Issues

Defense and Security

Analysis, research, and programming related to acquisition and resources, homeland security, strategy, reconstruction, military/nuclear issues, and terrorism.

Upcoming Events

Strait Talk: Lessons from Hormuz with Samir Saran

In-Person EVENT

Observer Research Foundation President Samir Saran joins the Council for a private roundtable discussion on the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Strait of Hormuz
Amirhosein Khorgooi / ISNA
Jul
8

NATO Summit Debrief: What Comes Next After Ankara?

Virtual EVENT

Ambassador Julianne Smith, General Christopher Cavoli, and Leslie Vinjamuri analyze the outcomes of this summer's NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey.

Register Today
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, left, depart a photo opportunity at the State Department on April 8, 2026.
Rod Lamkey / AP
Jul
13
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Past Events

Inside Iran: How the War May Shape the Country's Political Future

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Richard Nephew, Dafna Rand, and Ariane Tabatabai examine what the war in Iran means for the country's people, its civil society, and its political future.

Jul 1
Photograph of Iran Flag
Vahid Salemi / AP

Are We Heading Toward a New Nuclear Arms Race?

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Laura S. H. Holgate, Christine E. Wormuth, and Ariane Tabatabai discuss what the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty reveals about the future of arms control.

May 28
IAEA Flag
Matthias Schrader / AP
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Commentary

NATO 3.0: A Tagline in Search of a Concept

In the News
Lawfare
Ariane Tabatabai

"Implementing NATO 3.0 in any meaningful sense requires the administration to name the threat that the alliance exists to deter," Council Vice President of Research for Security and Defense Ariane Tabatabai and John Drennan write.

NATO and US flags wave in the wind outside NATO headquarters in Brussels
Virginia Mayo / AP
US Foreign Policy

Beyond Defense Spending: What's at Stake for NATO in Ankara

Analysis
by Coauthors

Ahead of the 2026 NATO Summit, Council experts examine deeper fractures over threat perception, alliance trust, and Washington's commitment.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks after a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels
Virginia Mayo / AP
Global Politics
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Research

Strong Bipartisan Support for NATO Ahead of 2026 Summit

RESEARCH
Public Opinion Survey by Dina Smeltz

A new Chicago Council survey finds bipartisan majorities support the NATO alliance, including US troop deployments in Germany and Poland.

Flags flap in the wind outside NATO headquarters in Brussels
Virginia Mayo / AP
Public Opinion

Majority of Americans Say Congress' Approval Needed for US Strikes in Iran

RESEARCH
Public Opinion Survey by Coauthors

While few Americans want to see Iran develop a nuclear weapon, just half expressed support for US airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities—and most believe direct military action would spark a broader regional war.

Plumes of smoke from two simultaneous strikes rise over Tehran, Iran
Mohsen Ganji / AP
US Foreign Policy
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Experts

Rachel Bronson 

Lester Crown Senior Nonresident Fellow, Energy and Geopolitics, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Photo of Rachel Bronson
Expertise
Middle East and North Africa
Defense and Security
US Foreign Policy

Ivo H. Daalder 

President Emeritus, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Headshot of Ivo H. Daalder
Expertise
North America
Europe
Defense and Security
Global Politics
US Foreign Policy
Social Media
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