What’s Next for Iran?
The U.S. has decided to send additional troops to Saudi Arabia after an attack on an oil facility that seriously impacted the country’s oil production […] More
Steven Ward
An Intelligence Officer’s Guide to Dissent
(Editor’s note – Thursday, August 15 is the last day of work for Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and his Principal Deputy Director Susan […] More
Iran, Tankers and the Threat of Greater Destruction
New audio of the seizure of a British-flagged tanker indicates the vessel was too far away from help to avoid being forced to change course […] More
Iran’s Next Surprise
When he became Secretary of Defense in early 2001, Donald Rumsfeld publicly expressed his concern about the inevitability of surprise. He often reminded other officials […] More
The Latest
Restoring Deterrence with Iran
Putting Iran in a desperate situation without viable alternatives is likely to result in desperate responses. Two oil tankers carrying Japanese-related cargo were attacked in […] More
How an Escalation to War Could Happen with Iran
A series of events last week led to escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. While tensions had seemed to ease somewhat on Friday, President […] More
Iran in 2019: Cautiously Surviving
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made clear during remarks in Jordan on Tuesday that the U.S. is intent on putting more pressure on Iran in the […] More
Iran: Maximum Pressure and Perfect Storms
Last spring, two weeks after the Trump Administration withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – the international arms control deal that curbed […] More
Is Iran Defiantly Looking Toward a Deal?
President Donald Trump announced Monday that he would meet Iran’s leaders “anytime they want.” The President adding that he would meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani […] More
Iran’s Dire Straits
In early July, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani threatened to prevent other countries from exporting oil if U.S. sanctions prevented Iran from selling its oil. Senior Islamic […] More
Negotiate Now to Limit Range of Iranian Bombs
Earlier this summer, the Trump administration chalked up a number of supposed achievements in its ongoing efforts to contain Iran’s ballistic missile program. U.S. President […] More
Arab NATO Plan Could Backfire, Driving Tehran Toward Moscow, Beijing
Iran’s leaders probably view the idea of an Arab NATO to confront Tehran as a U.S.-directed and Israeli-supported Sunni Muslim alliance against Shia Iran. […] More
A Punch in the Nose for Iran
Now that President Donald Trump has demonstrated his willingness to get tough with a regional bad actor by using a cruise missile attack to punish […] More
Axis of Resistance: The Hezbollah-Iran-Syria Relationship
Tehran likes to style the alliance between itself, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime in Syria as the core of an “Axis of Resistance.” The name […] More
New Approach Needed to Alter Iran’s Missile Program
Constraining Iran’s missile program is a worthwhile objective, but the muddled U.S. approach of sanctions and name-calling appears less likely to contain than to promote […] More
The Linchpin for Regional Ambitions and Security
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is an ideological military force that, since its creation, has been involved in virtually every facet of Iranian politics, […] More