Recent Events

  • Rising Lion, Falling Order? The Israel-Iran Conflict and What’s Next

    Following Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion”—a series of coordinated strikes targeting Iranian military installations, nuclear facilities, and leadership—the Middle East has once again been plunged into turmoil. How likely is direct U.S. involvement, including a potential bombing campaign? What are the implications for global oil markets? Could this conflict open the door to renewed diplomacy over

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  • Implications of Ukraine’s Drone Strikes

    On June 1, Ukraine conducted coordinated drone attacks on four Russian airbases—its most extensive strike against Russian military infrastructure to date. These attacks appear to reflect both Kyiv’s growing reliance on long-range unmanned systems and its efforts to impose greater costs on Russia’s war effort inside Russian territory. The strikes raise important questions about how

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  • EU Assessments of the Iberian Blackout

    On April 28, Spain lost roughly 60% of its electricity generation capacity in less than five seconds. The blackout shut down critical infrastructure including transportation and communications networks, stranded travelers, and caused other widespread disruptions, some of which lasted for days. Officials continue to investigate what might have produced the blackout. So far, it does

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  • Tech Trade or Digital Drama? The United States, the UK, and the EU

    As discussion swirls around America’s trade policy and the Trump administration’s new tariffs, technology policy discussions have concentrated heavily on manufacturing and the goods trade, especially around semiconductors and consumer electronics. Yet digital services have contributed enormously to U.S. exports—and to tensions with some allies, as governments develop diverging approaches on key policy issues. Critical

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  • Center Hosts Georgia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Levan Davitashvili

    On April 23, the Center for the National Interest hosted an off-the-record dinner discussion with Georgia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Levan Davitashvili and a visiting delegation of senior Georgian officials. Moderated by Center board member and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Iraq, and Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, the evening brought together a select group

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