Ellen Nakashima

Washington, D.C.

National security reporter

Education: City University, London, MA in international journalism; University of California at Berkeley, BA in humanities

Ellen Nakashima is a national security reporter for The Washington Post. She covers intelligence and national security issues. She has written about the security aspects of the U.S.-China relationship, the west's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and classified intelligence leaks. She has been a member of three Pulitzer-prize winning teams at The Post, including in 2022 for an investigation of the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, in 2018 for digging into Moscow’s efforts to influence the 2016 election, and in 2014 for exploring the hidden scope National Security Agency surveillance.
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Latest from Ellen Nakashima

Netanyahu tells U.S. that Israel will strike Iranian military, not nuclear or oil, targets, officials say

The signal is being seen in Washington as a sign of restraint after concerns that an Israeli strike on oil or nuclear facilities could trigger a wider war.

October 14, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the general debate of the 79th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, on Sept. 27.

White House forms emergency team to deal with China espionage hack

The serious breach of telecommunications companies has now affected “about 10 or 12” firms, two people familiar with the investigation said.

October 11, 2024
FBI Director Christopher Wray arrives to testify on Capitol Hill in January.

China hacked major U.S. telecom firms in apparent counterspy operation

AT&T, Verizon and Lumen are among the companies breached by Chinese hackers in a sophisticated intrusion by the group dubbed Salt Typhoon, officials say.

October 6, 2024
U.S. and Chinese flags in Beijing in 2018.

Israel launches ground operation in southern Lebanon, Israeli military says

The IDF said the raids were “limited, localized, and targeted,” and aimed at destroying Hezbollah targets and pushing fighters away from the Israeli border.

September 30, 2024

Israeli forces move into southern Lebanon as Middle East conflict expands

The invasion, described by the IDF as “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids,” came after discussions between the U.S. and Israel over the scope of the operation.

September 30, 2024
Israeli troops with tanks, armored vehicles and military bulldozers at a staging area in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon on Saturday.

As Israel escalates in Lebanon, U.S. influence is limited

The widening gap between U.S. desires and Israel’s actions has left the Biden administration struggling to adapt its diplomatic efforts.

September 30, 2024
President Joe Biden in the Oval Office on Monday.

U.S. scrambles after Hezbollah leader killed, braces for potential Iranian retaliation

Senior Biden administration officials said that they were still assessing the situation in Lebanon and their next steps, warning that it was difficult to predict what might follow after the death of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah from an Israeli airstrike.

September 28, 2024
President Joe Biden arrives ahead of a church service in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Saturday.

Biden administration divided over Israel’s escalation against Hezbollah

As fears of a wider Middle East war grow, some U.S. officials see Israel’s bombardment as reckless, while others are cautiously supportive.

September 25, 2024
Smoke billows over Khiam on Wednesday, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Marjayoun, near the border with Israel.

U.S. and allies seize control of massive Chinese tech spying network

FBI Director hails successful action but calls it “just one round in a much longer fight.”

September 18, 2024
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray earlier this month in Washington.

Thousands injured in Lebanon as pagers used by Hezbollah explode

Pagers used by the militant group Hezbollah simultaneously exploded, injuring more than 2,800 people and killing at least nine, officials said.

September 17, 2024