FDD Morning Brief
The Middle East never stops moving. Neither does the FDD Morning Brief. Three mornings a week, FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer cuts through the noise with the experts who have spent their careers studying, shaping, and living the region’s most consequential moments. All before your morning coffee gets cold.
Toppling Tehran | feat. Emily Schrader
Headlines:
The rump regime in Iran claims that the government of Qatar is holding three of its pilots that were shot down in the open stages of the most recent war.The Houthis are still at it in Yemen. The port city of Mocha, controlled by the good guys in southern Yemen, continues to get hammered with Houthi missiles. A Hamas delegation led by chief psychoKhalil al-Hayya began meeting with the Egyptian intelligence chief on Sunday.--
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Emily Schrader o...
A university blooms in wartime Israel | feat. Daniel Chamowitz
Headlines:
A tense situation is playing out in the West Bank village of Qusra. Israeli settlers, or perhaps not settlers but anarchists, depending upon who you talk to,have been besieging two Palestinian homes since Sunday, cutting their water and electricity. The IDF killed Hamas commander Jamal Mahmoud Abu Kamil in a targeted strike in Gaza City on Thursday. The Navy's swapping out its Middle East carrier — the USS George Washington will replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been enforcing the blockade of Iranian ports and has now been at sea over 250 days, and without a port call...Congress' MidEast mindset | feat. Laura Kelly
Headlines:
U.S. forces fired on a Panama-flagged ship early Tuesday for running Washington's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, hitting its rudder after the crew ignored warnings.Last Thursday the leaders of India and Israel had a phone call. Some called it "out-of-the-blue." But the conversation between Modi and Netanyahu was decidedly not random.Former Hamas hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen took the stage to perform nine songs he wrote entirely in his head during 498 days in captivity.---
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Laura...
The impact of the Mecca pact | feat. Steven Cook
Headlines:
The IDF and the Shin Bet have acknowledged that a special unit has been established to hunt down and kill every single Palestinian terrorist involved in the October 7 attacks.The Houthis are attacking south Yemen.Russian and Syrian officials met this weekend to iron out the fate of several Russian bases that were once bustling during the Bashar al-Assad era. The Weekend at Bernie’s shtick is still going, with Iran’s impotent president Masoud Pezeshkian claiming to have talked with absentee supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei.FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situa...
The deal with disarming Hamas | feat. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
Headlines:
Mossad chief Roman Gofman has removed two of the agency's top officials over their role in a failed plan to topple Iran's regime. Speaking of the regime: Iran's execution campaign against January's protesters isn't winding down — it's expanding. A seventh round of Israel-Lebanon talks wrapped up yesterday in Rome, and the two sides are still claiming that progress is being made. But it’s far from perfect. America's missile stockpile is a problem. But turns out, this munitions problem is now Israel's problem too.--
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and ana...
Israel between war and politics | feat. Nadav Eyal
Headlines:
Syria reportedly agreed to decrease its Russian oil imports. The International Monetary Fund, or “IMF,” announced a new technical assistance program for the country after wrapping up a visit there late last month. A seventh round of talks between Israel and Lebanon kicked off yesterday in Rome. An Indian-flagged ship was struck by a projectile off the coast of Yemen yesterday.---
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Nadav Eyal, columnist for the Israeli outlet Yedioth Ahronoth.
Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorni...
The rise of the Axis of Aggressors | feat. Bradley Bowman
Headlines:
Two more Iranian nationals have been executed by the regime for allegedly spying on behalf of Israel.Reports are swirling in the region that the Saudis may need to go back to military operations against the Houthis in Yemen. If the Strait of Hormuz doesn’t open, the Brits could experience a serious recession in 2027.--
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD's Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP).
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fdd...
Iran's conflict calculus | feat. Norman Roule
Headlines:
Last night President Trump announced that Hamas had agreed to give up its weapons and hand over power in Gaza to the newly established National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (or NCAG).U.S. officials say multiple U.N. relief agencies continue to stonewall a U.S. probe into their ties to Hamas, withholding key documents and other information that could reveal their employees as affiliates of the terror group.--
FDD Senior Advisor Richard Goldberg fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with Norman...
