December 17, 2025

The Venezuela Blockade

Roxanna Vigil, Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow, talks about President Donald Trump's order to blockade sanctioned oil tankers in Venezuela, and the ramifications it could have on the country's economy, and discusses Trump's claims that Venezuela 'illegally took our oil.' She speaks with Joe Mathieu and CNAS adjunct senior fellow Becca Wasser on 'Balance of Power.'

Watch the full interview on Bloomberg.

Commentary

Defense
Deterrence at Scale
Introduction From the Punic Wars to Franco-Prussian competition in the Renaissance to World War II, history is replete with examples of when industrial capacity—not simply tac...

By Jennifer McArdle
- March 5, 2026
Commentary

Defense / Middle East Security
Iran, Israel, and the U.S. Are Racing the Clock
This article was originally published in Foreign Policy. At first glance, the Israeli-U.S. attack on Iran is an uneven fight. The United States and Israel have overwhelming ai...

By Franz-Stefan Gady
- Foreign Policy
- March 4, 2026
Reports

Defense
Eyes in the Sky
Executive Summary In the Department of Defense’s priority scenarios—a “defense by denial” of China and homeland defense—dedicated airborne sensing and battle management aircra...

By Philip Sheers
- March 3, 2026
Video

Defense / Middle East Security
Key Questions, and an Expert Take, After U.S. Strikes Iran
What is the US trying to accomplish with continued, massive military strikes in Iran? The Center for a New American Security’s Stacie Pettyjohn joins host Aaron Mehta to dive ...

By Stacie Pettyjohn
- March 3, 2026