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March 24, 2023 Top General Suggests Administration Would Tolerate Iran Having Nuclear Weapons The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark A. Milley, said at a congressional hearing on Thursday that the United States “remains committed, as a matter of policy, that Iran will not have... March 21, 2023 Washington Steps Up Anti-Ransomware Efforts, Again The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced a new pilot program last week to warn critical infrastructure operators about vulnerabilities in their systems that ransomware actors... March 13, 2023 TSA’s Cybersecurity Requirements Prepare for Takeoff The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued fresh cybersecurity requirements last Tuesday for airports and aircraft operators. The announcement seeks to implement the Biden administration’s... March 13, 2023 Russia Is Fueling China’s Nuclear Weapons Expansion A senior Department of Defense official on Wednesday confirmed media reports that Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy company, provided China with nuclear fuel for a key reactor that will enable... March 2, 2023 In Iran, Rising Demand and Falling Supply of Hard Currency Drive Rial to Record Lows The value of Iran’s rial hit a historic low last week, likely spelling further discontent and civil unrest in the coming months. The trend of massive depreciation since nationwide protests began last... March 2, 2023 U.S., Allies Should Swiftly Penalize China for Supporting Russia’s War Against Ukraine China is allegedly considering supplying Russia with lethal military assistance, including Shahed-like suicide drones and artillery ammunition. This assistance could have a significant impact on the battlefield... March 1, 2023 Cyberspace Domain Operations Rely on the Cyber Workforce to Succeed The Department of Defense (DOD) released an update last week to its plan to provide flexible role-specific training for its cyber workforce. This effort continues DOD’s successful approach to cyber workforce... February 24, 2023 UN General Assembly votes 141-7 for Russian Forces to Withdraw from Ukraine With an overwhelming vote of 141 in favor, seven opposed, and 32 abstentions, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly demanded on Thursday that Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw... February 22, 2023 Delaying Turkey’s Elections is Unconstitutional Under fire for his lackluster response to a massive earthquake on February 6, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is considering whether to delay presidential and parliamentary elections that, according to Turkish... February 14, 2023 Biden’s Earthquake Relief Policy Opens Door Wide to Syria Sanctions Evasion The Treasury Department issued a new general license on Thursday evening that authorizes broad new categories of individuals and organizations that can send aid to Syria, provided its purpose is earthquake... February 14, 2023 Cyber Sanctions Are Nice; Digital Takedowns Are Better The U.S. Treasury Department and several UK agencies announced sanctions on Thursday against seven members of a Russia-based cybercriminal group known as Trickbot. While these sanctions — the first UK... February 9, 2023 Why Cybersecurity Decision-making Needs Better Statistics The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report last month concluding that the lack of centralized, standardized, uniform data on cyberattacks “stymies public policy debates and action.”... February 8, 2023 U.S. and Allies Should Target Top Iranian Executives The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions last Friday on the board of directors of Paravar Pars, an Iran-based manufacturer of military drones. Designating board members and top executives, not just the company... February 3, 2023 U.S. Demands More Sanctions Enforcement From Turkey The U.S. government will warn Turkey that it risks losing access to key markets if it does not implement U.S. sanctions, especially those that target Russian and Iranian entities. The warning reflects Washington’s... January 27, 2023 Ukraine Must Build on Anti-Corruption Firings With Further Reform President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired a spate of senior Ukrainian officials this week after promising to crack down on corruption amid public anger over graft scandals. With these purges, Zelenskyy seeks... January 25, 2023 To Fight the Rial’s Plunge, Tehran Resorts to Tactics that Failed Before The Iranian rial fell to its lowest value in the country’s history this week, trading at 449,000 to the dollar in the unregulated market. This marks a setback for Iran’s new central bank chief, Mohammad... January 23, 2023 Congress Questions Biden Plan to Sell F-16s to Turkey The Biden administration informally notified Congress of