Persistent ISIS Sinai Threat Drives Israel-Egypt Cooperation
Bottom Line: Relations between Egypt and Israel have often been referred to as a “cold peace,” but the emergence of mutual security threats over the […] More
Middle East
In Syria, A Growing Strategic Threat to Israel — And Risk of Escalation
Bottom Line: As the Syrian regime consolidates power, with the help of Russia, Iran, and Iranian proxy Hezbollah, its combined forces are growing bolder, presenting […] More
US Demands Pakistan Arrest “Hit List” of Top Haqqani & Taliban Leaders
The Trump administration has given Pakistan a new “hit list” of nearly a dozen top militants to detain, to show its willingness to fight terrorism, […] More
Threat Assessment #Fail: Al-Qaida Quietly Growing, By Design
The annual accounting to Congress of global threats to the United States made it sound like al-Qaida’s separate branches were managing to thrive independently of […] More
Israel Lost a Jet, but Proved it would Win the War
It was no surprise when two strategic vectors clashed this weekend on Israel’s northern front: The Iranian determination to build an advanced military force in […] More
Forged by Tehran: Two Navies, Ready to Challenge the West
Bottom Line: Tehran’s military doctrine seeks to deter a conventionally superior foe, the United States, from entering its territorial waters or borders through the threat […] More
Winnefeld on US Clash with Syrian Forces
The U.S. coalition says in defending its own troops, it killed an estimated 100 pro-Assad regime fighters on Wednesday. This clash, which took place in […] More
Is America’s Balancing Act in the Gulf Sustainable?
Bottom Line: As the ongoing dispute between Qatar and Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates enters its eighth month, […] More
Dark Money: How Militants Exploit Hawala to Fund Terror
Bottom Line: For terrorists, moving money covertly through hawala networks to circumvent institutionalized banking systems remains one of their leading methods of avoiding detection. The […] More
First Assad, Then the World: Al Qaida’s Strategy in Syria
Bottom Line: While ISIS’s territory has dwindled, al Qaida has managed to build a strong following in Syria, and may use the civil-war-torn country as […] More
Putting the Squeeze on Iran via Hezbollah
From selling drugs to profiting from a pig farm, Lebanese Hezbollah’s hypocrisy knows no bounds – a political party with a military army that does […] More
PLO: We’ll Only Talk Peace If Europe Comes Too
WASHINGTON — The Palestinian representative says peace talks with Israel can only start as long as other countries – not just the U.S. and Israel […] More
Trump Officials to Syria: Stop Using WMD or We Strike, Again
Sometimes reporters get called to a briefing so an administration can defend what it has done. And sometimes, it’s a warning of what it may […] More
Hezbollah Goes on the Cyber Offensive with Iran’s Help
Bottom Line: Maturing under Tehran’s tutelage, Hezbollah’s hackers are quickly learning the art of cyber warfare. The formidable militant organization is increasingly turning its attention […] More
Front-Row Seat to a CIA (Veteran) Briefing on Iran
Cipher Brief experts General (ret) Michael Hayden and former CIA senior officer Norman Roule have had many conversations on the subject of Iran and the […] More
ISIS Festers and Grows in Lawless Libya
Bottom Line: ISIS maintains a strong presence in Libya and remains a potent regional threat, despite domestic and international efforts to oust the group from […] More
Blood and Quicksand: Moscow and UN Vie for Syria Peace
Bottom Line: Multiple rounds of peace talks aimed at ending Syria’s seven-year civil war have failed to yield results or relieve a catastrophic humanitarian crisis […] More
Turkey-U.S.: How to Rekindle a Win-Win Relationship
Bottom Line: Although the U.S. and Turkey engage in robust cooperation on the political, military, and economic fronts, Ankara has experienced significant changes under the […] More