Protesters Trying to Push Beyond the Status Quo in Iraq
Bottom Line Up Front On December 1, the Iraqi Parliament approved the announced resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. The courage of the […] More
Iran
Anticipating the Likelihood of Iranian-Backed Attacks
The Commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, General Kenneth F. McKenzie, recently warned that the presence of an additional 14,000 U.S. troops sent […] More
Unrest Flares in Iran Again
Bottom Line Up Front The recent unrest in Iran is unlikely to bring about political change or extract significant government concessions to popular demands. […] More
Tom Bossert’s Plan to Hijack the Hack
Tom Bossert spends a lot of time thinking about hacking. The former Homeland Security Advisor to President Trump who also served as the country’s Chief […] More
Iran Defends Status Quo in Iraq and Lebanon
Bottom Line Up Front Iran is working with key allies in Iraq and Lebanon to forestall political change in the face of significant protests […] More
What Are Protests in the Middle East Signaling?
Protesters came out in support of Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Sunday but they were followed by anti-government protesters who have been calling for a […] More
A JCPOA on Life Support
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran is on life support. Despite the pledges of allegiance to its implementation, Iran is now likely […] More
Social Media and the Fight Against Disinformation
Bottom Line Up Front Facebook recently announced that it identified and disabled Russian and Iranian disinformation campaigns operating on its platform. The proliferation of […] More
Iranian Missiles Are Key to Tehran’s Growing Influence in the Gulf
Bottom Line Up Front The increasing proficiency of Iran’s missile and drone technology is key to Iran’s regional influence and deterrent capability. The September […] More
In Syria, Trump Takes U.S. Leadership Down Another Notch
OPINION — President Donald Trump’s decision to remove the small contingent of United States troops remaining in Syria is a disaster on multiple levels. It illustrates not […] More
U.S. Sanctions Approach a Blockade
Bottom Line Up Front On September 20, the Trump administration sought to completely shut Iran out of the international financial system by imposing new […] More
The Limits of U.S. Influence in Syria
The White House announced Sunday that President Trump will endorse a Turkish military operation near the border with Syria that will target Kurdish forces. Turkey […] More
Managing Iran’s Actions to Avoid Collapse of Global Economy
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman is warning that military conflict with Iran would collapse the global economy. He made the statement during an […] More
What Future War with Iran Could Look Like
OPINION – It’s still unclear just how President Trump may further respond to the recent coordinated drone attack on a Saudi oil facility that has […] More
Climate Change, Iran, Dominate Headlines at 2019 UN General Assembly
Bottom Line Up Front At the 2019 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which kicked off this week, topics including Iran’s attack on Saudi Arabia […] More
What’s Next for Iran?
The U.S. has decided to send additional troops to Saudi Arabia after an attack on an oil facility that seriously impacted the country’s oil production […] More
A Focus on Israel, Iran and Hezbollah
The Cipher Brief’s new Academic Incubator program publishes the work of undergraduate and graduate students, writing short briefs on national security issues. This week’s briefer […] More
Riyadh and Tehran Inch Closer to War
Bottom Line Up Front S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, labeling the recent attack on Saudi oil infrastructure […] More