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Informing U.S. engagement with the world

Iran, Explained

The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, targeting nuclear facilities, military installations, and senior leadership—killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggering Iranian retaliation across the region.

Use CFR’s timelines, explainers, and backgrounders to learn more about the country at the center of the attacks.

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Unpacking the President’s Decision

Host James M. Lindsay Lindsay, a distinguished senior fellow in U.S. foreign policy, sits down with Dalia Dassa Kaye, a senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations and the author of Enduring Hostility: The Making of America‘s Iran Policy in the latest episode of The President’s Inbox. They discuss Trump’s decision to launch a war against Iran, the prospects for regime change, and the consequences for the region.

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CFR Spotlights

Artificial Intelligence

President Trump ordered the U.S. government to stop using Anthropic’s cutting-edge AI model. It is the latest development in a standoff between the tech company and the Pentagon over how the new technology should be used.

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The War in Ukraine

Russia’s invasion has reshaped European security, strained Western alliances, and tested the limits of international resolve. But, as the conflict enters its fifth year, the terms of any eventual settlement appear to remain as contested as the front lines themselves.

Securing Ukraine's Future

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CFR publishes reports and papers for the interested public, the academic community, and foreign policy experts.

A woman holds a picture of a victim of forced disappearance during a 2025 ceremony in Colombia to honor loved ones who remain missing.
A woman holds a picture of a victim of forced disappearance during a 2025 ceremony in Colombia to honor loved ones who remain missing.

CFR International Affairs Fellow in National Security Roxanna Vigil argues that the United States should engage early with Colombia’s next administration to signal support for full implementation of the 2016 Peace Accords and provide targeted assistance.

Several U.S. naval vessels cruising on open water.
Several U.S. naval vessels cruising on open water.

CFR Senior Fellow Robert D. Blackwill outlines the conceptual pillars of five grand strategy schools and analyzes arguments for and against those strategies advanced by their proponents and critics. He then proposes an alternative American grand strategy: resolute global leadership.

<p>A Ukrainian artilleryman uses a portable rocket launcher in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region on May 23, 2025.</p>
<p>A Ukrainian artilleryman uses a portable rocket launcher in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region on May 23, 2025.</p>

The world continues to grow more violent and disorderly. According to CFR’s annual conflict risk assessment, American foreign policy experts are acutely concerned about conflict-related threats to U.S. national security and international stability that are likely to emerge or intensify in 2026. In this report, surveyed experts rate global conflicts by their likelihood and potential harm to U.S. interests and, for the first time, identify opportunities for preventive action.

<p>Export-bound vehicles wait to be loaded onto roll-on/roll-off ships at Lianyungang Port in China, on December 1, 2025. </p>
<p>Export-bound vehicles wait to be loaded onto roll-on/roll-off ships at Lianyungang Port in China, on December 1, 2025. </p>

The primary U.S. response to China’s first-mover advantages in emerging auto technologies has been protection. A smarter strategy would seek to compete by supporting producers and collaborating with allies, while managing security risks.

<p>A Taiwan Coast Guard ship patrols near Dadan Island in October 2025. </p>
<p>A Taiwan Coast Guard ship patrols near Dadan Island in October 2025. </p>

Assumptions about how a potential conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan would unfold should urgently be revisited. Such a war, far from being insulated, would likely draw in additional powers, expand geographically, and escalate vertically.

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The Daily News Brief is CFR’s flagship morning newsletter. It brings the top global news of the day to your inbox—along with analysis by Council on Foreign Relations experts. 

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