The Annual Threat Assessment was created in the aftermath of 9/11 to centralize findings across all of the U.S. government intelligence agencies about the greatest threats to national security. The assessment, published in a declassified form each year, is essential reading for journalists and others interested in the new hot spots of tension and change.
For 2023, the assessment lists six major threats. Four of them are from rival nations: China ("building a world-class military [and] pushing to change global norms and potentially threatening its neighbors"); Russia's invasion of Ukraine ("a tectonic event that is reshaping Russia's relationship with the West and China … in ways that are unfolding and remain highly uncertain"; and North Korea and Iran (for their existing or suspected nuclear capabilities).
