National Security

The Atlantic’s coverage of national security, military intelligence, global conflict, and more

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National Security

Our writers make sense of America’s place in the world, reporting on rising authoritarianism, military technology, and geopolitical conflicts.

President Donald Trump overlaid with satellite images of targets in Iran.
Photo-illustration by The Atlantic. Sources: Win McNamee / Getty; DigitalGlobe / ScapeWare3d / Getty.

Trump Changed. The Intelligence Didn’t.

The president’s decision to drop bombs on Iran was opportunistic, not a result of new information.

Black-and-white image of California Highway Patrol officers holding to the ground and arresting a demonstrator at the L.A. protests.
Apu Gomes / AFP / Getty

The Tyrant Test

A leader who uses military force to suppress his political opposition ought to lose the right to govern.

Picture of the military parade in Washington, D.C
Matt Eich for The Atlantic

Photos: A Military Parade in D.C.

As millions of Americans protested at “No Kings” rallies across the country, onlookers gathered in Washington on the president’s birthday for a muted celebration.