
The Great Game With China Is 3D Chess
Washington’s new rivalry with Beijing isn’t a reprise of the Cold War. It’s much more complicated.

Will Trump Try to Bomb Iran Before He Leaves the White House?
This is a lame-duck presidency unlike any other and the potential for surprises—and conflict—are high.

America’s Pullback Must Continue No Matter Who Is President
For all the talk of a new administration boldly reengaging with the world after four years of “America first,” Trump’s strategic retrenchment can only be the start.

The Next Front in the India-China Conflict Could Be a Thai Canal
India is beefing up its island defenses as Beijing seeks a quicker route to the Indian Ocean.

Electromagnetic Pulses Are the Last Thing You Need to Worry About in a Nuclear Explosion
One of America’s weirdest strategic obsessions won’t go away.

Strategists Have Forgotten the Power of Stories
The arts are invaluable to national security policymakers facing an ever-changing future.

The Pentagon Tries to Pivot out of the Middle East—Again
Confusion over the removal of missiles and aircraft from Saudi Arabia could invite the aggression the United States is trying to avoid.

China’s Nuclear Arms Are a Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery
Beijing's plans to build new missiles, expand anti-satellite capabilities and increase nuclear material production far above civilian needs have the world guessing.

The U.S. Can Deter Iran but Not Its Proxies
Rash action by Tehran-connected groups could provoke an escalatory cycle.

The Fire in Syria Is Shedding Light on the United States
There’s only one positive aspect to the disaster in Syria: It’s forcing an overdue conversation about U.S. grand strategy.

The Lessons of 1944 Are in Jeopardy
Seventy-five years after D-Day, the United States should remember that on-the-ground leadership still works.

5 Very Important Things About the World Nobody Knows
The future will be determined by a handful of big questions that don’t yet have answers.

Scandinavia Won’t Be Russia’s Next Target
Mikheil Saakashvili’s country was a victim of Putin’s aggression. Finland and Sweden won’t be.

Russia’s Next Land Grab Won’t Be in an Ex-Soviet State. It Will Be in Europe.
First he came for Georgia, then for Ukraine. Vladimir Putin’s next target is likely to be a non-NATO nation in the EU.

Don’t Believe the Russian Hype
Moscow’s missile capabilities in the Baltic Sea region are not nearly as dangerous as they seem.

Whoever Predicts the Future Will Win the AI Arms Race
China, Russia, and the United States are approaching the long-term strategic potential of artificial intelligence very differently. The country that gets it right will reap huge military benefits.

Why America Lost in Afghanistan
Successive U.S. administrations failed to heed the lessons of a forgotten counterinsurgency success story from Vietnam.

Goodbye Grotius, Hello Putin
Russia’s provocations in the Kerch Strait aren’t just a challenge to Ukraine. Like Beijing in the South China Sea, Moscow is seeking to undermine international maritime law.

In Cyberwar, There Are Some (Unspoken) Rules
A recent article argues that the lack of legal norms invites cyberconflict. But governments know the price of overreach and are refraining from unleashing their full capabilities.

Don’t Let the U.S.-Japanese Alliance Get Out of Shape
Joint military exercises have kept the relationship strong despite Trump, but that could soon change.