its intention to sell 40 new F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, along with 79 upgrade kits to modernize the Turkish Air Force’s existing F-16 fleet.... January 10, 2023 U.S. Should Sanction Tehran’s New Central Banker Iran’s government appointed Mohammad Reza Farzin as the new governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) in late December as the country’s national currency, the rial, plummeted against the U.S. dollar.... January 10, 2023 U.S. and Turkey Take Joint Action to Disrupt ISIS Financing The U.S. Treasury and its Turkish counterpart, the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, took joint action yesterday to designate four individuals and two entities tied to the Islamic State (ISIS) for enabling... January 4, 2023 Impending COVID Surge Expected to Tarnish Xi Jinping’s Image at Home China’s COVID-19 crisis will worsen further as tens of millions travel from the country’s largest cities to their hometowns in the rural interior during this month’s Lunar New Year celebration. Chinese... January 3, 2023 Top Turkish Court Upholds Spurious Conviction of Erdogan Critic A top court in Turkey upheld the conviction of philanthropist and human rights activist Osman Kavala on spurious charges that include attempting to overthrow the government. Kavala’s conviction underscores... December 21, 2022 U.S.-Israel Cyber Exercise Is a Successful Model to Build Upon The United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) partnered with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Joint Cyber Defense Division earlier this month to conduct a five-day cyber defense simulation aimed at fostering... December 16, 2022 Key Flaws Hamstring Russia Oil Price Cap The G7, European Union (EU), and Australia formally adopted a mechanism to “cap” the price of Russian oil exports earlier this month, aimed at squeezing the Kremlin’s coffers while avoiding a spike... December 7, 2022 U.S.-French Commitment to Secure Space Assets Shines a Light on Cyber Vulnerability In a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron, President Joe Biden committed on Thursday to strengthening the cybersecurity of commercial space systems. The vulnerability of these systems stems... December 7, 2022 How Biden, Congress can stop the UN from legitimizing antisemitism United Nations officials urged countries in October and November to reject the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, the global benchmark for identifying... December 6, 2022 Biden Must Act to Prevent a Turkish Attack on US Partners in Northern Syria Following a barrage of air strikes against Kurdish targets in northern Syria, the Turkish government has vowed to follow up with a ground campaign against the Syrian-Kurdish People’s Protection Units... November 22, 2022 No Room for Half-Measures in Aviation Cybersecurity A Boeing-owned subsidiary, Jeppesen, confirmed in early November that a cyber incident had impacted flight planning and communication software, causing flight delays for airlines using their services. In... November 18, 2022 IAEA Board Votes to Censure Iran, but Accountability Requires a Snapback of UN Sanctions On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors voted to censure Iran for prolonged non-compliance with Tehran’s obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty... November 17, 2022 Wary of China, Israel Toughens Screening of Foreign Investments The Israeli Cabinet’s National Security Affairs Committee approved a resolution on October 12 to establish a more rigorous oversight mechanism to prevent foreign investments that pose national security... November 15, 2022 Cyber Insurance Settlements Leave Big Questions Unresolved Major snack distributor Mondelez reached a settlement this month with its insurer, Zurich, after a five-year legal battle over whether the insurance company would cover losses Mondelez suffered from the... November 14, 2022 Lawmakers Urge More Action to Ensure Resilience of the U.S. Economy Two Republican lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden earlier this month expressing concern about the “limited action” the administration has taken to create plans to ensure the Continuity of... October 20, 2022 China, Russia Deepen Partnership on Satellite Navigation China and Russia signed contracts late last month to host ground stations for their respective global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs), BeiDou and GLONASS, which are alternatives to the U.S.