Council of Councils
Think Global Health
Iran’s clerics face a familiar uprising driven by economic collapse, but repression—not reform—now defines the regime’s response.
West Asia News Agency/Reuters
The regime is facing one of its largest protest movements in years. Tehran has shut down internet and telephone communications as the demonstrations grow more violent.
The protests in Iran could have a sweeping effect in a region already jolted by historic changes over the past year. Four CFR fellows assess how Israel, the Gulf States, Lebanon, and Turkey view the developing movement.
Venezuela
Maduro’s capture has obvious pros and cons for Russia. Its effect on the country’s oil revenues and “shadow fleet” could prove significant.
President Trump has set his sights on Venezuelan oil, but there are many economic and political obstacles to significantly ramping up the country’s oil production.
The capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro has drawn a range of reactions from around the world. But experts say the country’s future is uncertain.
Immigration
The White House’s growing travel ban is now shutting down immigrant visa processing indefinitely for seventy-five countries, including Brazil, Iran, Russia, and Somalia, among several others.
The second Trump administration has significantly ramped up immigration enforcement, putting pressure on federal, state, and local agencies to meet the president’s deportation goals.
Immigrants have long played a critical role in the U.S. economy, filling labor gaps, driving innovation, and exercising consumer spending power. But political debate over their economic contributions has ramped up under the second Trump administration.
Foreign Policy
The world continues to grow more violent and disorderly. According to CFR’s annual conflict risk assessment, American foreign policy experts are acutely concerned about conflict-related threats to U.S. national security and international stability that are likely to emerge or intensify in 2026. In this report, surveyed experts rate global conflicts by their likelihood and potential harm to U.S. interests and, for the first time, identify opportunities for preventive action.
What major trends will shape world events in the year ahead? Five CFR experts weigh in.
United States
Far from being evidence of Donald Trump’s policy schizophrenia, recent developments reflect an administration-wide effort to restore the international order that prevailed before World War I, when America was more restrained in its global ambitions and more secure in its neighborhood. But the costs of such a shift could be profound.
Trump returned to office propelled by a seemingly isolationist promise, but the U.S. capture of Maduro illustrates the White House’s growing fondness for military intervention—revealing a striking strategic incoherence.
Since returning to office, Trump has steadily expanded his use of military force abroad. Many of his actions mirror those of previous administrations, but diverge from the president’s past opposition to foreign military commitments.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Six CFR fellows examine the challenges that lie ahead, reviewing how governance, adoption, and geopolitical competition will shape artificial intelligence and society’s engagement with this new technology.
To secure a strategic advantage, the DoD must manage the tension between vendor hype and extreme alarmism regarding AI adoption.
Strategic Initiatives
Securing Ukraine’s Future
Timely, informed analysis and practical policy recommendations for both the public and policymakers.
General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention and Director of the Center for Preventive Action
Events
Exiled Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi discusses his perspective on the durability of the Islamic Republic regime, his framework for democratic transition, and the role of the international community in shaping Iran’s future.
Please note there is no virtual component to the meeting. The audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will be posted on the CFR website.
CFR Military Fellows discuss their career pathways and how U.S. defense policy has evolved through their years in service.
The CFR Young Professionals Briefing Series provides an opportunity for those early in their careers to engage with CFR. The briefings feature remarks by experts on critical global issues and lessons learned in their careers. These events are intended for individuals who have completed their undergraduate studies and have not yet reached the age of thirty to be eligible for CFR term membership.
For two-and-a-half centuries, the United States has faced a challenging world. Some of its responses have made Americans proud. Others have not. CFR asked members of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations what they considered the best and worst U.S. foreign policy decisions. This event will discuss the results of the project.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a year-long series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.
Panelists explore opportunities for the United States to develop and deploy emerging energy technologies to better compete with China and other global rivals, as well as discuss pragmatic ways to expand federal investment in energy innovation and maximize its impact.
For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question-and-answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register.
This meeting is presented in partnership with CFR’s Climate Realism Initiative.
Explainers
The Extent of Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis
More than two years into the civil war in Sudan, about twelve million people have been forcibly displaced. Yet experts say the country’s devastating humanitarian crisis is still not getting the international attention it deserves.
Expert Spotlight
Featured Publications
An approachable guide to the political, social, and demographic changes happening in Africa and why they matter for the rest of the world.
David J. Scheffer and Mark S. Ellis provide an introduction to the UN Charter and make the case that it is the most important secular document in the world.
Few Americans have done more than Jerome A. Cohen to advance the rule of law in East Asia. The founder of the study of Chinese law in the United States and a tireless advocate for human rights, Cohen has been a scholar, teacher, lawyer, and activist for more than sixty years. Moving among the United States, China, and Taiwan, he has encouraged legal reforms, promoted economic cooperation, mentored law students—including a future president of Taiwan—and brokered international crises.
In this compelling, conversational memoir, Cohen recounts a dramatic life of striving for a better world from Washington, DC, to Beijing, offering vital first-hand insights from the study and practice of Sino-American relations. In the early 1960s, when Americans were not permitted to enter China, he met with émigrés in Hong Kong and interviewed them on Chinese criminal procedure. After economic reform under Deng Xiaoping, Cohen’s knowledge of Chinese law took on a new importance as foreign companies began to pursue business opportunities. Helping China develop and reconstruct its legal system, he made an influential case for the roles of Western law and lawyers. Cohen helped break political barriers in both China and Taiwan, and he was instrumental in securing the release of political prisoners in several countries. Sharing these experiences and many others, this book tells the full story of an unparalleled career bridging East and West.