Policy Papers

Planning for the Next Iranian Internet Blackout

August 11, 2026 Calla O’Neil

On February 28, 2026, Iranian authorities cut all internet access, plunging Iran into what became an 88-day nationwide blackout—the longest in modern history. What does this shutdown reveal about the Islamic Republic's increasingly sophisticated censorship regime, and what lessons can we apply to strength existing and new circumvention tools to keep Iranians online the next time Tehran moves to disconnect them?

Space Roles and Missions: From Fragmentation to Unity

December 11, 2025 Peter GarretsonJackson Schnabel American Foreign Policy Council

The United States faces a fundamental organizational crisis in space. America’s space enterprise remains fragmented across multiple agencies with unclear roles, overlapping responsibilities, and competing authorities. This institutional confusion undermines national security, stifles commercial innovation, and threatens U.S. leadership in the vital space domain.

Charting Iran’s Influence in Africa

November 18, 2025 American Foreign Policy Council

Although Tehran’s activities in Africa tend to receive far less attention than its machinations in the Middle East, Europe, or Latin America, they form a critical pillar of the Islamic Republic’s global strategy.