Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Welcome! Log in to stay connected and make the most of your experience.

Input clean

Israel, Hezbollah Prefer Status Quo to Risk of War

On August 21, Hussein Jaber Ansari, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, arrived in Beirut for a two-day official visit. A detail that did not escape notice: during his 48 hours on the ground in Lebanon, the Iranian diplomat failed to schedule a meeting with Saad Hariri, who happens to be no less than prime minister and “incidentally” the principal representative of the Lebanese state under its constitution.

This public thumb in the eye, openly directed by the Syro-Iranian camp against the pro-Western, pro-Saudi March 14 coalition, crowns years of continued, steady advances by Iran and its allies in the Middle East region, but also, in a more local fashion, by Hezbollah, on the Lebanese chessboard. Unquestionably, the rise in power of both is connected, but Hezbollah has particularly succeeded in converting its regional success into national dividends.

Keep reading...Show less
Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.

Related Articles

The Real Impact of a Nuclear Bomb

FINE PRINT / OPINION — “This report explores the environmental effects and societal and economic consequences that would be expected to follow in the [...] More

As Taiwan Launches Military Drills, a Pressing Question for Washington

As Taiwan Launches Military Drills, a Pressing Question for Washington

TAIPEI, TAIWAN —Taiwan’s annual military exercise launching this week, will be its largest ever, mobilizing more than 22,000 reservists in response [...] More

Report for Tuesday, July 8, 2025

7:54 America/Chicago Tuesday, July 8 [...] More

U.S. Cyber Defense Starts with Defining Standards and Driving Collaboration

OPINION — President Donald J. Trump has returned to office with the renewed revelations that Chinese government-affiliated hackers continue to [...] More

Expert Q&A: What to Watch for at the Trump-Netanyahu Meeting

EXPERT Q&A — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington D.C. on Monday to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House — [...] More

Report for Monday, July 7, 2025

8:03 America/Chicago Monday, July 7 [...] More

Can President Trump Get a "Big, Beautiful" Deal in the Middle East?

Can President Trump Get a "Big, Beautiful" Deal in the Middle East?

CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – When Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump meet at the White House Monday, they will bring different ideas for resolving two [...] More

To Counter China, Reform U.S. Intelligence for the Digital Age

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION -- The United States is facing a quiet and rapidly growing threat across the digital landscape, an unseen mathematical [...] More

Report for Friday, July 4, 2025

8:27 America/Chicago Friday, July 4 [...] More