Long Shadow Over Post-Soviet Russia
Putin’s Long Shadow Over Post-Soviet Russia

The Architects of CIA Analysis
The Architects of CIA Analysis

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The Best National Security Gossip

If you're looking for the latest water cooler buzz in the national security community, look no further. Here's what we're whispering about in the break room:ANALYST-WRITER-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – Maybe not exactly Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy but it still sounds like a pretty exciting career path. Just ask David McCloskey, who Deadline says just signed a deal with Prologue Entertainment for a ‘first look’ at his future work. That means we should be looking for future film and television shows based on his best-selling novels. The State Secrets Podcast talked with McCloskey after his latest book, The Persian was published - and [...] More

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The Cipher Brief 2026 HONORS Awards

The Cipher Brief 2026 HONORS Awards

Join us for the third annual Cipher Brief Honors Dinner, the evening of March 13, 2026. This Black-Tie event is invite only, please apply here for a [...] More

Upcoming: 13 March, 2026

Podcasts

State Secrets

The former head of one of the government’s most secret agencies, the National Security Agency, and the former Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, General Paul Nakasone (ret.) sits down with State Secrets to talk about the things he wishes every American knew when it comes to today’s cyber threats.

Cover Stories: Spies, Books & Entertainment


David McCloskey, former CIA Analyst turned novelist is out with his fourth book, The Persian, about an Iranian dentist who is recruited by Mossad to take on a dangerous mission inside Iran. Cover Stories Host Suzanne Kelly digs in on how McCloskey’s real-life Intelligence background fueled his latest novel, and discovers a few of McCloskey’s own secrets along the way.