America's next strategic test | feat. LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster
Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP), fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with CMPP Chairman LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
Defusing Iran's nuclear ambitions | feat. Richard Goldberg
FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Advisor Richard Goldberg.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
Digging into Pickaxe Mountain | feat. Ilan Berman
Headlines:
Greece is planning to buy a multi-layer air defense system, drones, and other military aircraft from Israel. Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs is pushing to shutter the Turkish Consulate in Jerusalem.Iranian strikes on CIA facilities in the Gulf has intel folks wondering: is Russia helping the Islamic Republic target American facilities? A congressional letter landed on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s desk this week. The topic: Malaysia.--
FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Ilan Berman...
The MidEast view from Capitol Hill | feat. Alexandria Paolozzi Moore
Headlines:
The Lebanese Armed Forces started deploying troops to areas in south Lebanon formerly held by the IDF.The Iran-backed Houthis sent an email blast to shipping companies warning them not to load or offload cargo at Saudi ports.Hamas announced the election of Khalil al-Hayya as its new leader, replacing the late Yahya Sinwar who was killed back in October 2024.The Wall Street Journal reports that Saudi Arabia has been granted approval by Donald Trump to begin operating a civilian nuclear reactor.--
FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis o...
Testing the waters of Hormuz | feat. Behnam Ben Taleblu
Headlines:
The Israelis were forced to activate their air defenses on Saturday night as an Iranian missile hurtled toward Aqaba, the southern Jordanian city that is nestled right next to the Israeli city of Eilat.Two Iranians were hanged over the weekend for anti-government protests and activities. The Wall Street Journal reports that the ceasefire between the Islamic Republic and the United States enabled the regime to get a bunch of its oil out onto the open market.--
FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East he...
Britain's belated reckoning with the IRGC | feat. Robin Simcox
Headlines:
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned seven companies and individuals that are part of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ weapons procurement network. Iran instructed the Houthis in Yemen to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if the U.S. strikes Iranian power infrastructure.Syrian authorities thwarted an attempt to smuggle arms from Iraq through Syria and onward to Hezbollah in Lebanon. President Trump announced the release of a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen from the Islamic Republic almost two years after she was detained.--
FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analy...
Lebanon's Sisyphean struggle with Hezbollah | feat. Hagar Chemali
Headlines:
The regime in Iran publicly hanged two people accused of membership to the Islamic State. Yes, you got that right. The world’s most prolific state sponsor of terrorism is punishing, uh, terrorists.President Donald Trump hosted Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House yesterday. Lebanon and Israel have resumed talks over in Rome. This is the sixth round of direct talks, but the first since the two sides signed a framework agreement last month.--
FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East hea...
The fire that barely ceased | feat. Miad Maleki
Headlines:
Sad news on Sunday morning. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina passed away following a brief illness after returning from a trip to Ukraine.Iraqi prime minister Ali al-Zaidi is due in Washington today for high level talks with the Trump Administration.Channel 12 in Israel released the contents of a handwritten letter penned in 2022 by none other than Yahya Sinwar.--
FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Miad Maleki.
Learn more at: https...
Inside Israel's Operation Arnon | feat. Hannah Puder
FDD Senior Fellow Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with documentary filmmaker and "Operation Arnon" producer Hannah Puder.
Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
Axis of Aggressors and NATO's path forward | feat. Cam McMillan
Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP), fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with CMPP Senior Research Analyst Cam McMillan.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
What to watch at the NATO summit | feat. Celeste Wallander
RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI), fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with Celeste Wallander, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs of the United States.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
Lebanon's 14-point path to sovereignty | feat. Ahmad Sharawi
Headlines:
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is giving the Iran-backed Iraqi militias until September 30 to give up their weapons.Iraq and Syria agreed on Monday to strengthen cooperation across a number of sectors, including energy and border security, but also water, agricultuare and transport.Israeli forces eliminated three senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives in Gaza.The International Monetary Fund reached an agreement with Egypt that could unlock over $1.6 billion for the country.--
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Research Analyst...
The jet engine deal fueling Turkey's NATO moment | feat. Steven A. Cook
Headlines:
Israel and Lebanon, under the auspices of the United States have entered into a new diplomatic agreement.Reports out of Israel suggest that Hamas may be making some sort of a comeback.Egypt and Iran played soccer against eachother on Friday in Seattle. That’s not really news. The World Cup match, which ended in a 1-1 draw was overshadowed by the fact that both countries were outraged that their game was designated as a Pride Match.--
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with St...
