How the U.S. is Tapping a Much Bigger Well in The Middle East
EXPERT DEEP DIVE – President Donald Trump’s first official trip to the Middle East during his current administration may have tapped a well that runs […] More
Middle East
Trump’s Gulf Tour: The Money Deals, the Diplomacy and What Comes Next
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT – President Trump headed home Friday after a whirlwind four-day tour of the Persian Gulf that featured multibillion-dollar deals, an unprecedented […] More
Don’t Underestimate the New Road to Damascus
OPINION – I am still not sanguine about the wisdom of putting a former al-Qaeda terrorist in charge of Damascus, but as my Syrian […] More
What Hamas’ Attacks – and Aristotle – Can Teach Today’s Intelligence Chiefs
OPINION – The Hamas surprise attack against Israel on October 7th, 2023, made clear that traditional challenges for intelligence, most importantly strategic early warning for […] More
The Latest
Trump’s Mideast Wish List: $1+ Trillion in Investments – and Some Diplomacy Too
EXPERT INTERVIEWS – President Donald Trump embarks this week on the first scheduled overseas trip of his second term (the funeral for Pope Francis having […] More
The Pathways to a New U.S.-Iran Nuclear Deal
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT – In the early days of the Trump administration, talk of peace deals and ceasefires were focused on the wars in […] More
Violence in Gaza, Yemen and Syria Tests Middle East – and the Trump Administration
EXPERT INTERVIEW – Just a few weeks ago, the Middle East seemed in a rare moment of relative calm: ceasefires were holding in Gaza and […] More
Playing the Role of ‘Good Shepherd’ in a Post-Assad Syria
OPINION — Israel’s new Middle East security reality is coming into sharper focus in a volatile Syria, where sectarian clashes are taking place and aggressive Israeli […] More
Expert Q&A: The Options for Trump 2.0 on Iran
EXPERT INTERVIEW – Almost lost in the Trump administration’s push for an end to the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, and its tariff wars against […] More
On Gaza, Trump Says the Quiet Part Out Loud – and Then Some
OPINION — Embedded in President Trump’s shocking proposal to “own” and develop the Gaza Strip are some uncomfortable truths and even some “common sense,” as […] More
Expert Q&A: Trump’s Proposal Sparks Call for ‘Practical’ Change in Gaza
EXPERT Q&A — The Cipher Brief turned to Ambassador Dennis Ross to discuss President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza, and the debate it has […] More
Could Trump’s Shocking Plan for Gaza Lead Anywhere?
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT – As President Donald Trump doubles down on his idea of a U.S. takeover of Gaza, Arab governments are also doubling […] More
Expert Q&A: The Gaza Deal — and the ‘Trump Effect’
EXPERT INTERVIEW — On the day the Israeli cabinet voted to approve the long-awaited ceasefire-for-hostages deal in Gaza, The Cipher Brief spoke with a former advisor […] More
How a Gaza Deal Could Change the Middle East
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — Might a Gaza peace agreement bring benefit beyond the besieged Gaza Strip? That’s the tantalizing hope expressed by several U.S. officials […] More
Expert Q&A: Lebanon’s New Leadership Offers Hope After Chaos
EXPERT INTERVIEW — Lebanon’s parliament elected Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, as the country’s new president on January 9, ending a deadlock […] More
The Hopes for a Gaza Ceasefire – and What Might Follow
EXPERT INTERVIEWS — The final days of the Biden Administration are coinciding with an all-out push to reach a ceasefire-for-hostage deal in Gaza. And in a […] More
Cipher Brief Experts on What to Watch for in 2025
EXPERT INSIGHT – In the waning days of 2024, The Cipher Brief asked members of our expert network to look to the year ahead, and […] More
2024: 10 Great Cipher Brief Conversations
SPECIAL REPORT — In a year of world-changing events – from the Middle East to Ukraine, cyberattacks to undersea cable attacks, and much more – The […] More
National Security Experts Share Reasons for Hope in 2025
SPECIAL REPORT – In the last days of 2024, The Cipher Brief turned to our network of experts – who spend much of their time […] More