Understanding Iran’s Strategy—Then, Now, and Next
A review of Vali Nasr’s “Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History” (Princeton University Press, 2025)
.jpg?sfvrsn=c1f65e82_5)
Congress: Give the President Discretion to Remove the Cuba Embargo
The statutory codification of the Cuba embargo limits U.S. options to change sanctions.
Lawfare Live: The Trials of the Trump Administration, April 3
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation surrounding the Trump administration.
-security.jpg?sfvrsn=982907ba_5)
FISA Section 702 Isn’t Broken. Why Are We Still Trying to Fix It?
Recent statutory reforms are working, so discredited arguments and misleading claims shouldn’t be allowed to derail reauthorization.
America's Next Top (Cyber) Model
The latest edition of the Seriously Risky Business cybersecurity newsletter, now on Lawfare.
Intern with Lawfare!
Lawfare is now accepting Summer 2026 internship applications.
Highlights
-
Understanding Iran’s Strategy—Then, Now, and Next
A review of Vali Nasr’s “Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History” (Princeton University Press, 2025) -
Congress: Give the President Discretion to Remove the Cuba Embargo
The statutory codification of the Cuba embargo limits U.S. options to change sanctions. -
FISA Section 702 Isn’t Broken. Why Are We Still Trying to Fix It?
Recent statutory reforms are working, so discredited arguments and misleading claims shouldn’t be allowed to derail reauthorization. -
America's Next Top (Cyber) Model
The latest edition of the Seriously Risky Business cybersecurity newsletter, now on Lawfare. -
End of the Sde Teiman Abuse Case: The IDF MAG Withdraws Indictments
Following a public scandal involving the old MAG, the new MAG terminated proceedings against soldiers charged with serious abuse of a Palestinian detainee. -
MSPB Strikes Down Tenure Protections for Immigration Judges
The latest MSPB case poses significant concerns for the civil service. -
What Is Trump’s ‘Election Integrity’ Order Even Trying to Achieve?
It isn’t easy for the executive to impose election requirements, because the Constitution makes it impossible. But that hasn’t stopped the president from trying. -
The State Department’s X Directive and the End of Platform Independence
A cable endorsing a social media platform by name as a tool of U.S. diplomacy and military psychological operations would have been unthinkable—until recently. -
The Perils of Privatized Cyberwarfare
Privatized cyberwar will complicate oversight, create counterintelligence risks, fuel arms races and insecurity, and put civilians at risk. -
Fulton County’s Uphill Battle for Ballots
A recent hearing offered the clearest indication yet that Judge Boulee might rule against Fulton County's motion for return of property. -
Hearing Dispatch: A Catch-22 for the Pentagon Press Corps
Judge Paul Friedman hears a motion to compel compliance with his order to restore press access to the Pentagon. -
Syria: It Is Time to Complete the Work on Sanctions Relief
Sanctions dynamics and regulatory challenges must be tackled for the sake of Syrians. -
AI and Privilege After United States v. Heppner
A recent flawed ruling on privilege threatens the access to legal services that AI tools can provide. -
The Trump Administration Comes for State Voter Rolls
Why the Department of Justice is demanding state voter registration lists, why most states are resisting, and the court battles so far. -
The Week That Was
Your weekly summary of everything on the site.
.jpg?sfvrsn=cbb26fe8_11)
.png?sfvrsn=fd4a560d_5)
.jpg?sfvrsn=3792d97a_5)
.jpg?sfvrsn=68f3cd7e_4)
Featured Podcast
Live Coverage
For real-time updates of Lawfare’s coverage of the Trump administration’s legal challenges, follow on Bluesky or below:
What's Old Is New Again
With every new administration comes new promises and new actions on national security. But what’s “new” has often been proposed or even tried before—which means there’s a good chance Lawfare has already analyzed some of the legal and policy implications they present. So we’re making that past content readily accessible as it becomes newly relevant.
-
What Congress Has Done—and What It Still Needs to Do—to Protect NATO
Congress has barred the president from exiting NATO unilaterally. But someone still needs to enforce it. -
Using Force Against Mexican Drug Cartels: Domestic and International Law Issues
Executive branch lawyers could argue that using force against cartels would be consistent with past presidential uses of force, but it would be very difficult to defend under international law. -
My Lloyd Cutler Rule of Law Lecture: "Law and the Use of Force: Challenges for the Next President"
Read John Bellinger's Lloyd Cutler Lecture on Rule of Law at the Supreme Court.
Documents
-
Trump Signs Executive Order Purporting to Restrict Mail-in Voting
-
ODNI Releases 2026 Threat Assessment
-
U.S. Submits Article 51 Letter on ‘Operation Epic Fury’ to UNSC
-
Anthropic Challenges the Pentagon’s Supply Chain Risk Determination
-
Anthropic Sues Defense Department Over Supply Chain Risk Designation
-
White House Submits Iran War Powers Report to Congress
-
Supreme Court Rules Against Trump’s Emergency Power Tariffs
-
Fulton Co. Election Office Search Warrant Affidavits Made Public
The Lawfare Podcast 
-
Lawfare Daily: The Privacy Law That's Supposed To Be Protecting Us Online Turns 40
Listen to Michael Dreeben's opening remarks from an event marking 40 years of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. -
Lawfare Daily: Beyond the Headlines: A History of U.S.-Iran Relations
What are the key events that have shaped the U.S.-Iran relationship? -
Lawfare Daily: Joel Braunold on West Bank Violence and Israel’s New Lebanon Offensive
The latest episode in Joel Braunold and Scott Anderson's series on developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Other Lawfare Podcasts
Other Podcasts
Videos & Webinars
Lawfare Live: The Trials of the Trump Administration, April 3
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation surrounding the Trump administration.
Explore
Congress
Armed Conflict
The Lawfare Institute:
Hard National Security Choices
Lawfare is a non-profit multimedia publication dedicated to “Hard National Security Choices.” We provide non-partisan, timely analysis of thorny legal and policy issues through our written, audio, and other content—all of which you can find here.
