The Uneasy Balance between Care and Provocation
OPINION — This past March and April, US Naval Forces attached to Central Command carried out live fire exercises in the North Persian Gulf’s international […] More
IRGC
Iraqi Militias Adjust to Losses
Bottom Line Up Front Iran-backed Shia militias in Iraq remain active despite the assassination of their Iranian mentor and the leading Iraqi militia commander. […] More
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
The Latest
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. 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 U.S.-Iran Crisis
Bottom Line Up Front The U.S. and Iran are close to a conflict that would have no clear end and could quickly spread throughout […] More
How an Escalation to War Could Happen with Iran
A series of events last week led to escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. While tensions had seemed to ease somewhat on Friday, President […] More
The Impact of Harder-Hitting Sanctions on Iran
The U.S. moved this week to apply even more pressure on Iran to end its involvement in illicit activities around the world by announcing that […] More
Iran Oil Waivers Ended
Bottom Line Up Front The Trump Administration ended a key waiver on Iran oil sanctions as part of an effort to apply maximum pressure […] More
What a Designated Terrorist IRGC Could Mean for the U.S.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council is taking retaliatory steps after President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the U.S. will designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard […] More
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Named Terrorist Group
Bottom Line Up Front The 8 April Trump administration announcement designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization will have […] More
The Dangerous Escalation Dynamics of Terrorism
Bottom Line Up Front While Pakistan relies on terrorists as proxies, it remains unclear exactly how much control the military and intelligence services have […] More
The Iran Brief
As part of The Cipher Brief’s special coverage in the run up to our 2019 Threat Conference in Sea Island, GA March 24-26th, we will […] More
Forged by Tehran: Two Navies, Ready to Challenge the West
Bottom Line: Tehran’s military doctrine seeks to deter a conventionally superior foe, the United States, from entering its territorial waters or borders through the threat […] More
White House Takes Names & Plots New Sanctions Over Iran Unrest
The Trump administration is watching the Iranian protests closely – in order to name, shame and eventually sanction those cracking down on protesters and limiting […] More
Friction Ahead: Tehran Faces Enemies Foreign & Domestic in 2018
For this last week of 2017, we asked our experts to look ahead at key national security issues. Intelligence veteran and Iran hand Norman Roule […] More