Houthi threats to disrupt maritime transit through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait have raised concerns that the Red Sea could become a new front in the U.S.-Iran conflict. However, at present, the Houthis’ rhetoric outpaces their operations, making a renewed campaign in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait unlikely in the near term. Read more...
The new Iraqi Prime Minister-Designate has received support from President Trump, but challenges remain regarding disarmament of Iranian-backed militias. Read more...
If the SDF-Damascus integration process fails, Washington will have dropped the ball on a decade-long joint operation, creating opportunities for ISIS to rebuild its network and operational capacity in Syria. Read more...
The conflict-ridden Sahel belt is experiencing a surge in violence. Russian paramilitary troops have been in the region for many years, but recent events in Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Russian home front suggest a shift in their operations and a weakened Russian stance in Africa. Read more...
An Iranian-aligned entity in Jordan would severely harm U.S. national security interests and Middle Eastern security writ large. The weakening of Jordan’s monarchy—or its complete collapse—could create a power vacuum with consequences extending far beyond its borders.Read more...
Through militia violence and mass terrorist attacks, ISIS-K seeks to upend regional order in hopes of fulfilling its objective of establishing a caliphate. As the Moscow attack demonstrates, the threat ISIS-K poses to the region remains even as its membership decreases. Read more...
This month, Haiti erupted into unseen levels of violence as gangs exert near total control of the capital resulting in the resignation of the acting President Ariel Henry. With unprecedented violence gripping Haiti, it is time to examine the U.S. illicit export economy and its impact on the 5.5 million Haitians in need of humanitarian assistance. Read more...
Last Tuesday, the Iranian government launched a series of missile strikes against what it called “terrorist hideouts” in Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan. Practical foreign policy strategies motivate these attacks, but their ideological underpinning makes them difficult to tackle effectively.Read more...
By focusing more on global threats, the federal government has inhibited agencies’ abilities to counter domestic terrorism. However, these policy deficiencies can be remedied.Read more...
Legislators need to decide whether introducing new privacy and partisanship laws are worth the potential national security vulnerabilities. Read more...
