Parsing the Opportunity from Extreme Challenges in the Middle East
EXPERT INTERVIEW / PERSPECTIVE – The Middle East has changed dramatically over the past four years, creating both extraordinary challenges and opportunities for the region […] More
Iran
Supreme Leader Khamenei’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year
“Fate is a wheel that turns; in our pride, we sometimes forget how swiftly it can crush us beneath it.” – Attributed to Shah Ismail […] More
Global Challenges for 47th President: Two Major Wars, and Avoiding Conflict With China
EXPERT OPINION — As Americans vote, and an anxious nation awaits the results, we turned to a member of our expert network with extensive global […] More
Assessing the ‘Last Opportunity’ for a Gaza Ceasefire Deal
EXPERT INTERVIEWS— In the last-gasp negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire underway in Cairo, the negotiating teams reflect the high stakes of the moment. CIA Director […] More
The Latest
What Happened to Iran’s Promised Revenge Against Israel?
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — Cipher Brief Experts suggest a range of possible explanations for Iran’s delay in delivering promised retaliation toward Israel after the killing […] More
U.S. Moving Big Guns to the Middle East to Deter, Protect and Defend
EXPERT Q&A — The U.S. began moving additional military assets to the Middle East in anticipation of a direct attack on Israel after the assassination […] More
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
U.S. Adversaries Create a Web of Threats
EXPERT Q&A — Closer collaboration between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea – increasingly referred to as the ‘Axis of Authoritarians’ – requires a more holistic […] More
Americans Need to Understand We’re Living in a New Era of Global Threats
EXPERT Q&A – Experts have been concerned in recent times, about national security threats emanating from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea but a new […] More
Dealing with ‘Axis of Authoritarians’ Requires Greater U.S. Policy Risk
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — Individually, China, Russia, Iran and North Korea consistently rank high on the U.S. list of global threats but national and […] More
How U.S. Adversaries are Eyeing Our Presidential Election
OPINION — Describing the conditions that set the stage for history’s largest, most costly war, Winston Churchill wrote in The Gathering Storm, “The malice of […] More
The Houthis’ Next Move – and the Next Stage of the Yemen War
OPINION — The Houthis have launched attacks on Israel and international shipping over the past nine months as a means rather than an end. For […] More
EXPERT INTERVIEW: Pezeshkian Celebrates a Win in Iran but What Can He Really Do?
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE EXPERT INTERVIEW — Iran’s incoming president Masoud Pezeshkian is promising to be a leader for “all Iranians” after a weekend election victory that followed […] More
IAEA Meets Amid New Fears of Iran’s Path to Nuclear Weapon
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is holding its Board of Governors meeting this week, just days after the agency reported that […] More
Iran’s Nuclear Program: Back to the Brink?
SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — An old Iran problem has landed back on the front burner, thanks to a report this week that says the Iranian […] More
More Must Be Done to Prevent a Nuclear Nightmare
OPINION — The proliferation of nuclear weapons and the recent Iranian attack on Israel are two reasons why we should upgrade our missile defense capabilities […] More
Deadly Drone Strike in Jordan Makes Things ‘Different’ for the U.S.
EXPERT INTERVIEW: The White House said Monday that the situation in the Middle East is “different” after a deadly strike that killed three U.S. Service […] More
Israel’s Actions in Lebanon offer a Warning for Tehran and Moscow
OPINION / EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, many commentators in the West were quick to cite the […] More