The Shadow of the Military in Modern South Asia

In the News
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Paul Staniland

"Militaries are taking on a renewed, often decisive, role in shaping political outcomes," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Paul Staniland writes.

Bangladeshi military force soldiers patrol a street during a nationwide curfew
Rajib Dhar / AP
Defense and Security

How the Iran War Confirmed, Contradicted, and Complicated US Policy

In the News
Council on Foreign Relations
Ariane Tabatabai

"Much of what has occurred over the last month was forecasted in scenarios that have been tested and re-tested for decades," Council Vice President of Research and Senior Fellow Ariane Tabatabai and Elisa Ewers write.

A US flag is seen through the flag of Iran
Ryan Murphy / AP
US Foreign Policy

Trump Always Skips the Hard Part

In the News
Foreign Policy
Suzanne Nossel

"While everyone welcomes a cessation of hostilities, Trump’s half-baked approach to peacemaking may well be a recipe for more war in the Middle East," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Suzanne Nossel writes in a new piece for Foreign Policy.

President Trump speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One on March 7, 2026.
Mark Schiefelbein / AP
US Foreign Policy

US Blockade Risks Global Conflict

In the News
Bloomberg
Leslie Vinjamuri

The US blockade of Iran's coastline raises concerns about a potential confrontation with China and others who have managed to get ships through the Strait of Hormuz, Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri tells Bloomberg. "This is very unchartered territory."

Leslie Vinjamuri talks with a Bloomberg journalist via video US Foreign Policy

A New Era of World War Has Arrived

In the News
The New York Times
Paul Poast

"We are watching another unwelcome phenomenon return to the global stage: the world war," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Paul Poast argues in the New York Times.

Protestors with a banner that reads "Not another forever war" walk through Times Square in New York on April 8, 2026.
Ryan Murphy / AP
Global Politics

History Doesn't Just Rhyme; It Accumulates

Analysis
by Leslie Vinjamuri

Trump’s ongoing attacks on the rules and laws of war, trade, and alliances could permanently damage US power and influence.

President Donald Trump, accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Washington.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP
US Foreign Policy

The Sacralization of the Iran War

Analysis
by Ariel Schwartz

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s deployment of religious rhetoric in the Iran war has come under increased scrutiny. What happens when the line between political conflict and religious warfare blurs?

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth raises his hands
Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP
Culture

Experts Signal Concern about Iran Nuclear Talks

In the News
NBC 5 Chicago
Rachel Bronson

"I want to know who the nuclear experts are that are going," the Council's Rachel Bronson said of the US delegation. "We're sending over novices at the moment, and that should give us considerable concern."

 Chuck Goudie speaks with Rachel Bronson via video call US Foreign Policy

The Cost of Trump's Pressure Campaign on Cuba

Podcast
Deep Dish on Global Affairs Podcast

The United States is squeezing Cuba harder than it has in years, with the island facing its worst energy and humanitarian crisis in a decade. Will this force change or will Trump follow through with his threats to “take the island?" María de los Angeles Torres breaks down current and historical realities.

Cuba Protests
Ramon Espinosa / AP
US Foreign Policy

Why Hungary's Election is a 'Test Case' for the EU

Analysis
by Alexander Cooley

Prime Minister Victor Orbán’s fate may signal whether democratic backsliding is reversible.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán speaks during a countryside campaign tour
Denes Erdos / AP
Global Politics