Scowcroft Center Commentary, Analysis, & Reports

Explore the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s latest insights, commentary, articles, media hits, and in-depth reports

All commentary & analysis

Report

Mar 25, 2026

Toplines: Deterring Putin’s aggression against NATO

By Richard D. Hooker, Jr.

Five key places in the Nordic and Baltic region are in the Kremlin's crosshairs. How should NATO prepare?

Defense Policy Eastern Europe

In the News

Mar 25, 2026

Rosenstein quoted in Indo-Pacific Defense Forum article on hypersonic capabilities

By Atlantic Council

On March 25, Forward Defense assistant director Jonathan Rosenstein was quoted in an article from the Indo-Pacific Defense Forum on “Indo-Pacific allies join to counter hypersonic threats.” Rosenstein highlighted the unique advantage that hypersonic weapons present for operational capabilities in the Indo-Pacific theater.

Defense Technologies Indo-Pacific

In the News

Mar 24, 2026

Matchett for Noticias Uno on Iran’s threats to desalination plants

By Ginger Matchett

On March 23, GeoStrategy Initiative assistant director Ginger Matchett was featured on Noticias Uno’s broadcast on the war in Iran and desalination plants. She stated how she thinks Iran is threatening attacks on desalination plants because they want the Gulf states to take action and possibly intervene.

Energy & Environment Infrastructure

Timely Commentary & Analysis

Mar 23, 2026

Braw in Foreign Policy on seafarers trapped in the Persian Gulf

By Elisabeth Braw

On March 23, Transatlantic Security Initiative senior fellow Elisabeth Braw was published in Foreign Policy in an article describing how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has stranded thousands of seafarers and disrupted global shipping amid escalating tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel.

Crisis Management Middle East

Timely Commentary & Analysis

Mar 23, 2026

Braw in Future Center on the hidden risks facing the Strait of Hormuz

By Elisabeth Braw

On March 23, Transatlantic Security Initiative senior fellow Elisabeth Braw was published in Future Center in an article examining how conflict in the Strait of Hormuz threatens not only global energy flows but also the undersea cables that underpin international communications and digital connectivity.

Middle East Security & Defense

In the News

Mar 23, 2026

Daniels interviewed on Fox Report on AI tools in Iran

By Atlantic Council

On March 22, Forward Defense Nonresident Senior Fellow Owen Daniels was interviewed on Fox Report on the topic of the use of artificial intelligence in the Iran conflict.

Artificial Intelligence Defense Policy

In the News

Mar 20, 2026

Kroenig quoted in The Economist on war in Iran

By Atlantic Council

On March 19, Atlantic Council vice president and Scowcroft Center senior director Matthew Kroenig was quoted in The Economist on US action in Iran, arguing that President Trump is weakening a regime hostile to the United States.

Iran Security & Defense

Dispatches

Mar 20, 2026

Oil waivers risk sustaining Russia’s war effort amid the Iran war

By Linas Kojala, Vytautas Leškevičius

Relieving US sanctions on Russian oil would give Moscow a reprieve just as financial pressure was beginning to constrain its room for maneuver in its war against Ukraine.

Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance

Issue Brief

Mar 20, 2026

Aquatic Tiger: How long-range submarine drones could play a role in a Taiwan conflict

By Markus Garlauskas with contributions from Drew Holliday, Adam Kozloski, Nicholas Takeuchi, and Paul Vebber

Could submarine drones help the United States deter or counter a Chinese attack on Taiwan? The Aquatic Tiger wargame was designed to find out. The Atlantic Council's Indo-Pacific Security Initiative reports on the wargame's findings, with implications for the US government, the defense industry, and more. 

Conflict Defense Technologies

Trackers and Data Visualizations

Mar 20, 2026

Tracking US military assets in the Iran war

By Joe Costa, Theresa Luetkefend, and Moss Gillespie,

What is the US military committing to the war in Iran? How will that affect the US presence in other theaters around the world—including the Pacific, where the United States faces its most consequential challenge? We’re tracking the aircraft carriers, bombers, and missile defense systems deployed to Operation Epic Fury.

