As both the U.S. and Iran have climbed the escalation ladder, the Strait of Hormuz — and with it, international maritime trade and energy markets — has been subjected to a consequential chokehold. As the U.S. conducts strikes on major infrastructural sites, weapons depots, and Iranian political leadership, one of
In test environments, medical AI systems have begun to show early signs of the ability to learn during use from feedback they or other models generate. The FDA, through its Predetermined Change Control Plan (PCCP), already has a governance mechanism in place that preauthorizes future updates to medical AI systems
Long before the invention of cyberspace, deterrence guarded the U.S. against attack by promising to retaliate in kind against any nation that struck American territory. The Cold War concept of mutually assured destruction may not have been sophisticated, but it was effective at discouraging nuclear conflict with the United States.
The Trump administration has made confronting drug cartels a central national security priority, designating the largest Mexican networks as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and dedicating significant resources toward securing the Americas. But those organizations are not confined to the Western Hemisphere. Mexican-linked methamphetamine production has emerged in Africa, first surfacing in
Country of Origin Iran Threat Actor Type State-sponsored Other Names Hydro Kitten, Storm-0784, APT Iran, Bauxite, Mr. Soul, Soldiers of Solomon, UNC5691, and Shahid Kaveh Group Year Identified 2020 Target Countries United States, Israel, United Kingdom, and Ireland Profile Summary CyberAv3ngers, also tracked as Hydro Kitten, Storm-0784, APT Iran, Bauxite,
Key Takeaways The UK proposes to block social media platforms for individuals under the age of 16 starting in the spring of 2027. The proposed ban will initiate stronger online boundaries for children, along with tougher controls on contact with strangers. Privacy campaigners assert this ban will create more challenges
Since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, the United States spent about forty days in major combat operations against the Republic of Iran, followed by just over ninety days of a fragile ceasefire framework and attempted negotiations, punctuated by intermittent kinetic operations. As Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the
Country of Origin China Threat Actor Type State-sponsored cyber espionage group Other Names Winnti, Barium, Blackfly, Wicked Panda, and Double Dragon Year Identified 2012 Target Countries United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and other countries worldwide. Profile Summary APT41, also known as Winnti, Barium,
Al Qaeda’s Sahelian affiliate JNIM is on the brink of taking over northern Mali and toppling the Malian junta, and while it is unlikely to directly seize power across Mali, Mali’s fracturing will have seismic consequences in West Africa and beyond. The group launched its most coordinated and significant offensive
Editor’s Note: This policy brief is Part V of an Orion Policy Institute (OPI) Transnational Crime Project (OPI-TCP) series. While unprecedented and unexpected, it increasingly appears that the United States’ capture of Nicolas Maduro in January 2026 was more than an isolated regional event. Instead, it was a broader strategic
Editor’s Note: This policy brief is Part IV of an Orion Policy Institute (OPI) Transnational Crime Project (OPI-TCP) series and culminating report examining Venezuela’s transnational criminal networks, their regional security implications, and the evolving U.S. policy response. Introduction Venezuela, ranked seventh globally for the highest homicide rate, is characterized by
China has worked to build a diplomatic position in the Middle East, cultivating an image as a non-interventionist power that can be everyone’s friend and no one’s enemy. However, when the drums of war began to sound over the Strait of Hormuz, China found itself exposed to a conflict it
Editor’s Note: This policy brief is Part III of an Orion Policy Institute (OPI) Transnational Crime Project (OPI-TCP) series and culminating report examining Venezuela’s transnational criminal networks, their regional security implications, and the evolving U.S. policy response. Introduction The rapid expansion of Tren de Aragua (TdA) from a Venezuelan prison
The Iran war puts Turkey in a peculiar position, posing several challenges. Since the beginning of the US and Israel’s military confrontation with Iran, Turkey has adopted cautious neutrality, which aimed to avoid the escalation of tensions with either side of the conflict. However, the question is how sustainable Ankara’s
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