Critical Threats

Critical Threats is a research project of the American Enterprise Institute, founded and directed by military analyst Frederick W. Kagan, that publishes near-daily analysis on Iran, terrorism, and the Russia-Ukraine war, often jointly with the Institute for the Study of War. It reflects a hawkish, interventionist foreign-policy outlook rooted in AEI's conservative tradition. Its coverage of the Trump administration is mixed: broadly supportive of tougher lines against Iran and Russia, but frequently critical when it sees U.S. policy as too accommodating, under-resourced, or hasty toward adversaries.