LEBANON, ISRAEL, AND THE FUTURE OF THE MIDDLE EAST HEADLINE 1: The Trump administration rolled out another round of Iran sanctions. HEADLINE 2: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a wanted man in Argentina. HEADLINE 3: Israeli and Turkish officials met in Azerbaijan to discuss Syria. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Carine Hajjar, an opinion and editorial writer and Editorial Board member at The ...
Apr 11, 2025•24 min
JERUSALEM, ANKARA, AND WASHINGTON HEADLINE 1: Hezbollah may be using maritime routes to smuggle weapons into Lebanon. HEADLINE 2: Iran has been recruiting Swedish criminal gangs to target Jews and Israelis. HEADLINE 3: Protests erupted in Egypt against President Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Erick Stakelbeck, a bestselling author and host of "Stakelbeck Toni...
Apr 09, 2025•27 min
Iran’s nuclear program is escalating, its economy is worsening, and Tehran’s terror-regime ties with other authoritarians are tightening. As a result, the United States has an unparalleled opportunity to operationalize alternative policy options that marry maximum support for the Iranian people with maximum pressure against the Iranian regime. To advance these ideas, FDD and the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI) host a symposium featuring a keynote address by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) fo...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 33 min
A VISION FOR YEMEN'S FUTURE HEADLINE 1: In June 2021, Hamas asked Iran for $500 million to help fund the destruction of Israel. HEADLINE 2: On Saturday, The Washington Post reported that the regime in Iran hired a Georgian drug trafficker to assassinate a rabbi in Azerbaijan. HEADLINE 3: The United States has sent another THAAD air defense system to Israel. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ahmed Atef, a forme...
Apr 07, 2025•24 min
MAXIMUM PRESSURE ON THE REGIME IN IRAN + MAXIMUM SUPPORT FOR THE IRANIAN PEOPLE HEADLINE 1: On Wednesday, the IDF struck what it described as “remaining military capabilities” that belonged to the former Bashar al-Assad regime. HEADLINE 2: The IDF is establishing a new security corridor in southern Gaza. HEADLINE 3: Russia and Iran’s deputy foreign ministers spoke with each other about Iran’s nuclear program. HEADLINE 4: The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a network of Houthi finan...
Apr 04, 2025•25 min
Israel’s tech ecosystem plays a pivotal role in strengthening US-Israel relations, particularly collaborative innovations, economic partnerships, and geopolitical ties. These dynamics, notably in defense technology, align with U.S. national security interests and foster normalization with Gulf states by enhancing regional stability and economic resilience. Through the lens of innovation, these unique opportunities for collaboration and diplomacy have the potential to reshape regional dynamics an...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 12 min
ISRAEL, QATAR, AND TURKEY HEADLINE 1: Israel eliminated a top Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut. HEADLINE 2: Israeli security forces foiled a terror cell in the West Bank city of Nablus. HEADLINE 3: The Houthis said they shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone. -- FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow provides timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation between Jon Schanzer and Lena Argiri, the D.C. correspondent for Greek Public Broadcasting. Learn more at: https://www.fdd....
Apr 02, 2025•20 min
TURKEY, GAZA, AND IRAQ HEADLINE 1: Erdogan’s Hamas clients are also dealing with popular unrest. HEADLINE 2: The regime in Iran replied to President Trump’s letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. HEADLINE 3: The United States military continues to hammer the Houthis. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Michael Rubin, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and director of policy analysis at ...
Mar 31, 2025•26 min
U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN MOUNTING GLOBAL THREATS HEADLINE 1: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unveiled another so-called missile city. HEADLINE 2: Those Houthi ballistic missile attacks keep on coming. HEADLINE 3: The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit for the forfeiture of $47 million in proceeds from the sale of Iranian oil. -- FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer...
Mar 28, 2025•23 min
EXPOSING TWO-FACED QATAR HEADLINE 1: The U.S. Treasury Department issued another round of Iran sanctions. HEADLINE 2: The Trump administration handed Syria’s new rulers a list of conditions they must meet to finally see some of those sanctions lifted. HEADLINE 3: Anti-Hamas protests erupted in Gaza yesterday. -- FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer and John Mirisch, who for...