The proxy that hasn't barked (yet) | feat. Edmund Fitton-Brown
Headlines:
Remember the Gaza Board of Peace? Yeah. It’s been pretty quiet lately. Well, presentatives from the Board are planning to meet in Cyprus next week.OPEC, the oil cartel for oil-producing nations, is in danger of losing another member.Secretary of State Marco Rubio just wrapped up a three-day tour of the Gulf.Confusion continues over the state of affairs in Lebanon.--
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Edmund Fitton-Brown.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fd...
What Washington left on the negotiating table | feat. Rep. Max Miller (R-OH)
Headlines:
Saudi media reported that Hamas leaders recently met with French officials on an undisclosed date in an unspecified location in the Middle East. Really informative, right? So now, for something more specific. This is the first reported meeting between Hamas and European officials since October 7.Turkey just concluded joint military drills with Qatari land forces.Iran and Oman agreed to form a joint working group to keep talks going on the future of the Strait of Hormuz.--
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with...
The U.S. and Iran's diplomatic dance | feat. Eli Lake and Janatan Sayeh
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring the Free Press columnist Eli Lake and FDD expert Janatan Sayeh.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
Does the MOU play Strait into Tehran's hands? | feat. Bernard Haykel and Jonathan Hessen
Does the MOU play Strait into Tehran's hands? | feat. Bernard Haykel and Jonathan HessenFDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring FDD experts Bernard Haykel and Jonathan Hessen.
Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
Ankara's media shadow war | feat. Eitan Fischberger
Headlines:
President Trump suggested that Syria should fight Hezbollah instead of Israel.Sources told the Wall Street Journal that the U.S. is going to allow Iran to begin selling oil and fuel as soon as the ceasefire deal is signed.France and Britain are planning to deploy a multinational coalition to the Strait of Hormuz if and when the ceasefire with Iran comes into effect.We spend a lot of time talking about war in the Middle East, but don’t forget that there’s a brutal civil war ravaging Sudan. Foreign powers have gotten involved on both...The Iran ceasefire fallacy | feat. Haviv Rettig Gur
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Haviv Rettig Gur, host of the Ask Haviv Anything podcast and Middle East Analyst at The Free Press.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
Is this a done deal? | feat. Miad Maleki, Ahmad Sharawi, and Bradley Bowman
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP episode of the FDD Morning Brief featuring FDD experts Miad Maleki, Bradley Bowman, and Ahmad Sharawi.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
The Ceasefire War | feat. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Conricus, RADM (Ret.) Montgomery, and Behnam Ben Taleblu
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring FDD experts Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus, RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, and Behnam Ben Taleblu.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
How the IRGC engineered its own survival | feat. Rafaela Siewert
Headlines:
Yesterday, Iran launched missiles at Israel for the first time since the April ceasefire took effect.President Trump urged Netanyahu not to strike back at Iran — to no avail. Israel doubles down on its efforts to disarm Hamas in Gaza.--
FDD Research Analyst Mariam Wahba fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with Rafaela Siewert of The Free Press.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
Qatar's $400 billion grip on America | feat. Natalie Ecanow
Headlines:
The duplicitous, conniving, and corrupt state of Qatar is going to provide 6 billion dollars to Iran’s collapsing economy.The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, is going to pack up and go home come December 31st.Yesterday, Hezbollah rejected the latest ceasefire agreement, despite both the Israeli and Lebanese governments agreeing to move forward.The rump of the Islamic Republic has been hyping a statement supposedly issued by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei claiming that Tehran has dealt the U.S. and Israel a quote, “decisive blow,” and that both countries have been deeply humiliated. That’s...Where does Europe stand on Iran? | feat. Simone Rodan-Benzaquen
Headlines:
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israel and Hezbollah agreed to stop shooting — basically, a sort-of ceasefire under which Israel would stop striking Beirut and Hezbollah would stop attacking Israel. However, to no one’s surprise, the shooting has continued.The Iranian regime is planning a three-day funeral for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which will reportedly take place in mid-June.Bahrain banned its citizens from traveling to Iran and Iraq for somewhat obvious security concerns.Another round of Iran sanctions hit the books yesterday. This time, Treasury targeted Iran’s digital asset exchanges and their...The deal that dooms the Iranian people | feat. Moj Mahdara
Headlines:
The Israeli military is on the move in Lebanon. The IDF is set to move further north to do more damage to Hezbollah.We’ll keep with Lebanon and note here that the Europeans are nudging their way into this theater. The Brits are saying that they want the Israeli advance to end. The French have done the same.Ahmad al-Sharaa, the newish leader of Syria, says he wants all the remaining sanctions on his country lifted.One of the biggest Iran-backed militias in Iraq, Kataeb Hezbollah, says it will not disarm, despite calls from the United St...The unfinished war on terror | feat. Joseph Zacks
Headlines:
The Sultanate of Oman committed to increase trade and economic relations with Iran.The Treasury Department slapped sanctions on the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which is the body that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard stood up to extort vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.The IDF carried out a strike in Beirut yesterday — it was the first Israeli strike in Beirut in three weeks.The U.S. government is expanding its probe into the United Nations Relief and Works Agency — a.k.a. “UNRWA,” a.k.a. Hamas in UN clothing.--
FDD Executive Director J...
