Uzbekistan’s Shifting Foreign Policy
Bottom Line Up Front Uzbekistan’s renewed domestic and foreign policies have largely been welcomed by the international community. The geopolitical landscape of Central Asia […] More
U.S.
Qatar Exits OPEC
Bottom Line Up Front Qatar’s withdrawal from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is strongly correlated to Doha’s ongoing rift with the cartel’s […] More
How the U.S. Helped the Saudis Make the Middle East a ‘Dangerous Place’
OPINION — The Middle East, like the rest of the world, is a “very dangerous place!” according to President Trump. The Saudis, with America’s tacit […] More
China on Track for Peer Military Status with U.S. by 2050
According to a recent report by the National Defense Strategy Commission (NDS), the U.S. Department of Defense and the White House “have not yet articulated […] More
Resetting the Crucial U.S.-Saudi Relationship
President Donald Trump is expected to receive a full report on the killing of Washington Post Journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Tuesday. The President called a […] More
U.S. Interests in Yemen Come with Tough Choices
The recent distrust between the United States and Saudi Arabia has raised questions about the crisis in Yemen. The U.S. supports Saudi forces by providing […] More
Saudi Arabia: U.S. Must Stand Up and Say ‘That’s Wrong’
Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly sat down with Cipher Brief Expert and retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal at the NYSE in New York […] More
Lessons from the Past: MBS, Bring Back America!
As details about the disappearance of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi are revealed, its worth looking back at the deeper roots of the U.S. – Saudi […] More
Colonial Palestinian Policy Doomed to Fail
Cipher Brief Experts don’t always agree on the issues. There is value in debate, so we offer a range of viewpoints to our readers to […] More
Opinion: Two Koreas Running Rings Around U.S.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with North Korea’s foreign minister on Wednesday and says he will visit Pyongyang next month to pave the […] More
Iran Expert Quick Take
Leslie Ireland is the former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Intelligence and Analysis. She joined Treasury in 2010 after 25 years at CIA where […] More
Expert Analysis: Fissures Between U.S., Europe and Iran at United Nations
President Donald Trump largely followed the U.S. policy script on Iran when he addressed the United Nations on Wednesday. So what exactly, did the key […] More
Experts on U.S. National Cyber Strategy (cont’d)
In our first installment of expert reaction to the new National Cyber Strategy announced last Thursday, The Cipher Brief tapped a number of our experts, […] More
Iran-U.S. Tensions Escalate in Iraq
Bottom Line Up Front: Iraq continues to be an important frontier in the growing conflict between Iran and the Trump Administration. Recent Iranian actions and […] More
Slow and Unsteady Progress with North Korea Helps Kim Jong Un
Cipher Brief Update: On August 23, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a Special Representative for North Korea. Steve Biegun will “direct all U.S. policy […] More
If Iran Responds: What Might Be Their Weapon of Choice?
The U.S. re-imposed sanctions on Iran on Monday after pulling out of the JCPOA Agreement in May. European allies responded by issuing a statement saying […] More
Is Iran Defiantly Looking Toward a Deal?
President Donald Trump announced Monday that he would meet Iran’s leaders “anytime they want.” The President adding that he would meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani […] More
What’s Driving the War of Words Between the U.S. and Iran?
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s comments on Sunday about Iran and its leadership ignited a war of words between the U.S. and Iran with President […] More