Mar 26, 2025•22 min
TURKEY: AUTHORITARIANS, BAD ACTORS, AND PROTESTS HEADLINE 1: The U.S. military is beefing up its naval presence in the Middle East. HEADLINE 2: The debate over the credibility of the Lebanese government is heating up again. AND HEADLINE 3: Protests are still raging in Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor last week – Turkey’s top opposition leader. -- FDD Senior Vice President Jonathan Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis on headlines of the Middle East, followed b...
Mar 24, 2025•24 min
REVERSING KISSINGER HEADLINE 1: The Trump administration issued a new round of Iran-related sanctions yesterday. HEADLINE 2: Hamas popped off a handful of rockets at Israel yesterday. HEADLINE 3: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei delivered a speech yesterday to mark the start of the Iranian New Year, Nowruz. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with author Lee Smith, who serves as the media columnist for Table...
Mar 21, 2025•22 min
THE SHIFTING DYNAMICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST: A SPECIAL SITREP EPISODE -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer is joined by former IDF International Spokesperson Jonathan Conricus and U.S. Middle East policy expert John Hannah for a special edition of the FDD Morning Brief. The two will provide Middle East situational updates and analyze the U.S. response to them as the region undergoes tumultuous shifts. Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief...
Mar 19, 2025•36 min
CHINA, RUSSIA, AND THE MIDDLE EAST HEADLINE 1: The Shin Bet and Israel police foiled a plot to carry out a terrorist attack in Jerusalem. HEADLINE 2: A former Islamic Revolutionary Guard from Iran gave a rare interview with Israeli media. HEADLINE 3: Former Israeli hostage Tal Shoham gave an exclusive interview to Fox News. BONUS HEADLINE 4: A Syrian soldier was killed yesterday by a Hezbollah rocket. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, follow...
Mar 17, 2025•25 min
LEBANON, ISRAEL, AND THE GULF HEADLINE 1: The IDF carried out a strike in Damascus yesterday. HEADLINE 2: Qatar is preparing to supply natural gas to Syria. HEADLINE 3: The United Nations published a report accusing Israel of perpetrating “genocidal acts” in Gaza. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a research fellow at FDD. Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief...
Mar 14, 2025•25 min
Cyber threats are evolving – but U.S. cyber policy coordination is still lagging behind. Four years after the establishment of the Office of the National Cyber Director, the Trump administration has a unique opportunity to establish stronger central coordination and drive meaningful improvements in how the federal government secures and defends cyberspace. How should the administration clarify and reinforce the role of the National Cyber Director? How can the administration create a more structu...
Mar 12, 2025•45 min
A SECURE FUTURE FOR THE MIDDLE EAST HEADLINE 1: The IDF conducted a series of strikes in Syria. HEADLINE 2: The IDF has been busy dismantling terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank city of Jenin. HEADLINE 3: Iran, Russia, and China conducted joint naval exercises. HEADLINE 4: Israel and Lebanon are launching a series of talks to resolve outstanding issues. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Lianne Pollak-Dav...
Mar 12, 2025•26 min
THE REVERBERATING IMPACT OF THE 1929 HEBRON MASSACRE HEADLINE 1: Israel will allow Syrian Druze, along with Circassians – another ethnic minority in Syria – to work in the Israeli Golan Heights. HEADLINE 2: Recent meetings in Qatar between top Hamas terrorists and Adam Boehler, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, are focused the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander. HEADLINE 3: The Trump administration has followed through on its threat to cancel federal fundin...
Mar 10, 2025•24 min
WHO ARE THE KURDS, AND HOW DO THEY FIT INTO THE MIDDLE EAST PUZZLE? HEADLINE 1 : The U.S. Air Force conducted a joint exercise with the Israeli Air Force on Tuesday. HEADLINE 2 : Clashes broke out in Syria between Assad loyalists and the new government’s security forces. HEADLINE 3 : The Trump administration is getting creative with its maximum pressure campaign. BONUS HEADLINE 4 : Syria’s foreign minister made a historic visit to the headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemi...
Mar 07, 2025•24 min
CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM POST-OCTOBER 7 HEADLINE 1: The State Department designated the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. HEADLINE 2: Russian missile experts travelled to Iran twice last year. HEADLINE 3: Turkey and Iran are at loggerheads. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Wendy Sachs, director of "October 8." This documentary offers a powerful examination of the surge in antisemitism across college campuses, socia...
