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International

TOPSHOT-AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN-CONFLICT

Pakistan: Broker of Peace While Still at War

Just a few weeks ago, Pakistan, the host for fragile ceasefire talks aiming to end the war between the U.S. and Iran, was at war with Afghanistan in [...] More

International

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Building the Talent Pipeline for America’s Security Future

Dr. Jerry Laurienti

Building the Talent Pipeline for America’s Security Future

OPINION – Public service, at its core, is bigger than government service alone. Serving one’s country takes many forms, and in a time when the [...] More

Dr. Jerry LaurientiInternational

A Path to Understanding Autonomy in Defense Technology

Joey Gagnard

A Path to Understanding Autonomy in Defense Technology

Welcome to The Iron Triangle, the Cipher Brief column serving procurement officers tasked with buying the future, Investors funding the next [...] More

Joey GagnardInternational

Human Agency in a Technology-Mediated World

Jennifer Ewbank

Human Agency in a Technology-Mediated World

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Occasionally, a speech does more than mark a leadership transition or outline institutional priorities. It captures, with [...] More

InternationalTech/CyberNational Security
A ship crosses the Baltic Sea at sunrise

The War You Can’t See: Gray Zone Operations Are Reshaping Global Security

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE -- In the middle of the night, with no witnesses, a single ship flagged out of Hong Kong drags its anchor across the Baltic Sea. [...] More

Dave PittsInternationalNATOEspionageNational Security

Eighty Years On, Can the UN Meet Its Mission?

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

Eighty Years On, Can the UN Meet Its Mission?

OPINION — The 80th ordinary session of the United Nations ended on September 8, 2026. During this year, the UN will have an opportunity to help [...] More

Ambassador Joseph DeTraniInternational
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (R) speaks during a press conference after arriving at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, Iran on September 27, 2025

Defiance Meets Desperation as Iran Faces Fresh UN Sanctions

EXPERT INTERVIEW – The United Nations has reimposed sweeping economic and military sanctions on Iran, ten years after lifting them under the 2015 [...] More

Middle EastIranInternational
Decoding Global Reactions to Trump’s Victory
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deep dive

Decoding Global Reactions to Trump’s Victory

DEEP DIVE — It was, as Axios reporter Zachary Basu put it, “the most astonishing, gravity-defying comeback in the history of American politics.” But [...] More

AsiaAmericasInternationalNorth AmericaMiddle EastNational SecurityEuropeReporting
DEEP DIVE: How Trump and Vance Would Deal With Global Hot Zones

DEEP DIVE: How Trump and Vance Would Deal With Global Hot Zones

SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE REPORTING – Whoever wins the November 5 U.S. presidential election will face an almost unprecedented set of global security [...] More

InternationalAmericasNational SecurityReportingNorth America

America, Ukraine and the Illusion of an Isolationist Choice

Gregory Sims

America, Ukraine and the Illusion of an Isolationist Choice

OPINION — In 2022 Russia launched its full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, a big and bloody war between the two largest countries in Europe with [...] More

InternationalAlternative PerspectivesNational Security

Taiwan's Election Offers Strong Lessons on Disinformation

Walter Pincus

Taiwan's Election Offers Strong Lessons on Disinformation

OPINION — Taiwan’s Presidential election last Saturday took place amid widespread concerns that China would use Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven [...] More

AsiaNational SecurityChinaCyberInternationalWalter PincusTech/CyberFine Print

Containing the North Korean Nuclear Threat will not be easy in 2024

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

Containing the North Korean Nuclear Threat will not be easy in 2024

OPINION / EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — On December 18, 2023, North Korea successfully launched a solid fuel, road mobile Intercontinental Ballistic Missile [...] More

AsiaRussiaCipher Brief Expert ViewNorth KoreaNuclearAmbassador Joseph DeTraniInternationalNational Security

Section 702 Delivers Stronger U.S. National Security

Gen. Joseph Votel (Ret.)

Section 702 Delivers Stronger U.S. National Security

OPINION — In 2011, I took command of our counter-terrorism forces, and the most prolific and dangerous threat we faced at that time came from Al [...] More

InternationalCipher Brief Expert ViewNational Security