Iranian Missile Accidentally Brought Down Ukrainian Jet

An Iranian missile accidentally brought down a Ukrainian jetliner over Iran this week, killing everyone aboard, U.S. and allied officials said on Thursday, as the NYT’s Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt, Anton Troianovski, and Natalie Kitroeff report.

Politico’s Caitlin Oprysko reports that President Trump today suggested that he ordered the killing of Soleimani to disrupt a previously undisclosed plot to attack the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

And, as the Washington Post’s Kareem Fahim and Sarah Dadouch report, an Iranian military commander said Thursday that missiles fired at bases used by U.S. troops in Iraq were not intended to inflict casualties.

Dive Deeper: “Critical Questions: When Iran Attacks,” by CSIS’s Ian Williams.

Trump Calls for NATO Expansion Into Middle East

President Trump called for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to boost its role in the Middle East, in what would be an abrupt shift in the alliance’s mission, even suggesting a rebranding of the 71-year-old alliance, as the WSJ’s Alex Leary and James Marson report.

Trump Proposes Change to Environmental Rules

President Trump on Thursday proposed fundamental changes to 50-year-old regulations in an effort to speed up new mines, pipelines and hundreds of other projects around the country, including some that could harm the environment and accelerate climate change, as the Washington Post’s Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis report.

CSIS Executive Education

Join CSIS March 11-13 for our course, Belt, Road, and Beyond. Work with leading experts and the Reconnecting Asia Project to explore what the BRI is, what it is not, and how it is impacting commercial and strategic realities on the ground.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify,” "What's Happening," "Preview," and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

620%

China's defense spending has ballooned 620% since 1990.

Source: CSIS, “Catching Up: China’s Developing Military Power”

Critical Quote

“If the U.S. makes another mistake, it will receive a very dangerous response.”

— Iranian President Hassan Rouhani

iDeas Lab

In the latest episode of High Resolution, CSIS's Whitley Saumweber, director of the Stephenson Ocean Security Project, explores how China has made fishing fleets a critical component of its Belt and Road Initiative and the impact of this strategy on developing coastal states.

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

Optics

(Photo credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images). UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks with U.S. Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft.

This Town Tomorrow

At 1:00 p.m., CSIS's Project on Prosperity and Development will host Colin Dueck for a discussion on his new book, Age of Iron: On Conservative Nationalism.

And, at 9:00 a.m., Brookings will host Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy for a conversation on how the Army is modernizing and adapting to defend U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific.

Later, at 9:30 a.m., Brookings will convene a panel of experts to discuss the emerging challenges for China as it sets out to achieve its Centennial Goals.

Video

In the latest PreView, CSIS's Heather Conley and Whitley Saumweber draw from their report, Charting a New Arctic Ocean, to outline how nations can effectively govern the rapidly changing Arctic.

Podcasts

Rose Gottemoeller, former deputy secretary general of NATO, joined host Beverly Kirk to discuss the importance of international alliances, NATO’s dedication to gender equity, and her experience as a lead negotiator for the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in the newest episode of Smart Women Smart Power.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

One more classic, reinterpreted by David Crosby and his new band.

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: Emma Colbran, Caleb Diamond, and Brad Honigberg.