Law and order in the Iran war | feat. Natasha Hausdorff
Headlines:
Israeli media reported that Shin Bet chief David Zini met with former Palestinian Authority security official Mohammad Dahlan in the United Arab Emirates.The regime in Iran executed a man accused of spying on behalf of the Mossad.The IDF expanded operations in Lebanon, pushing past the ceasefire line delineated in April — the so-called “Yellow Line.Iranian hackers were responsible for a breach of the Los Angeles transport authority earlier this year. An Israeli cybersecurity firm traced digital evidence to a known operation that’s believed to be affiliated with Tehran.--
FDD Executive Director...
What's the deal with the Iran deal? | feat. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus & Behnam Ben Taleblu
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring FDD experts Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus and Behnam Ben Taleblu.
They dissect the latest on the Iran deal: what we know, what we don't, and what we're watching.
Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
The anti-Israel propaganda pipeline feeding mainstream media | feat. Jacki Alexander
Headlines
Treasury sanctioned nine Hezbollah enablers who help preserve the terrorist group’s chokehold on Lebanon by obstructing peace or disarmament efforts. German federal prosecutors brought criminal charges against two individuals suspected of helping Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plot the murder of Jewish leaders in Germany. The Trump administration is threatening to revoke the visas for the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations if ambassador Riyad Mansour doesn’t withdraw his candidacy for vice president of the UN General Assembly.Some bold statements coming out of Tehran.--
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides...
Can the IDF stop Hezbollah's FPV drones? | feat. Ryan Brobst
Headlines:
The Trump administration rolled out another batch of Iran sanctions, as well as a second package targeting four individuals associated with Palestinian terror groups and the Gaza flotilla.It’s official. Hamas has a new leader in Gaza.The world’s largest cable-laying company suspended work in the Persian Gulf after Iran demanded that the company obtain permits and pay fees to continue repairing subsea cables.Israeli troops reportedly found a document in Gaza last year indicating that Hamas spent the January to March 2025 ceasefire training new recruits.--
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer prov...
Hezbollah's West Africa money trail | feat. Daniel Swift
Headlines:
Iranian drone attacks, whether launched by the regime or its Iraqi proxies, continue to plague the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Remember the yellow zone in Gaza? You know, the territory that Israel controls and that surrounds the red zone that is still controlled by Hamas? Looks like Israel is slowly gaining ground on the terror group.The outrage continues over Nicholas Kristof’s column in The New York Times accusing Israel of training dogs to r*pe Palestinians in jail.The Israeli government just passed a death penalty law for West Bank Pa...Washington's week with Beirut and Beijing | feat. David Daoud and Craig Singleton
Headlines
We’ve got another flotilla on the way to Israel. Just what we all needed, right?A Hezbollah drone attack wounded four Israeli civilians in northern Israel.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Wednesday that Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates during the war with Iran to meet with Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.Fatah, the Palestinian Authority’s dominant faction, is on day two of a three-day conference to elect members to its Central Committee and Revolutionary Council, which is essentially the party’s parliament.--
FDD Executive Director...
