Biden’s National Security Test
Cipher Brief Expert John McLaughlin is former Acting Director of the CIA, former Deputy CIA Director and is the Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at the […] More
Iran
Biden Holds the Cards on Iran, But Will He Play Them?
Gary Grappo is a former U.S. ambassador who held senior positions including Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad; U.S. Ambassador […] More
Biden’s Best JCPOA Bid
OPINION — Was the November 27, assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh – Iran’s top nuclear scientist – the beginning or the end of attempts to sabotage […] More
Iran: Assassination and Retaliation
Just over a week ago, Iran’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed by what Iranian authorities describe as a remote-controlled weapon as his car […] More
A Consequential Killing in Tehran
The killing of Al Qaeda’s second in command reportedly at the hands of Israeli operatives working in Tehran signals a significant reduction among al Qaeda’s […] More
Through an Israeli Lens: Biden and Iran
Eldad Shavit, Sr. Researcher, INSS Eldad Shavit is a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and previously served in senior roles […] More
Note to Adversaries: The U.S. isn’t as vulnerable as you think
Cipher Brief Expert Ambassador Joseph R. DeTrani was the former Special Envoy for Negotiations with North Korea and Director of the National Counterproliferation Center. He […] More
What a Biden Administration Means for the World
The Cipher Brief is a non-political media outlet focused on publishing expert perspectives on national security issues. We are committed to presenting multiple opinions to […] More
New Iran Nuclear Site Revealed
Bottom Line up Front Iran’s construction of a new, hardened centrifuge assembly plant further undermines the 2015 multilateral Iran nuclear agreement. Iran’s confirmation of […] More
Top issues for the next leader of the Free World
OPINION – The United Nations’ decade-long embargo on the sale of arms to Iran expired on Sunday based on a provision in the 2015 Joint […] More
What Does Closer Cooperation between China and Iran Mean?
Iran and China are reportedly moving forward with an economic and security agreement that could pose a significant challenge to US efforts to isolate and […] More
Why Should the U.S. Care about a renewed Iran-Venezuela Relationship?
Earlier this Spring, an oil tanker from Iran arrived in Venezuela with a much-needed delivery, despite the fact that both nations are under US sanctions. […] More
Implications of Iran Arms Ban Expiration
Bottom Line up Front The October 2020 expiration of the U.N. ban on arms transfers to and from Iran would have little material impact […] More
Iran’s Shifting Posture in Syria
Bottom Line up Front Iran’s apparent drawdown of its military presence in Syria likely reflects Tehran’s calculation that the regime of President Bashar Al […] More
Bahrain and the Politics of COVID-19
Emile Nakhleh is a retired CIA Senior Intelligence Service Officer and founding director of the CIA’s Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program Office. He is currently […] More
Iran and Israel Continue Their Shadow Conflict in Cyberspace
Bottom Line Up Front Israeli cyberattacks against Iran are intended to send a signal, as a means of pushing back against Iran’s actions in […] More
Iran and Hezbollah’s Pre-Operational Modus Operandi in the West – Part Two
In part one of Iran and Hezbollah’s Pre-Operational Modus Operandi in the West, authors Mitch Silber and Ioan Pop pulled from court documents and open […] More
Iran and Hezbollah’s Pre-Operational Modus Operandi in the West – Part One
Cipher Brief Expert Mitch Silber and Ioan Pop have pulled from court documents and open source reporting to compile a modus operandi of Iran and […] More