Five Former U.S. Prisoners Have Left Iran in Deal for Frozen Energy Revenue

Five Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran are on their way home in a deal that includes the release of billions of dollars in revenue from Iranian energy sales that were under U.S. sanctions, senior U.S. officials said, as the WSJ reports.

China Flies 103 Military Planes Toward Taiwan

China’s military sent 103 warplanes toward Taiwan in a 24-hour period in what the island’s defense ministry called a recent new high, as the AP reports.

Ukraine Defense Ministry Shake-Up

Ukraine dismissed all six of its deputy defense ministers on Monday, a major shake-up in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s wartime leadership as he prepares to address the United Nations and meet with members of Congress in the United States, as the NYT reports.

Executive Education

Beyond the Battlefield: Global Implications of Russia's War in Ukraine breaks down how the February 2022 invasion and concomitant sanctions have been altering national and regional security in Russia, on the European continent, and the United States.

Audio Briefs

CSIS experts give short, spoken-word summaries on the biggest takeaways from their latest reports, white papers, and commentaries—in their own words.

Listen here: "Electric Shock" with CSIS’s Ilaria Mazzocco.

In That Number
103

China’s military sent 103 warplanes toward Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday and 6 a.m. on Monday in what the island’s defense ministry called a recent new high.
Source: AP

Critical Quote

“As we welcome home our fellow citizens, I once more remind all Americans of the serious risks of traveling to Iran. American passport holders should not travel there.”

—President Joe Biden

iDeas Lab

Today, Americans unjustly held abroad hail from red, blue, and battleground states. CSIS analysis outlines why the U.S. government should call wrongfully detained Americans "state hostages."

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

(Photo credit: Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images.) U.S. citizens disembark from a Qatari jet upon their arrival in Doha, Qatar, on September 18, 2023.

This Town Tomorrow

At 10:00 a.m., the CSIS International Security Program hosts the inaugural event in the Strategic Landpower Dialogue series, featuring Secretary of the U.S. Army Christine Wormuth and Vice Chief of Staff of the Army General Randy George.

Then, at 11:00 a.m., the CSIS Middle East Program analyzes the water crisis in Syria and the political, financial, and social obstacles to alleviating water insecurity.

Later, at 3:30 p.m., the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program discusses the future of defense and security in the broader Black Sea region.

Video

Last week, The Impossible State Live Podcast discussed the second summit between Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin and the significance of their meeting at a Russian spaceport. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

The Trade Guys are joined by former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert to discuss the current state of U.S.-Korea economic relations.

Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Smiles

Ten days ago, Fleetwood Mac released “Rumours Live.” It’s an album I’ve been waiting a long time for. Recorded on August 29, 1977 at The Forum in LA, the record captures the Big Mac at peak performance. “Rumours” was a smash hit released only a few months prior and the band was out touring aggressively in support of it.

On “Rumours Live” there’s an urgency to the band’s sound that I haven’t heard in previous Fleetwood Mac live records. Maybe it’s because they’re performing on their home turf in LA. For a time, Fleetwood Mac was the sound of Los Angeles. These days, you still hear the band constantly blaring from the Valley to the sea. This summer when I pulled up at the Malibu High School pool to swim my daily laps, I wasn’t totally surprised that the teenage lifeguards had “Rumours” cranked up on the sound system. It’s their grandparents' and parents' music to be sure, but they dig it too!

I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz

The Evening is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed with the External Relations team: Paige Montfort, Claire Dannenbaum, Ava Rose, and Lauren Adler.