Cipher Brief Experts Weigh in on Gordon’s Departure
The resignation of both Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and his deputy Susan Gordon, both taking effect on August 15th, mean big changes are […] More
Trump
Sue Gordon’s Rock and a Hard Place
One of the country’s leading Intelligence professionals made her way quietly to the White House late Thursday afternoon to deliver her letter of resignation to […] More
Military and Political Dynamics in the Gulf
Bottom Line Up Front The Persian Gulf remains a potential flashpoint as the United States and its allies increase their deployments and Iran strengthens […] More
Malicious Hacking Targets U.S. Political Organizations
Bottom Line Up Front: The success of Russia’s meddling in 2016 U.S. election ensures that Moscow will employ similar disinformation efforts as 2020 approaches. […] More
Iran Crisis Returns to Nuclear Issues
Bottom Line Up Front Heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran have now returned to the core issue of Iran’s nuclear program. Iran’s recent […] More
Twitter Diplomacy and North Korea
The significant weekend visit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un started with a Tweet last Thursday as President Trump […] More
The Paucity of ‘Peace to Prosperity’
Bottom Line Up Front Under the leadership of Jared Kushner, the administration is attempting to cobble together a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. […] More
Waning Interest in Venezuela?
Bottom Line Up Front As it becomes more evident that Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro will remain in power, the Trump administration seems to have […] More
Trump’s Head START on New Nuclear Approach
OPINION — President Trump plans to wait until next year to decide what he will do about the 2010 new START strategic nuclear arms control […] More
Extending the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
OPINION — There was a flurry of arms control talk after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration is “at the very […] More
Is Venezuela Approaching a Tipping Point?
Bottom Line Up Front Recent unrest in Venezuela and the continuing uncertainty over whether embattled President Maduro will step down continues to drag on. […] 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
Russia’s U.S. Election Strategy by the Numbers
OPINION — At almost every crucial moment in the Mueller report, President Donald J. Trump is recorded having expressed concerns to advisors that reports of […] 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 Nuclear Weapons Club Could Get Bigger
OPINION — One result from the Hanoi Summit: North Korea continues to be a member of the elite nuclear weapons club, and probably will remain […] More
In Hanoi, the Devil is in the Details
OPINION — What are the “corresponding measures” President Trump is prepared to take in return for a promise from Chairman Kim Jong-un to dismantle his […] More
Four Big Takeaways from the Munich Security Conference
The Cipher Brief asked expert and retired four-star General David Petraeus for his big takeaways after attending last weekend’s Munich Security Conference. First, the wedge between […] More