Mar 05, 2025•23 min
Nations pursue access to reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy that will sustain their national security objectives. While the China-Russia led alliance continues to rely largely on fossil fuels, Western countries increasingly seek to replace these traditional energy sources with renewable offerings, leading to less reliable and more expensive electricity. This has profound national security implications. International organizations such as the United Nations and the International Energy ...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr 14 min
TURKEY'S TIES TO SYRIA AND ERDOGAN'S DYNAMIC WITH TRUMP HEADLINE 1: The IDF says it is ready to defend an endangered Druze community in Syria. HEADLINE 2: Lebanese authorities detained a man at the airport in Beirut on Friday. HEADLINE 3: The Trump administration is expediting the delivery of some $4 billion in military aid to Israel. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Henri J. Barkey, the Bernard L. and Bertha...
Mar 03, 2025•22 min
THE U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONSHIP FROM A DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE HEADLINE 1: The Iran sanctions keep on coming. HEADLINE 2: Israeli authorities arrested yet another Israeli citizen accused of spying for Iran. HEADLINE 3: A car-ramming attack unfolded at a bus stop near the Israeli city of Caesarea yesterday. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation between Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of FDD's Center on Military and Political Power...
Feb 28, 2025•28 min
ANTISEMITISM AND A NEW MIDDLE EAST HEADLINE 1: The Trump administration escalated its maximum pressure campaign on Iran with a new round of sanctions. HEADLINE 2: Things are getting hairy between Syria’s new leadership and the Israeli government. HEADLINE 3: Speaking of Syria, an Israeli journalist uncovered troves of classified intelligence from the fallen Assad regime at Iran’s embassy in Damascus. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followe...
Feb 26, 2025•24 min
After nearly a year and half of war following Hamas’s brutal October 7 attacks, Israeli society has proven its resilience and strength. The IDF has had a series of military successes against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and in Iran – though substantial challenges remain, in particular the return of all the hostages from Gaza. Paired with global political realities, Israel’s military successes present Jerusalem a window of opportunity. What could this opportunity loo...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 2 min
THE HOSTAGE CRISIS: THE STORY OF ALON OHEL HEADLINE 1: Israeli authorities have arrested 10 people suspected of smuggling arms from Jordan into Israel. HEADLINE 2: The IDF deployed tanks to the West Bank city of Jenin. HEADLINE 3: The IDF carried out a series of airstrikes in Lebanon ahead of Nasrallah’s funeral. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Idit Ohel, mother of 24-year-old Hamas hostage Alon Ohel. Learn ...
Feb 24, 2025•23 min
SOUTH AFRICA'S MALIGN TIES WITH AUTHORITARIANS HEADLINE 1: Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was in Iran this week. HEADLINE 2: Arab leaders are meeting in Riyadh today to discuss alternatives to President Trump’s vision for Gaza. HEADLINE 3: Iran executed a record number of people in 2024. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Max Meizlish, senior research analyst at FDD's Center on Economic and Financi...
Feb 21, 2025•24 min
ABRAHAM ACCORDS, 10/7 WAR, IRAN HEADLINE 1: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Saudi officials in Riyadh. HEADLINE 2: Israeli troops remain in "buffer zone" in Lebanon to enforce the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. HEADLINE 3: The European Union plans to weigh in on the postwar Gaza discussion. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Dan Fefer...
Feb 19, 2025•26 min
STARTUP NATION, ISRAEL AND THE GULF, AND THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS HEADLINE 1: Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Israel over the weekend. HEADLINE 2: On Friday evening, Hezbollah supporters attacked a UN peacekeeping convoy. HEADLINE 3: The IDF was hard at work in Gaza over the weekend. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Nave Shachar, who serves as the Gulf Cooperation Council and MENA Innovation Diplomacy Direct...
Feb 17, 2025•25 min
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation between Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of FDD's Center on Military & Political Power (CMPP), and IDF Major General (Ret.) Tal Kelman, who was tasked with overseeing Israel's "Iran file" during his service. Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
Feb 14, 2025•26 min
