Molly Carlough

CFR Staff

Molly Carlough

Research Associate, Center for Preventive Action

Molly Carlough is a research associate for the Center for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Before joining CFR, she was a research assistant at American University and interned at CFR, the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and the U.S. Department of State. She holds a MA in U.S. foreign policy and national security, with a concentration in terrorism, from American University and an MA in international relations from the University of St Andrews.

Most Recent

Yemen

Iran’s Support of the Houthis: What to Know
Iranian support has boosted the military prowess of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, helping them project force into the Red Sea. Ramped up U.S.-led attacks on the group raise the prospect of military escalation with Iran.

In Brief by Kali Robinson March 24, 2025

Public Health Threats and Pandemics

Fentanyl and the U.S. Opioid Epidemic
Opioid addiction has become one of the United States’ biggest killers, endangering public health, the economy, and national security. But closing the floodgates on fentanyl poses a significant foreign policy challenge.

Backgrounder by Mariel Ferragamo and Claire Klobucista March 20, 2025

Taiwan

Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So Tense
Differences over Taiwan’s status have fueled rising tensions between the island and mainland. Taiwan is the likeliest potential flash point in U.S.-China relations.

Backgrounder by Lindsay Maizland and Clara Fong March 19, 2025

Top Stories on CFR

Trade

Here’s How Countries Are Retaliating Against Trump’s Tariffs
Trade retaliation looms from Canada, China, Mexico, and the European Union in response to U.S. tariffs. Four timelines lay out their responses, and the experience of American soybean farmers in 2018 shows how damaging this could be. 

Article by Christopher Shim and Will Merrow March 21, 2025 RealEcon

Yemen

The Siege of the Red Sea
The U.S. military continues to conduct large-scale strikes on Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen to counter their assault on global commerce and attempts to weaken Israel.

Article by Michael Froman March 21, 2025

Trade

We’ve Been Looking at Trade All Wrong

Podcast
There was once a broad consensus in Washington that trade was a force for good—a way to connect, grow, and prosper. But today, trade has evolved into something much bigger than just the exchange of goods. It’s become a powerful tool to rewrite the rules of foreign policy, reshape how the United States is viewed by the rest of the world, and steer us toward an increasingly uncertain future. When did this change begin, and where did we go off course?  

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra and Edward Alden March 19, 2025 Why It Matters