Violence in Gaza, Yemen and Syria Tests Middle East – and the Trump Administration
EXPERT INTERVIEW – Just a few weeks ago, the Middle East seemed in a rare moment of relative calm: ceasefires were holding in Gaza and […] More
Gaza
Why Jordan and Egypt Are Critical to Trump’s Gaza Proposal
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT – On Tuesday, with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at his side, President Donald Trump exuded confidence that the Arab world will […] More
On Gaza, Trump Says the Quiet Part Out Loud – and Then Some
OPINION — Embedded in President Trump’s shocking proposal to “own” and develop the Gaza Strip are some uncomfortable truths and even some “common sense,” as […] More
The Complications of Change in Gaza
EXPERT INTERVIEW – President Donald Trump shocked the system last week, when he said during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that […] More
The Latest
Expert Q&A: Trump’s Proposal Sparks Call for ‘Practical’ Change in Gaza
EXPERT Q&A — The Cipher Brief turned to Ambassador Dennis Ross to discuss President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza, and the debate it has […] More
Could Trump’s Shocking Plan for Gaza Lead Anywhere?
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT – As President Donald Trump doubles down on his idea of a U.S. takeover of Gaza, Arab governments are also doubling […] More
Expert Q&A: The Gaza Deal — and the ‘Trump Effect’
EXPERT INTERVIEW — On the day the Israeli cabinet voted to approve the long-awaited ceasefire-for-hostages deal in Gaza, The Cipher Brief spoke with a former advisor […] More
How a Gaza Deal Could Change the Middle East
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — Might a Gaza peace agreement bring benefit beyond the besieged Gaza Strip? That’s the tantalizing hope expressed by several U.S. officials […] More
Correcting the Record on the IDF and Lethal Targeting
OPINION — Just because they could, they did. That is the gist of a recent New York Times article suggesting the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) made […] More
The Hopes for a Gaza Ceasefire – and What Might Follow
EXPERT INTERVIEWS — The final days of the Biden Administration are coinciding with an all-out push to reach a ceasefire-for-hostage deal in Gaza. And in a […] More
2024: 10 Events That Changed The World
SPECIAL REPORT — As we look back at the major national and global security events of 2024, it’s tempting to overuse certain words: stunning; staggering; […] More
Memo to the 47th President: A New and Dangerous Middle East
EDITOR’S NOTE — Since Donald Trump’s victory in the November 5 election, The Cipher Brief has reached out to our network of experts for thoughts on what the […] More
Memo to the 47th President: A Roadmap for the US and the Middle East
MEMO TO THE PRESIDENT — After Donald Trump’s victory in the November 5 election, The Cipher Brief invited experts from our network to offer advice for […] More
The ‘New Middle East’ That Awaits Donald Trump
EXPERT INTERVIEW — Less than two months before the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th U.S. president, the headlines from the Middle East are […] More
Iran’s ‘Ring of Fire’ Is In Trouble. What Comes Next?
DEEP DIVE — It may be the most consequential change to the Middle East since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel, and the wars […] More
Militant Islam is Under Attack – But Its Root Causes Endure
OPINION — As the Israeli assault on Gaza passes the 13-month mark, and as Hezbollah reels under the massive Israeli bombing campaign on its leaders […] More
After Sinwar: Questions for Israel, Iran and the Mideast Wars
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — Israel announced Thursday that it had killed its most wanted man, the Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, an act that several Cipher […] More
Sinwar is Dead. What Does it Mean for Power Dynamics in the Region?
EXPERT Q&A – In what many Cipher Brief Experts are calling one of the most significant events in the year-long war in Gaza, the killing […] More
Might Sinwar Killing Lead to Peace in Gaza?
DEEP DIVE — More than a year after Israeli leaders unleashed a punishing war to destroy Hamas, the end for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar came in […] More