Majid Asgaripour/WANA/Reuters

Iran

As President Trump weighs whether to join Israel’s bombing campaign of Iran, some have questioned if the president has the authority to involve the U.S. military in this conflict.

Middle East and North Africa

The United States maintains an extensive military footprint in the Middle East, including a number of naval assets and permanent U.S. bases. Washington’s presence has allowed it to respond to regional threats, including the Yemen-based Houthi rebels and escalating Israel-Iran tensions.

Middle East

Iran

Iran

The President’s Inbox discusses Israel’s attacks on Iran’s senior military leadership and its nuclear infrastructure.

Israel

It’s too soon to tell how exactly the current wave of Israeli strikes could transform the region, but one thing is clear: Israel’s actions have fundamentally reshaped the security landscape of the Middle East.

Iran

Iran’s nuclear program and missile arsenal—particularly reports of a growing enriched uranium stockpile—garnered increased international scrutiny before becoming the primary targets of an attack by Israel in June.      
U.S. Military

U.S. Military

The deployment of federal troops in Los Angeles has sparked concerns among some legal experts about the future of civilian-military relations in the United States. Two CFR experts weigh in on the potential implications.

United States

America’s oldest military service turns 250 on Saturday. If you see an active duty, former, or retired member of the Army, wish their service a happy birthday.

Foreign Policy

The future of defense strategy requires restructuring forces for modern threats, focusing deployments on critical regions, accelerating tech integration, reforming procurement and budgets, revitalizing the industrial base, and investing in top talent.  
G7 Summit

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

With both summits ahead, European leaders will have two opportunities to convince Trump about the importance of aiding Ukraine and ensuring European security.

Global Governance

Leaders of the world’s seven major industrial democracies will strive for a united front on tackling some of the world’s toughest economic and security challenges. Job one will be to avoid a rupture over trade.

Diplomacy and International Institutions

The Group of Seven (G7) has been a forum to coordinate global policy for fifty years, but experts are increasingly questioning the group’s relevance.
Currency

Economics

There is too much talk about the dollar’s role as a reserve currency and too little talk about expectations of exceptional returns. Reserve accumulation hasn’t driven the financing of the U.S. current account deficit in recent years.

 

United States

Immigration and Migration

The White House’s latest travel ban imposes restrictions on citizens from nineteen countries. Many of those affected are contending with crises at home.

United States

International students contribute essential research and tens of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. The Trump administration has moved to curtail foreign enrollments to combat what it says is disruptive political activism and immigration abuses.

Refugees and Displaced Persons

The United States has long been considered a safe haven for refugees from around the world, but this could change following the Trump administration’s decision to suspend the country’s decades-old refugee resettlement program.

Events

United States

Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender addresses the current state of the U.S. economy and outlines the administration’s upcoming economic prioritiesThis meeting is presented by RealEcon: Reimagining American Economic Leadership, a CFR initiative of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies.If you wish to attend virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this hybrid meeting will be posted on the CFR website.

United States

Panelists discuss what to expect from the upcoming NATO Summit at The Hague amid an uncertain geopolitical and political environment. For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this hybrid meeting will be posted on the CFR website.

Iran

CFR experts discuss Israel's strikes against Iran's nuclear program, Iran's possible response, and further implications for the region, including the potential for war. The video and transcript of this media briefing will be posted on the CFR website. Please join the Zoom event at least five minutes before the start of the presentation by using the below details: Media Briefing: Israel, Iran, and What Comes Next for the Region Zoom Webinar ID: 834 3522 4861 Passcode: 783613

United States

Please join us for a livestreamed discussion on the future of the World Bank and lessons learned from Mr. Banga's distinguished career to open the 2025 National Conference Speaker Ajay Banga President, World Bank Group Presider Michael Froman President, Council on Foreign Relations Introductory Remarks David M. Rubenstein Cofounder and Co-Chairman, The Carlyle Group; Chairman, Board of Directors, Council on Foreign Relations ---- Note that the National Conference specifically convenes CFR members based outside of New York and Washington, DC.  

Explainers

Expert Spotlight

Sebastian Elbaum

What If China Wins the AI Race?

Max Boot

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies

U.S. Foreign Policy Defense and Security Military History

We are witnessing the suicide of a superpower

Bruce Hoffman
Bruce Hoffman

Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis Senior Fellow for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security

Terrorism and Counterterrorism Wars and Conflict Intelligence

The Boulder Attack Didn’t Come Out of Nowhere

Featured Publications

International Law

Few Americans have done more than Jerome A. Cohen to advance the rule of law in East Asia. The founder of the study of Chinese law in the United States and a tireless advocate for human rights, Cohen has been a scholar, teacher, lawyer, and activist for more than sixty years. Moving among the United States, China, and Taiwan, he has encouraged legal reforms, promoted economic cooperation, mentored law students—including a future president of Taiwan—and brokered international crises. In this compelling, conversational memoir, Cohen recounts a dramatic life of striving for a better world from Washington, DC, to Beijing, offering vital first-hand insights from the study and practice of Sino-American relations. In the early 1960s, when Americans were not permitted to enter China, he met with émigrés in Hong Kong and interviewed them on Chinese criminal procedure. After economic reform under Deng Xiaoping, Cohen’s knowledge of Chinese law took on a new importance as foreign companies began to pursue business opportunities. Helping China develop and reconstruct its legal system, he made an influential case for the roles of Western law and lawyers. Cohen helped break political barriers in both China and Taiwan, and he was instrumental in securing the release of political prisoners in several countries. Sharing these experiences and many others, this book tells the full story of an unparalleled career bridging East and West.

Public Health Threats and Pandemics

A detailed exploration of the most sweeping government border closures in human history during the COVID-19 pandemic and the implications for the future of global mobility.

United States

Son of the Midwest, movie star, and mesmerizing politician—America’s fortieth president comes to three-dimensional life in this gripping and profoundly revisionist biography.