President Trump’s Syria Surprise
The 19 December announcement by President Trump to withdraw ground troops from Syria was surprising to everyone but should have come as a shock to […] More
Iran
Re-Evaluating Cyber Security for 2019
2018 was a rough year for customers and companies impacted by cyber breaches. Businesses from Under Armour to Facebook to Marriott were targeted by hackers, […] More
Iran Sanctions Back in Force
Bottom Line Up Front The most significant U.S. sanctions on Iran—aimed at Tehran’s core energy and banking sectors—went back into effect on Monday November […] More
The U.S. Makes Noise but No Action Over Yemen
Bottom Line Up Front Last week, both U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis declared the need for a […] More
General Michael Hayden on Threats Foreign and Domestic – Part One
As a best-selling author and television commentator, General Michael Hayden (ret.) has been vocal about the threats he sees – both foreign and domestic. The […] More
MbS: The New Saddam of Arabia?
As Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) has terrorized his opponents at home and abroad, fear has spread within the Saudi kingdom. Has he become the new […] More
Saudi Arabia Ineffective against Iran
Bottom Line Up Front The Trump Administration is seeking to minimize any U.S-Saudi rift over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in order […] 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
Talking with Bill Evanina About Threats, Spies and Social Media
Bill Evanina is the Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) – a part of the U.S. Intelligence Community that leads and supports […] More
Iran’s Proxies in Iraq
Bottom Line Up Front Iran’s Shi’a militia allies in Iraq enable the mullahs to exert substantial influence over Baghdad, and will continue to do so […] More
The High Operational Tempo of European Counterterrorism Operations
Bottom Line Up Front: On September 26, Danish police arrested two men on charges of trying to send money and drones to the Islamic State […] More
Iran’s False Narrative on Al Qaeda
The United States and its allies routinely describe Iran as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Despite this designation, the regime proudly supports Hezbollah, […] More
Allies Resist U.S. Pressure on Iran
Bottom Line Up Front The United States is alienating its European allies by insisting that they comply with U.S. sanctions against Iran. Iran is attracting […] More
Tit for Tat between Tehran and Washington in Syria
Bottom Line Up Front: On October 01, Iran fired several ballistic missiles at Islamic State targets in Syria. Tehran claimed that the missiles were launched […] More
Iran Expert Quick Take
Leslie Ireland is the former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Intelligence and Analysis. She joined Treasury in 2010 after 25 years at CIA where […] More
Expert Analysis: Fissures Between U.S., Europe and Iran at United Nations
President Donald Trump largely followed the U.S. policy script on Iran when he addressed the United Nations on Wednesday. So what exactly, did the key […] More
A Snapshot Look at Cyber Threats with Rick Ledgett
The Cipher Brief is bringing subscribers different expert perspectives on cyber threats this week. Today’s perspective comes from Rick Ledgett, former Deputy Director of the National […] More
Iran-U.S. Tensions Escalate in Iraq
Bottom Line Up Front: Iraq continues to be an important frontier in the growing conflict between Iran and the Trump Administration. Recent Iranian actions and […] More