Spoilers that could Ignite ‘Tinder Box’ in the Middle East
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – Since the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran nearly two weeks ago, world leaders are urging calm while waiting […] More
Middle East
Israel’s War Against Hamas, Six Months Later
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE ANALYSIS — No one could have imagined the horror that unfolded in the early hours of October 7, across a small stretch of southern […] More
Hezbollah’s Attacks, Israel’s Retaliation and Fears of a Two-Front War
SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – It’s been a fear since Hamas’ October 7 raids and massacre in Southern Israel: The powerful Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon […] More
U.S. Strikes Back: Cipher Brief Experts Weigh in on What it Means
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE – Last week’s retaliatory strikes by the U.S. for the killing of three American military service members in Jordan last weekend, lasted only 30 […] More
The Latest
Red Sea Strikes Spark Fear of a Wider War
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — The Red Sea conflict may not yet be a ‘war’, but experts say it looks to be trending in that direction. The […] More
The West’s Weapons Problem: Growing Threats, Dwindling Stockpiles
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — As the U.S. and NATO deepen their involvement in a pair of major global conflicts, western nations face a critical security challenge: […] More
How Russia Could Emerge the Victor of Israel’s War
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — As Israel’s war against Hamas surpasses the 100-day mark with no signs of an immediate end and indications that the conflict is […] More
Enabled by Iran: Houthis Push Forward with Attacks in the Red Sea
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING – Despite warnings from multiple countries, the Iranian-backed, Yemen-based Houthi militia are continuing attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, adding a new […] More
Calculating the Impact of the Drone Strike that Killed Saleh Al-Arouri
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – A drone strike that killed the deputy chief of Hamas’s political arm, Saleh Al-Arouri and five others in southern Beirut on Tuesday […] More
The Potential Impact of the Growing Rift Between Israel and Washington
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — As the war in the Middle East rages into the new year and concerns over the Palestinian death toll mount, officials are […] More
How the Captagon Trade is Bolstering Iran and its Web of Militias
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — In the days after Hamas fighters launched a terrorist attack in Israel in October, an illicit amphetamine known as Captagon was reportedly found in […] More
A Look Inside Hamas’s Weapons Arsenal
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — While hardly a match for the overwhelmingly cutting-edge and highly trained Israeli forces, Hamas’s competency on the battlefield lies not in weapons […] More
Russia, Hamas and a Moment of Global Challenge
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE – Hamas thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support as it released 25-year-old Russian-Israeli dual national Ron Krivoi from captivity on Sunday in […] More
How Israeli and U.S. Intelligence have rebounded since Hamas Attack
OPINION / EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Israeli intelligence has regained its sea legs. After the terrorist attack launched by Hamas last month, it’s clear that Shin […] More
Director Burns’ Middle East Mission
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING – CIA Director Bill Burns is in the Middle East as part of a Biden Administration push to ease tensions in the region […] More
A Call to Action for the Intelligence Community Following Hamas Terror Attack
OPINION — The October 7 massacre perpetrated against innocent Israelis, Americans and other foreign nationals by the terrorist group Hamas and enabled by its primary […] More
What Happens if Hezbollah Makes Good on its Vow to Escalate Violence in the Middle East?
CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – As supporters of Lebanon’s Shiite Muslim political party Hezbollah bury dozens of militants killed in small-scale clashes with Israeli soldiers since […] More
Is Iran’s ‘Ring of Fire’ Strategy Heating Up?
CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – A second aid convoy arrived in Gaza as Israel continued striking targets in the region ahead of an expected ground operation […] More
Deciphering Hamas’s Web of Support
CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – Nearly two weeks after Hamas militants invaded Israel, targeting, kidnapping and killing civilians in a bloody massacre, questions remain around just […] More