Brad Christian

The Beijing summit offered a display of diplomatic stability, but beneath the choreography, China pressed its claim to equal status and kept the pressure on Taiwan.

After U.S. and Israeli forces hit deep inside Iran — and Tehran retaliates — what comes next could redefine the nuclear standoff and the region’s balance of power.

Mapping a New Way Forward with Assets, Allies and Oil

A conversation with former CIA Senior Executive Paul Kolbe

DEEP DIVE — The Pentagon is waging war against its own acquisition bureaucracy. In a sweeping speech on Friday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth described the “adversary”, not as a foreign power but as a process: decades-old requirements and procurement rules that reward paperwork over outcomes.The cor...

The U.S. faces a pivotal decision on providing Tomahawks to Kyiv - a move that would expand Ukraine’s deep-strike reach

The U.S. faces a pivotal decision on providing Tomahawks to Kyiv - a move that would expand Ukraine’s deep-strike reach

The 2025 Cipher Brief Nat Sec EDGE Conference brought together defense, intelligence and foreign policy leaders to debate the future of global challenges and strategy in a rapidly shifting world.

Beyond the damage to Russia’s military, experts see a stunning intelligence win for Ukraine

A former CIA station chief shares his perspectives with The Cipher Brief after President Trump's surprise meeting with Syria's new leader