-run Global... October 18, 2022 For Sanctions to Work in Bosnia, EU Must Join the U.S. The U.S. Treasury Department on September 26 and October 3 imposed sanctions against prominent Bosnian individuals and entities for allegedly engaging in corruption and eroding democracy in Bosnia and... October 13, 2022 Latest Ransomware Attack on U.S. Healthcare System Exposes Critical Weaknesses CommonSpirit Health, the second-largest non-profit hospital chain in the United States, suffered a ransomware attack last week. The latest in a string of cyberattacks against the healthcare and public health... October 7, 2022 Ukraine’s NATO Bid is a Test of the “Open Door” Ukraine has formally applied for full membership in NATO. This historic move will be a major test to the alliance’s official “open door” to new members. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made... October 7, 2022 China wins human rights vote at UN, exposing flaws of Biden’s reform plan The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) this week voted down a proposal from the United States, Britain, Turkey, and others to hold a debate about the Chinese government’s persecution of Uighur... October 7, 2022 Growing Trade Signals Deeper Ties Between Iran and Turkey According to Turkish government sources, bilateral trade between Turkey and Iran increased sharply over the last six months. Although formally a U.S. ally through NATO, Turkey appears determined to deepen... September 29, 2022 Turkish Banks Suspend Use of Russia’s Mir Payment System Three Turkish state-owned banks suspended their use of the Russian payment system “Mir” — Moscow’s alternative to the Brussels-based SWIFT messaging service — on Tuesday. This move comes amid... September 29, 2022 U.S. Must Show Russia There Is No Impunity for Chemical Weapons Use A meeting next week of the Executive Council (EC) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) presents an opportunity for the United States and its allies to demand Russian compliance... September 22, 2022 Hezbollah Emerging as Winner from Israel-Lebanon Maritime Talks Israel and Lebanon are apparently close to a final agreement delineating their maritime border after a Lebanese government delegation met with the Biden administration’s energy envoy, Amos Hochstein,... September 21, 2022 Washington Punishes Iranian Cyber Actors While Preparing to Enrich Regime The U.S. Treasury Department issued two sets of sanctions against Iran in mid-September for its malicious cyber operations. While the sanctions and other corresponding U.S. government actions raise awareness... September 15, 2022 U.S. Should Deny Visa to Iranian President A bipartisan group of 52 U.S. lawmakers asked President Joe Biden on Monday to deny Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi permission to visit New York for the UN General Assembly later this month. This would... August 15, 2022 Despite Growth, Inflation Surges in Iran Under Raisi This month marks the first anniversary of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s assumption of power, but he has failed to fulfill one of his key campaign pledges: to relieve Iran’s economic plight. Over... August 11, 2022 Time for Change at the UN’s Human Rights Division UN Secretary-General António Guterres is due to appoint a new UN high commissioner for human rights to replace Michele Bachelet, whose term expires on August 31. The new commissioner will have an opportunity... August 5, 2022 U.S. Senate votes 95-1 to add Finland and Sweden to NATO alliance The U.S. Senate voted 95-1 on Wednesday to add Finland and Sweden to the NATO alliance. The overwhelming vote is a major rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a resounding expression of American... July 28, 2022 Algeria Leads Campaign to Rehabilitate Assad Regime While visiting Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra called on Monday for Syria’s return to the Arab League. Lamamra’s trip to Damascus is... July 22, 2022 Cyber Vulnerabilities in Medical Devices Put Patients at Risk The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) closed the public comment period earlier this month on draft cybersecurity guidance for new medical devices after receiving more than a thousand comments from patients,... July 21, 2022 Iranian Official Claims Tehran Has Nuclear Threshold Status A foreign policy adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said on Sunday, “It is no secret that we have become a nuclear threshold country. This is the reality. This is the fact.” This statement implies Tehran... July 19, 2022 U.S. Standards Body Reaches Critical Milestone for Mitigating the Quantum Threat, But More Work Is Needed The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced at the beginning of July the successful testing and selection of the first four algorithms that will become part of NIST’s post-quantum... July 18, 2022 The UN Has Now Spent $81.6 Million at the Four Seasons Damascus The United Nations released new procurement data last week showing that its agencies spent an additional $11.5 million last year at the Four Seasons Damascus, for a total of $81.6 million since 2014. The...

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