All Eyes On Iran
OPINION — As 2019 drew to a close, while foreign adversary leaders such as President Putin, President Xi, and Chairman Kim often attracted the largest […] More
Intelligence
What Happens Next with the Tensions Between Iran and the United States?
Bottom Line Up Front Iran responded to the death of IRGC-QF Major General Qassim Soleimani by launching nearly two dozen ballistic missiles at Iraqi […] More
The United States and Iran Continue Tit-for-Tat Escalation in Iraq
Bottom Line Up Front Less than 24 hours after the United States killed IRGC-QF General Qassem Soleimani, the United States Department of State designated […] More
Not Everyone Sees Soleimani’s Death the Same Way
In an interview with FOX News after the drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said “Frankly, […] More
5 Geopolitical Trends to Watch in 2020
Bottom Line Up Front Entering 2020, there are a host of geopolitical trends that will significantly impact global security throughout the coming year and […] More
Soleimani Killing Cripples U.S. Position in Iraq
Bottom Line Up Front A key Iranian response to the U.S. strike that killed Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani will be to try to […] More
Avenging the Death of Qassem Soleimani
The U.S. targeting and killing of Iranian Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani by a drone strike in Baghdad on Friday has prompted a series of […] More
U.S. Kills Qassem Soleimani in Major Escalation of Conflict with Iran
Bottom Line Up Front A U.S. strike that killed the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force, IRGC Major General Qassem Soleimani, […] More
U.S.-Iran Tensions Erupt in Iraq
Bottom Line Up Front The December 29 U.S. strike on the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hezbollah (KAH) militia in Iraq represented the first kinetic U.S. response […] More
Cyber is the New Nuclear
OPINION — The Trump administration’s new attempt to open strategic nuclear talks with China “ASAP,” as mentioned in a State Department tweet last Friday, focuses […] More
Iran Prevailing in Iraq and Lebanon
Bottom Line up Front Iran is pursuing a variety of methods in an effort to preserve its influence in Iraq and Lebanon in the […] More
A 2020 U.S. Strategy for Latin America
Patrick Duddy served as the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela from 2007 to 2010. He is now teaches at Duke University where he is also the […] More
U.S.-Taliban Peace Talks Resume After Impasse
Bottom Line Up Front Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. envoy for reconciliation in Afghanistan, recently returned to Kabul to jumpstart political negotiations with the Taliban. Talks […] More
India’s Increasing Unrest
Bottom Line Up Front Protests continue in India over the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, which provides for expedited citizenship but specifically excludes […] More
Extreme Inequality Will Fuel Middle East Turmoil in 2020
OPINION — As the Middle East bids farewell to 2019 and welcomes the new year, the peoples of the region have precious little to celebrate. […] More
External Powers Set Their Sights on Libya
Bottom Line Up Front Turkish President Erdogan recently suggested that Ankara might intervene militarily in Libya if requested by the government in Tripoli. A […] More
A Single Solution for a Rogue Russia
Cipher Brief expert Robert Dannenberg is a 24-year veteran of the CIA, where he served in several senior leadership positions, including chief of operations for […] More
The Continued Threat Posed by Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations
Bottom Line Up Front On November 4, 2019, nine Americans were killed in a targeted attack – believed to be perpetrated by a drug […] More