A Coming Year of Change in the Middle East
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Change is a constant in the Middle East as the past several months have demonstrated with focused attention on protests in Iran, […] More
Archive for the ‘Middle East’ Category
Iran: Deal or No Deal?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — The EU may be losing confidence in the prospect of a new nuclear agreement with Iran. The Iran nuclear deal, known as […] More
The Middle East and the Cost of Strategic Inconsistency
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — The main objective of President Joe Biden’s recent trip to the Middle East was to signal to both partners and adversaries that […] More
A Path of Cooperation and Opportunity Between the U.S. and the UAE
The impressive string of world leaders visiting the UAE following the recent death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, made clear that the UAE plays an […] More
Dynamics in the Middle East are Shifting, but in which Direction?
The dynamics of the Middle East are changing. From a protracted pandemic to a rise in Chinese interest and influence in the region and a […] More
How the Middle East Conflict Leads Back to US National Security
In the Biden Administration’s highest-level face-to-face visit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to the Middle East to seize momentum created by last week’s […] More
Where Are Six Years of War in Yemen Going?
EXPERT ANALYSIS — At a time when western officials are focusing their attention toward national security threats posed by China, the war in Yemen is […] More
President Biden’s Middle East: A Briefing with Norman Roule
President Joe Biden’s administration is aiming its Middle East agenda on adhering to campaign promises, examining current policies and undoing some that were enacted under […] More
The Complicated Middle East facing the Biden Administration
Among his first priorities, President-Elect Joe Biden is announcing a coronavirus task force and is expected to start work on an economic recovery plan this […] More
US National Security Challenges: A Conversation Among Experts
Understanding expert perspective on where the US stands in the world with regards to national security is a key component of how The Cipher Brief […] More
A Changing Middle East
Norman T. Roule served for 34-years in the Central Intelligence Agency, managing numerous programs relating to Iran and the Middle East. He served as the National […] More
What Normalizing Relations Could Mean for the Middle East
The White House’s surprise announcement this past week that Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are formally normalizing relations was met with both open […] More
Why Should the U.S. Care about a renewed Iran-Venezuela Relationship?
Earlier this Spring, an oil tanker from Iran arrived in Venezuela with a much-needed delivery, despite the fact that both nations are under US sanctions. […] More
The New Dynamic Cyber Threat Environment
An attempted cyberattack on Israel’s water system in late April, just months after the global pandemic hit, prompted fears that cyber adversaries are getting even […] More
Where are Ripples from the Oil War Heading?
Global markets responded on Monday to fears of a second-wave of coronavirus infections and one of the industries feeling the pressure is the gas and […] More
Iran and Hezbollah’s Pre-Operational Modus Operandi in the West – Part Two
In part one of Iran and Hezbollah’s Pre-Operational Modus Operandi in the West, authors Mitch Silber and Ioan Pop pulled from court documents and open […] More
Iran and Hezbollah’s Pre-Operational Modus Operandi in the West – Part One
Cipher Brief Expert Mitch Silber and Ioan Pop have pulled from court documents and open source reporting to compile a modus operandi of Iran and […] More
COVID and Navigating the New Middle East Challenges
The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has added a significant layer of uncertainty to an already complicated situation in the Middle East. The Cipher Brief […] More
The OSINT Global Trendline Report
The Cipher Brief’s Open Source Trend Line Report utilizes open source data to track trends around the world that impact national and global security. We break the world […] More
OSINT Global Trendline Report: The Middle East and Africa
The Cipher Brief’s Open Source Trend Line Report utilizes open source data on a quarterly basis to track trends around the world that impact national and global […] More
OSINT Global Trendline Report: COVID and the Americas
The Cipher Brief’s Open Source Trend Line Report utilizes open source data on a quarterly basis to track trends around the world that impact national and global […] More
Russia’s New Middle East Chessboard
On the sidelines of last weekend’s Munich Security Conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sat down to talk. […] More
A Candid Take on the Middle East Peace Plan
Last week, The White House announced President Donald Trump’s vision for a ‘comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.’ The White House refers to […] More
OSINT Trendline Report – The Middle East and North Africa
The Cipher Brief’s Open Source Trendline Report utilizes open source data to track trends around the world that impact national and global security. We break […] More