DEEP DIVE — While Washington is focused on Iran’s accelerating uranium-enrichment program and increasingly aggressive regional posture, an equally [...] More

19 November, 2025

Hollie McKay

19 November, 2025

Ethan Masucol

Iran North Korea Nuclear Middle East Asia

The Open Source Report

Steve Witkoff, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, attends a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office at the White House on July 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, November 19, 2025

U.S. secretly drafting new plan to end Ukraine war

Trump Said to Authorize C.I.A. Plans for Covert Action in Venezuela

IDF opposes Saudi F-35 deal, warns Israel’s regional air superiority could be eroded

New US cyber strategy to focus on ‘shaping adversary behavior,’ White House official says

Access Today’s Report

Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

A Constitutional Clash Over Trump’s War Powers in Venezuela

OPINION — “The question before the body is, can the Congress stop a military conflict declared by the Commander-in- Chief because we don’t agree with the decision, and without our [Congress] approval it must end? The [...] More

18 November, 2025

Walter Pincus

18 November, 2025

Ethan Masucol

Ukraine Walter Pincus Fine Print Europe

Q&A: Interpol’s Cybercrime Chief on How AI is Driving Borderless Cyber Threats

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — Anthropic’s announcement that Chinese state-sponsored hackers used its Claude AI technology for a largely automated cyberattack underscores how cybercriminals are becoming faster, stronger and more [...] More

14 November, 2025

14 November, 2025

News & Analysis

What to Watch for in Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Visit to Washington

EXPERT INTERVIEW — President Trump is welcoming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House today with an announcement that he plans to [...] More

18 November, 2025

Suzanne Kelly

18 November, 2025

Suzanne Kelly

Saudi Arabia Middle East

Can a “Flamingo” Cruise Missile Help Ukraine Turn the Tide?

DEEP DIVE – Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky calls it “our most successful missile.” One expert says it’s "Ukraine’s strongest security [...] More

17 November, 2025

Tom Nagorski

17 November, 2025

Ethan Masucol

Europe Ukraine

Hezbollah’s Quiet Rebuild

DEEP DIVE — Tucked deep into the cragged hills of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah, the once powerful Iranian-backed militia brought to its knees by a war [...] More

14 November, 2025

Hollie McKay

14 November, 2025

Ethan Masucol

Middle East

(Original Caption) 9/5/1963-Washington, DC- Flying over the Virginia side of the Potomac River, the impressive site of the world's largest office building crops into view. The Pentagon, which covers 34 acres of land including a 5-acre pentagonal center court, houses personnel of the U.S. Department of Defense, which includes the Departments of Army, Navy and Air Force. This bird's eye view also shows part of the 67-acre parking space area.

Assessing the Pentagon’s Mission to Rebuild the ‘Arsenal of Freedom'

DEEP DIVE — The Pentagon is waging war against its own acquisition bureaucracy. In a sweeping speech on Friday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth [...] More

13 November, 2025

Brad Christian

13 November, 2025

Ethan Masucol

Brad Christian DoD Tech/Cyber national security military

Opinion

Why Putin Is Losing The War In Ukraine That He Thinks He Is Winning

Why Putin Is Losing The War In Ukraine That He Thinks He Is Winning

OPINION — The Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in January 2022 is now approaching its fourth year. The cost for Ukraine has been very high, but [...] More

10 November, 2025

Gilbert W. Merkx

10 November, 2025

Ethan Masucol

Russia Ukraine Gilbert W. Merkx Europe Alternative Perspectives

Read Now

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

Russia’s Bold Move in Poland is felt in Kyiv: An On the Ground Interview with Gen. David Petraeus

How Will the West Respond to Putin’s ‘Test’ in Poland?

Ground Truth from Ukraine’s Front Lines, with Former CIA Officer Ralph Goff

Interview with former Senior CIA Officer Ralph Goff

Tapping a China Vibe in South Korea

The Open Source Report

Book Reviews

The Nazis Never Left. A Worthy Successor to a Classic Thriller

From OSS to AI: How Intelligence Must Evolve—Again

A Cultural Autopsy of the Soviet Legacy

The Best National Security Gossip

THINGS ARE FINALLY GETTING DRAMATIC BETWEEN THE CIA AND FBI: Not the real ones (as far as we know) but in the made-for-TV versions. The Dead Drop reported back in March that a spinoff of the CBS series FBI was in the works about a street-smart CIA officer working with a by-the-book FBI agent in New York City. Sounds pretty plausible. Then, in June we told you that the show had been ordered “straight to series” (meaning no pilot would be shot) and that it would star Tom Ellis as the CIA operative – in time for the 2025-2026 season. Now, we hear that the show has been delayed until a mid-season premiere scheduled for [...] More

Get The Drop

Events

Live Events

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

Exclusive Virtual Events

CIG 2025 Winter Summit

Upcoming: 10 December, 2025

CIG 2025 Fall Summit

Previous Event: 17 September, 2025

Doing Battle in the Gray Zone

31 October, 2025

Ethan Masucol

Podcasts

State Secrets

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.

What the Experts Say

The Cipher Brief’s Annual Threat Conference is a unique event where you can have deep and meaningful interactions with the top current and former leaders and thinkers from the intelligence communities of the United States and our allies. Held at the stunnning Sea Island resort, it is a must-go event for learning, debating, and interfacing with some of the world’s foremost national security thought-leaders.

Dimitri Alperovitch -- 2023 Threat Conference

Innovation requires us to be open and non-specific for as long as we possibly can to open up the aperture for the possibility of innovating.

The Hon. Susan M. Gordon - 2023 Threat Conference

There is no other location that brings together so many voices.

Norm Roule -- 2023 Threat Conference

You'll find those in leadership positions across government and industry, really wanting to sit down at the table and have hard conversations that you just don't have anywhere else.

Matt Hayden-- 2023 Threat Conference

“The Cipher Brief Threat Conference is the nation’s premier gathering of current and former intelligence and security experts. If you want to know what’s really going on—or hear some spirited debate about what’s about to happen—in our complex world, this is the place to be!"