As the war of words between Iran and the U.S. escalated via Twitter on Monday, NBC News quoted U.S. senior officials as saying that Iranian hackers are positioned to carry out “extensive cyberattacks on U.S. and European infrastructure and on private companies’, though NBC also cites those officials as saying there is no indication that an attack is imminent. Cipher Brief expert Admiral James Stavridis, meanwhile, told CNBC that if Iran decided to put action behind those words and close the Strait of Hormuz, that the U.S. Navy is prepared to ‘unblock’ it in a matter of days.White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday that President Trump is considering stripping some former intelligence and law enforcement leaders of their security clearances. Those on the ‘strip’ list include General Michael Hayden, James Comey, John Brennan, James Clapper, Susan Rice and Andrew McCabe. General Hayden chose the President’s favorite communication platform to respond, tweeting ‘I don’t go back for classified briefings (although they occasionally ask me in to offer a view on something). Won’t have any impact on what I say or write’For some lighter fare: Our Tweet of the Day goes to Ashton Kutcher, who offered a Monday morning shout out to the CIA. Kutcher posted a pic of himself with a CIA coffee mug, tweeting “Just sending out a morning shout to the men and woman of the intelligence community that keep us safe and protect our country. #gratitude #ty You don’t see that every day.
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Iran: What’s Driving the War of Words Between the U.S. and Iran?
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Photo: AP
Cipher Brief Expert and former National Intelligence Manager for Iran at the ODNI, Norm Roule writes that despite the headlines, Pompeo’s stance on Iran is consistent with this Administration’s policy toward the country.
- “I look at this from two perspectives,” writes Roule. “Let’s first consider Iran’s recent statements. Once again, Iran’s Supreme leader stated that he opposes dialogue with the United States, a comment which he has made dozens of times in the past”.
- “Second, we have President Rouhani implying that he would support closure of the Strait of Hormuz if Iran’s oil exports were to be completely ended. This statement is no doubt a genuine warning to Gulf oil producers and world oil markets as to the consequence of any complete cut off to Iran’s oil exports. It is hard to believe that Iran wouldn’t do this in such a circumstance.”
Read more from Cipher Brief Expert Norm Roule here… |
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OPINION – Walter Pincus’ Fine Print: Nuclear Message to the World
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Latest estimates are that the U.S. and Russia each have roughly 6,500 or more nuclear weapons, although under arms control agreements, only 1,550 warheads can be actually deployed. China, on the other hand, has only an estimated 280 nuclear weapons.
- So what message is President Trump sending the world when he talks about the strength of nuclear armed countries?
- Walter Pincus breaks it down via an OpEd posted in a Chinese publication.
Get Walter Pincus’ Fine print opinion column here… |
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Cipher Brief Experts Weigh In
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“The Cipher Brief will become the essential tool for risk management. It will
change the way businesses think about security.”
- Rob Dannenberg, Former Head of Security, Goldman Sachs
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Join The Cipher Brief team
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The Cipher Brief is one of the most well-respected and well-read national security publications in the country and we are hiring experienced, freelance analysts and editors as well as WordPress web developers. If you’re obsessed with national security, are a gifted, quick-witted writer and play well with others, drop a resume and 140 character explanation of why you want to join the team to: Editor@thecipherbrief.com
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Become a Cipher Brief Member
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Cipher Brief Members not only get the best insider intel gossip in town, they also get expert analysis and briefings on the most significant national security threats.
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