Special Reports

Deterrence and the Industrial Base: the U.S. and China

November 28, 2025 Larry M. Wortzel American Foreign Policy Council

China has emerged as America’s primary geopolitical, economic, and military rival, rapidly building a modern industrial base tightly aligned with its strategic ambitions. The United States, by contrast, now depends on overseas suppliers for key components and resources essential to its defense industrial base.

Mapping Iran’s Alternative Futures

September 18, 2025 Ilan I. Berman

Iran is a nation ripe for change. Forty-six years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, its radical religious regime is riven by contradictions—incapable of providing basic governance and increasingly rejected by its 92.5 million citizens. The June 2025 “Twelve-Day War” with Israel laid bare Iran’s vulnerabilities, but it did not spark mass uprisings or major opposition activity. Instead, the government doubled down: passing emergency legislation, executing alleged collaborators, and fast-tracking succession planning.

A Strategy for Greater Central Asia

April 25, 2025 Laura LindermanSvante E. CornellS. Frederick StarrMamuka TsereteliS. Enders Wimbush American Foreign Policy Council

America needs an effective strategy for Greater Central Asia to enhance its competitive position in a region that will significantly impact the Russia-China relationship, geopolitical competition in Asia, and key resource markets including uranium, oil, and natural gas. The proposed strategy ensures open access in Greater Central Asia while securing opportunities for profitable American investment through technological partnership, resource development, and logistical facilitation.