@thecipherbrief
The Cipher Brief is the only media outlet focused exclusively on bringing you a higher level of confidence around national security events via news, analysis, and interviews with government and private sector leaders.
General Scott Miller (ret.), former Commander of U.S. Joint Special Operations Command is watching the indicators that matter most in the Middle East right now: drone interceptions, energy flows, regional actors, information warfare, and casualties. Read his piece in today’s Cipher Brief.
From Ukrainian quadcopters destroying tanks to Iranian drones across the Middle East, the spread of drone technology is reshaping modern warfare.
(Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP via Getty Images)
Iran’s response to U.S. and Israeli strikes reflects a long-standing doctrine of asymmetric warfare and ideological resilience. What does this mean for the future of the Abraham Accords and regional stability? https://www.thecipherbrief.com/iran-war-leadership?share_id=9226517
Global Intelligence Report for Thursday, March 5, 2026 https://www.thecipherbrief.com/report/global-intelligence-report-for-thursday-march-5-2026?share_id=9220907
The Strait of Hormuz is seizing up.
After Operation Epic Fury, ~20% of global oil flows are frozen.
150+ tankers idle. Insurers pulling coverage.
Full analysis for Subscriber+ Members.
#StraitOfHormuz #EnergySecurity
After unprecedented U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, what comes next?
Former National Intelligence Manager for Iran Norm Roule breaks down escalation risks, regime stability, and the signals experts should be watching.
Are we handing warfighters AI tools with the strategic safeties off?
A former NGA Chief AI Officer argues that only rigorous, mission-specific testing can prevent a Red October moment in national security. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/breaking-down-our-red-october-moment-for-ai?share_id=9201419
Australia’s illicit tobacco trade may be a national security threat.
New reporting links organized crime and alleged IRGC-backed attacks, raising urgent questions about the crime-terror nexus. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/australias-illicit-tobacco-market?share_id=9184640
The data tells a different story. Despite claims of momentum in Ukraine, Russia’s staggering casualties, economic strain, and technological decline suggest a costly war of attrition. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/russias-war-ukraine?share_id=9182403
Public service doesn’t begin and end with a federal job. From education and nonprofits to industry and international institutions, there are more paths than ever to serve. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/talent-pipeline?share_id=9182084
From narrative dominance to agentic AI, cognitive warfare is becoming a primary instrument of power. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/the-cognitive-battlefield-is-now-decisive-terrain?share_id=9182218
El Mencho is dead, but the cartel war is far from over.
Experts say the CJNG will regroup as U.S.-Mexico intelligence cooperation deepens and corruption questions remain.
This expert analysis examines how Moscow’s gray zone playbook evolved from Crimea to Kyiv, and why its intelligence services misjudged their ability to win. Understanding those failures is essential to deterring future aggression. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/gray-zone-russia?share_id=9181398
Global Intelligence Report for Monday, February 23, 2026 https://www.thecipherbrief.com/report/global-intelligence-report-for-monday-february-23-2026?share_id=9181300
From Munich, Evelyn Farkas warns the transatlantic alliance faces a defining moment. Ukraine, U.S. credibility, and deterring China are now inseparable challenges. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/evelyn-farkas-on-alliances-ukraine-and-chinas-growing-challenge?share_id=9175099
The removal of Nicolás Maduro was supposed to trigger democratic transition. Instead, Venezuela’s intelligence networks and security hardliners remain firmly in power. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/washingtons-venezuelan-gamble-the-old-guards-continued-grip-on-power?share_id=9178771
The Defense Department has issued sweeping new counter-drone guidance, empowering commanders to defend U.S. installations beyond traditional perimeter limits. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/defending-the-homeland-pentagon-shifts-strategy-on-drone-threats?share_id=9170734
Cuba’s power grid collapse is doing more than plunging cities into darkness. It’s opening the door for China and Russia to expand intelligence operations just miles from U.S. military bases.
Today, as Washington debates the legality and precedent of operations like the seizure of Nicolás Maduro, Root’s warning feels newly relevant. This piece examines the difference between authority and dominance. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/monroe-doctrine-the-precedent-problem?share_id=9167082
As the USS Gerald R. Ford prepares to join the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, the U.S. signals serious pressure on Tehran. Former National Intelligence Manager for Iran Norm Roule explains the risks and the diplomatic timeline.
The national security landscape is shifting rapidly. Nuclear treaties are expiring, AI is transforming warfare, and great power competition is accelerating. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/confidence-interoperability-and-the-limits-of-u-s-decision-systems?share_id=9166190
A personal story from inside the CIA: what an analyst learned after standing up to Aldrich Ames long before the world knew he was a traitor. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/standing-up-to-a-spy-my-run-in-with-aldrich-ames?share_id=9164168
Russia is plugging battlefield losses with recruits from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with many lured by fake job promises and coerced into combat. When they go home, their countries inherit the consequences. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/russias-foreign-fighter-pipeline?share_id=9156285
How do you defend elections, outpace China, and manage AI without compromising your values? Former NSA Director Paul Nakasone weighs in on the next era of cybersecurity.
Global Intel Report for Fri, Feb 6. > US-Iran talks. GRU general shot in Moscow. U.S.–Russia military channel reopens. SpaceX ownership scrutiny.
This is what strategic turbulence looks like. Today’s Report: fast, authoritative, no fluff
The era of economic neutrality is over. This analysis argues that U.S. investors now face a stark choice, either back American re-industrialization, or help China win the economic Cold War. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/us-china-economic-cold-war?share_id=9148582
From fake videos to Arctic posturing, Moscow is testing Western unity in the High North. Here’s why Greenland matters more than the headlines suggest. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/greenlands-worth-a-fight-and-russias-trying-to-start-one?share_id=9145934
Export controls were supposed to stop China.
They may be making China stronger.
The unintended consequences of America’s AI chip strategy, explained. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/export-controls-backfire-the-china-innovation-paradox?share_id=9147992
New polling shows a stunning shift: key allies now view the U.S. as a greater threat than China. A must-read on the changing balance of global influence. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/the-rise-of-china-s-strategic-soft-power-and-its-global-impact?share_id=9146492
