Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

cipherbrief

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

Input clean

Iran

America, North Korea, and the Search for Peace

The South Korean Buddhist monk, the Venerable Pomnyun Sunimin, in his book “What is Happiness?” introduces us to his philosophy of life: “Everyone [...] More

The Latest

Is Iran Controlling the Gulf Conflict?

Recent statements from President Trump indicate he is prepared to continue, or escalate, U.S. military strikes while simultaneously signaling he is [...] More

Inside the $87.6 Billion Iran War Supplemental

“In addition to supporting OEF (Operation Epic Fury, the Iran War) costs incurred by DOW (Department of War), the [$87.6 billion Fiscal Year FY 2026 [...] More

Iran: On Negotiating with Criminal/Terrorist Organizations, States, and Other Entities

Pending the failed cease-fire and Memorandum of Understanding [MOU] between Iran and America, all eyes have focused on the ongoing, difficult [...] More

An Outlook for What’s Next in Iran War

With tensions rising all week, the U.S. has launched a new round of strikes against Iranian military targets and maritime assets. The strikes follow [...] More

Don’t Permit Iran to Enrich Uranium

Ideally, Iran should not be permitted to enrich uranium, even at the 3.67% low enriched uranium level, enough for nuclear reactors to generate [...] More

Propaganda paintings with american flag an "Down with the USA text" in Tehran, Iran - stock photo

What Iran Wants and How It Can Still Fight

U.S. Vice President JD Vance is touting success out of the latest round of talks in Switzerland focused on seeking a permanent end to the war in [...] More

From Bombing Iran to Negotiating: Trump Explains His Red Line

“I had to stop them [the Iranians] because if they had a nuclear weapon, they would use it. And you want to see bedlam, let them blow up a couple of [...] More

The Deal That Should Not Have Happened

The announcement of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran surprised many observers. The underlying conditions appeared unfavorable to an [...] More

How Gulf States Turned Crisis Into Confidence

The Epidemic of PatriotismHow war, intelligence, technology, and state competence are building a new nationalism in the Gulf.There is an old idea in [...] More

U.S. Continues Maritime Blockade In Strait Of Hormuz

Middle East at the Brink: Norm Roule on Iran, Israel, and the High-Stakes Struggle Taking Shape

As tensions between Israel and Iran continue to evolve following a weekend Iranian ballistic missile attack against Israel, policymakers and markets [...] More

Russia's President Vladimir Putin Visits Beijing

How America’s Adversaries Compete Across Peace and War

Author’s Note: This article does not introduce “Endless Warfare” as another term in an already crowded national security lexicon. It examines an [...] More

Before Funding a Record Defense Budget, Congress Should Demand Answers on Iran

As I listened to Defense Secretary Hegseth testify about the proposed $1.5 Trillion defense budget, the quote from Robert Heinlein, the science [...] More