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

We've Seen Autonomous Warfare and We're in Trouble

An argument for why America must rethink everything to remain competitive

We've Seen Autonomous Warfare and We're in Trouble

Editor’s note- Russia's war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed the character of warfare, proving that autonomous and attritable drones are no [...] More

Tech/Cyber Xen
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The Open Source Report

Zolfaghar and Qadr missiles placed in Tehran's Azadi Square TEHRAN, IRAN - JULY 24: (âRESTRICTIONS: NO Access Israel Media/Persian Language TV Stations Outside Iran/Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TVâ) Zolfaghar and Qadr missiles alongside a metal model of a mini submarine are displayed at Azadi Square as the mutual attacks between Iran and the US, sparked by the parallel routes established in the Strait of Hormuz, intensify day by day in Tehran, Iran on July 24, 2026. Citizens had the opportunity to examine the missiles and military equipment in the square. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, July 29, 2026

U.S. intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles launched towards American forces in Middle East

Saudi Arabia launches deadly attacks against Iranian proxies in Iraq with U.S. coordination

Senate GOP confirms Jay Clayton to lead U.S. intelligence community, replacing Pulte

OpenAI's rogue agent spent days probing the internet and compromised a customer at a second tech firm

Access Today’s Report

Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Opinion

Decide on North Korea

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

North Korea is strategically closer to Russia and China than any time since the Korean War, while the U.S. does nothing to challenge the growing power of the Axis of Authoritarians (China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea). [...] More

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani
Opinion

What Congress Found Inside the Iran War Spending Bill

Walter Pincus

“You sir [Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth] are the failure. Not the men and women [in military service] who are on that front line [in the Middle East]. Not the men and women who hold up their honor with distinction. But [...] More

Walter Pincus Fine Print
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News & Analysis

TOPSHOT-RUSSIA-UKRAINE-CONFLICT-WAGNER

The Continued Myth of Russia’s Imminent Collapse: Lessons from Prigozhin’s Mutiny Three Years On

KREMLIN FILES/COLUMN: Three years ago, in June 2023, the Kremlin confronted one of the most dramatic internal crises of Vladimir Putin's [...] More

Opinion

The Sovereign AI Tokenomics Trap

Mr. Scott Wilkie

The Sovereign AI Tokenomics Trap

For US allies, the combination of geopolitics, ever-expanding risk surface and an unsustainable dependence on hyperscale cloud providers has created [...] More

Alternative Perspectives

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

Book Reviews

When Doomsday Prose Overplays Its Hand
When Doomsday Prose Overplays Its Hand

Five Moles, One DOJ Lawyer
Five Moles, One DOJ Lawyer

Silva's Ransom Pays Off
Silva's Ransom Pays Off

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The Best National Security Gossip

JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME – Spies tell us that Cipher Brief Expert and former senior member of the British Foreign Office Nick Fishwick is out with a new book soon (coming this fall in the UK, and in January here in the U.S.) The Dead Drop knows that Nick has been involved in some rather - shall we say - ‘delicate’ global issues - over the course of his career, so we were a little surprised to find out that his book is titled, Moving the Goalposts: The Transformation of English Football. Honestly, the biggest surprise for us was that anyone in Nick’s prior position would have much time to do anything but work. But leave it [...] More

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Events

Live Events

2026 Threat Conference

2026 Threat Conference

The Cipher Brief Threat Conference is the nation’s premier forum for non-partisan discussion of global threats and solutions as well as high-level [...] More

Upcoming: 25 October, 2026

The Cipher Brief 2027 HONORS Awards

The Cipher Brief 2027 HONORS Awards

Join us for the third annual Cipher Brief Honors Dinner, the evening of April 9, 2027. This Black-Tie event is invite-only. Please apply here for a [...] More

Upcoming: 09 April, 2027

Podcasts

State Secrets

Recorded on location in Kyiv, Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery joins Suzanne Kelly for a timely State Secrets conversation on how Ukraine is reshaping the future of warfare.

Editor's Note: We caught up with Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery in Kyiv just as President Zelensky announced the firing of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, prompting a wave of protests. Since this interview was recorded, additional developments - including changes in Ukraine's military leadership - have overtaken parts of that discussion. The strategic insights on Ukraine's battlefield innovation, however, remain as relevant as ever.

From Ukraine's increasingly effective long-range drone campaign against Russia's military infrastructure to the growing strain on Kyiv's air defenses, Montgomery explains why this war is becoming the world's most important laboratory for military innovation. He also shares firsthand observations from his latest trip to Ukraine - including conversations with commanders on the front lines - and discusses what the U.S., NATO, and Taiwan should be learning before the next major conflict.