Yemen's Importance to Saudi Arabia
For Saudi Arabia, Yemen is a vital security interest. The Saudis have long claimed a dominant role in shaping Yemen’s domestic politics. Yemen’s desert border […] More
Iran
Mosul: One Battle, Six Campaigns for the Trump Administration
Last October, I published a summary of the coalition battle to liberate Mosul from ISIS in The Cipher Brief, stressing that inside the one battle […] More
The Gulf Cooperation Council Operates in a Tumultuous Region
At a time that several Middle Eastern nations are plagued with civil strife, the Gulf Cooperation Council is a beacon of unity that has contributed […] More
GCC: A Force for Regional Stability
The Cipher Brief sat down with Marcelle Wahba, President of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab […] More
Saudi-Iranian Tension Drives GCC Policy
The Cipher Brief sat down the Former U.S. Ambassador to Oman, Gary Grappo, to discuss the current state of affairs in the Gulf Cooperation Council. […] More
Homeland Season 6: "A Flash of Light"
This season’s parallel plots begin to converge in episode four. Carrie’s houseguest, Peter Quinn, still recovering from his near-death experience, hasn’t been involved in the […] More
A History of What Works with Iran
The Trump Administration is correct that the U.S. should focus on the significant threat posed by Iran’s misbehavior in the Middle East. Luckily, history provides […] More
Trump and the New Map of the Middle East
The Middle East that the Trump Administration must now come to grips with is not the one Barack Obama envisioned leaving his successor when he […] More
Trump So Far: The Middle East View
When Donald Trump was elected as the 45th U.S. President, there was reason for some comfort amongst the United States’ traditional Arab allies in the […] More
Cybersecurity in the Gulf: The Middle East’s Virtual Frontline
Cybersecurity is often discussed in relation to the major global powers: China’s economic espionage, Russian influence operations, and U.S. dragnet global surveillance to thwart terrorism. […] More
Cyber: Iran’s Weapon of Choice
Cyber is emerging as Iran’s weapon of choice for dealing with both domestic and foreign opponents. For more than a decade, the Islamic Republic has […] More
Syria Talks Were Just "Theater”
Russia, Iran and Turkey on Tuesday pledged to jointly enforce the fragile ceasefire in Syria, wrapping up two days of peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. […] More
Syria's Tangled Trilateral Road to Peace
The December 30 ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey, has for the most held throughout the country, despite violence undermining the pact. This […] More
Iran’s Maritime Mirage
Iran is doing enough damage in the Middle East through unconventional methods without requiring a robust navy. That is why an idea floated by a […] More
Aleppo: Russian Barbarism and American Dereliction
The “complete meltdown of humanity” in Aleppo, as recently described by the United Nations, is an indictment of Russian/Syrian/Iranian barbarism, Arab indifference, and American dereliction […] More
Re-Thinking Iraq: A Problem Can Become a Solution
Should we think of Iraq as a solution rather than a problem? For most Americans, Iraq is immediately associated with words like: disaster, problem, mess, […] More
In the Strait of Hormuz, Little has Changed with Iran
When the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed in July 2015, you might have been forgiven for […] More
Pushing the Boundaries
Iran’s supreme leader implemented a dramatic overhaul of Iranian military leadership in June 2016, and in so doing, effectively consolidated control of the Iranian military […] More