China Defense Industry
More resilient federal agencies require better systems, not simply individuals with a greater innate ability or learned skill set to overcome challenges.

Issue Brief

Mar 19, 2026

Federal agencies under pressure need smarter systems, not tougher people

By Caitlin Thompson

Resilience is an important trait for national security practitioners, but it is not a solution for problems with agency and department design. Better systems and strategies can ensure that individuals are fully prepared and ready to respond to crises, rather than consistently under strain.

National Security Resilience

Dispatches

Mar 18, 2026

Six strategic risks the Trump administration should evaluate in the Iran war

By Nathan Freier

Risk assessments often boil down to one question: What is the likelihood that the chosen approach will deliver the desired outcomes at acceptable cost?

Conflict Iran

Dispatches

Mar 18, 2026

Attacks on desalination plants in the Iran war forecast a dark future

By Ginger Matchett

The attacks on desalination plants in Iran and Bahrain offer a glimpse into the dangers the region would face if water infrastructure is intentionally targeted at scale.

Conflict Energy & Environment

In the News

Mar 17, 2026

Saab published in The Atlantic on Washington’s role in Lebanon

By Atlantic Council

On March 17, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Bilal Saab published an article in The Atlantic, discussing how American diplomacy in Lebanon can support the Lebanese government in disarming Hezbollah. He argues that if the Lebanese government implements new measures to counter the group, Washington is well positioned to support it diplomatically and through military […]

Lebanon Security & Defense

In the News

Mar 16, 2026

Costa in the Washington Post on military readiness in Iran

By Atlantic Council

On March 16, Forward Defense Director Joe Costa published an article in the Washington Post on the impacts of the war in Iran on US military readiness. Writing alongside Ely Ratner of the Marathon Initiative, Costa argues that the threat to readiness runs deeper than depleted stockpiles—deferred maintenance, equipment cannibalization, and broken dwell-to-deploy thresholds threaten […]

China Defense Policy

In the News

Mar 16, 2026

Kroenig interviewed on CNN on US action in Iran

By Atlantic Council

On March 13, Atlantic Council vice president and Scowcroft Center senior director Matthew Kroenig was interviewed on CNN on US action in Iran, arguing that President Trump is weakening the axis of aggressors and has clear strategic vision.

Iran Maritime Security

In the News

Mar 14, 2026

Kroenig quoted in The Atlantic on Trump’s foreign policy

By Atlantic Council

On March 13, Atlantic Council vice president and Scowcroft Center senior director Matthew Kroenig was quoted in The Atlantic about Trump's foreign policy.

Politics & Diplomacy United States and Canada

Podcast

Mar 13, 2026

So what’s the strategy for Iran?

By the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

In this episode, host Matthew Kroenig is joined by Alex Gray, a nonresident senior fellow at the Scowcroft Center, to discuss the ongoing war with Iran and how to understand Washington’s strategy for victory. Alex was chief of staff at the National Security Council during the first Trump administration and was in the room when US President Donald Trump oversaw the military operation that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

Security & Defense United States

In the News

Mar 12, 2026

Costa quoted in AFP article on US interceptor stocks in the conflict with Iran

By Atlantic Council

On March 2, Forward Defense director Joe Costa was quoted in an AFP article on US air defense interceptor stocks. Costa cautioned that a sustained conflict with Iran could impact the availability of these capabilities for other global priorities.

Defense Policy Defense Technologies

In the News

Mar 12, 2026

Kroenig on The Beacon of Liberty podcast on the Truman doctrine

By Atlantic Council

On March 12, Atlantic Council vice president and Scowcroft Center senior director Matthew Kroenig was interviewed on The Beacon of Liberty Podcast about the Truman doctrine.

Politics & Diplomacy United States and Canada
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