WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH HUMANITARIAN AID IN GAZA? HEADLINE 1: Lebanon’s central bank banned banks from interacting with a Hezbollah-linked financial institution called Al-Qard Al-Hassan. HEADLINE 2: Sectarian clashes erupted between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze militias in Syria. HEADLINE 3: The UN Human Rights Council is imploding. -- FDD Executiv…

ISRAEL, GAZA, IRAN ... AND MORE HEADLINE 1: The IDF’s Gaza war tempo is picking up. HEADLINE 2: Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly supports a potential nuclear deal that prevents Iran from enriching uranium. HEADLINE 3: New details are emerging about the 12-day war between Iran and Israel. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers ti…

WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE IRAN RIGHT NOW? HEADLINE 1: The Trump administration continues to escalate its maximum pressure campaign against Iran. HEADLINE 2: Francesca Albanese got sanctioned. HEADLINE 3: Hamas tried to abduct an Israeli soldier. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely updates and expert analysis, followed by a conversat…

Just as Putin launched the largest drone assault of the war, President Trump overruled an order from the Pentagon that had halted the delivery of munitions to Ukraine. And despite what pundits say, new polling says his base isn’t mad about it. Cliff May is joined by Carrie Filipetti of the Vandenberg Coalition to break down its polling data that sh…

HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH, AND HTS HEADLINE 1: The Houthis are have resumed attacking ships in the Red Sea. HEADLINE 2: The Trump administration revoked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. HEADLINE 3: Five Israeli soldiers were killed and 14 more were wounded in an ambush in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. -- FDD Executive …

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely updates and expert analysis, followed by a conversation with Col. Richard Kemp, a retired British Army officer who has been on the ground in Israel and Gaza following the Hamas-led atrocities of October 7, 2023. Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief…

Guest host Bradley Bowman is joined by U.S. Air Force pilots Lt. Col. Brian “Bud” Leitzke and Lt. Col. Kevin “Rowdy” Murphy for an exclusive firsthand account of April 13, 2024, when Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles at Israel. Bud and Rowdy's squadron scrambled into the night sky in one of the largest U.S. air combat missions in years. Wh…

THE IRANIAN PEOPLE VERSUS THE REGIME HEADLINE 1: President Trump signed an executive order lifting sanctions on Syria. HEADLINE 2: Iranian threats against Donald Trump and his administration keep on coming. HEADLINE 3: While we’re on the topic of suspicious Iranian activity…Danish authorities arrested a man suspected of collecting intel on Jewish t…

THE STATE OF IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM, THE WAR IN GAZA, AND THE AXIS OF AGGRESSORS HEADLINE 1: Hamas issued fresh threats against aid workers in Gaza. HEADLINE 2: Over the last three months, the Shin Bet has arrested over 60 Hamas operatives in the West Bank. HEADLINE 3: Ireland is weighing legislation to ban imports from Israeli communities in the W…

IRAN, GAZA, AND THE HOSTAGES FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Brigadier General (Res.) Professor Jacob Nagel, FDD senior fellow and former Israeli national security advisor. Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief -- Join our community to receive 24/7 updates on new…

NATO summits are usually dry and wonky affairs. This one was different. To unpack what was said, what wasn’t, and what actually matters, host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleagues RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Bradley Bowman to discuss alliance politics, military power projection, strategic signaling, and more.…

On this special SITREP episode of the FDD Morning Brief, Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer is joined by FDD Senior Fellow Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus and FDD CMPP Senior Director Bradley Bowman to assess the fallout from Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran with a ceasefire now in effect — and evaluate the current status of Tehran’s nuclear am…

Tune in to the FDD Morning Brief for a special SITREP assessing the damage from the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer is joined by RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation; Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Pow…

ISRAEL'S SUCCESSES AND IRAN'S STRATEGY HEADLINE 1: Hackers stole approximately $90 million from Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. HEADLINE 2: Iran and Israel are slugging it out like two boxers in the 10th round of a heavyweight bout. HEADLINE 3: As Trump considers what to do next, polls are shedding light about what Americans think about Ira…

Israel and Iran are at war. To break down what’s happening and what could come next, host Cliff May is joined by Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Behnam Ben Taleblu. They dissect Israel’s targeted strikes on IRGC assets, the strategic pause before a possible U.S. strike on Fordow, and why this war isn’t just Israel vs. Iran. It’s the free world v…

THE REGIME IN IRAN'S ARSENAL, ISRAEL'S SUCCESSES AND SETBACKS, AND THE IRANIAN PEOPLE HEADLINE 1: 20 Arab and Islamic countries signed a statement calling on Israel to stop striking Iran. HEADLINE 2: The IDF took out Iranian Maj. Gen. Ali Shamdani. HEADLINE 3: Two Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza. -- FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow f…

ISRAEL, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC, AND THE IRANIAN PEOPLE -- As tensions escalate following Israel’s strike on Iran, FDD’s Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus offers timely analysis and is joined by Iran expert Beni Sabti of The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) to assess the fallout. Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief…

Israel has launched precision strikes against nuclear and military facilities in Iran — just days after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) formally declared Iran in violation of its nuclear nonproliferation commitments for the first time since 2005. The Islamic Republic — closer than ever to acquiring a nuclear weapon — had dismissed U.S…

Host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleagues H.R. McMaster and Brad Bowman to assess the growing cooperation among adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea—also know as the 'axis of aggressors.' From the Kremlin's efforts to manipulate perceptions in the West, particularly regarding NATO, to Iran's nuclear ambitions and the geopoliti…

TURKEY'S NEO-OTTOMAN VISION HEADLINE 1: The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on a network of sham charities that fund Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or “PFLP.” HEADLINE 2: Israel carried out strikes against Yemen’s Hodeida port. HEADLINE 3: The IDF took out two Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon. -- FDD Executive …

RUSSIA, UKRAINE, AND ... GRETA THUNBERG? HEADLINE 1: Iranian intelligence agencies say they’ve acquired a cache of sensitive Israeli documents. HEADLINE 2: Al Qaeda in Yemen is back in the spotlight. HEADLINE 3: The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon may soon be a thing of the past. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situat…

Thirty-six years ago this week, the Chinese Communist Party crushed pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square with tanks and bullets. The death toll? Certainly in the hundreds, probably in the thousands, and deliberately hidden by the Communist Party of China. How did that massacre reshape China’s path, and what did it mean for Beijing’s relations…

TURKEY'S INTERNAL CHALLENGES AND EXTERNAL INFLUENCE HEADLINE 1: Israel’s defense exports increased 13 percent in 2024. HEADLINE 2: Israel is arming jihadi criminals in Gaza. HEADLINE 3: The Syrian government agreed to give the International Atomic Energy Agency access to former Assad regime nuclear sites. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer deli…

QATAR'S MALIGN INFLUENCE AND ANTI-ISRAEL PROPAGANDA HEADLINE 1: The Trump administration okay-ed the integration of foreign fighters into the Syrian army. HEADLINE 2: Rumors are swirling about who will replace Muhammed Sinwar as Hamas’s commander-in-chief. OK, maybe not swirling. We think we know who it is. HEADLINE 3: Chaos is festering on the Gaz…

GAZA AID, HAMAS, AND THE 'DAY AFTER' HEADLINE 1: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is talking about normalization with Israel. HEADLINE 2: The United States, Britain, France, and Germany, are planning to submit a resolution to the International Atomic Energy Agency board declaring Iran non-compliant with its non-proliferation obligations. Because…

U.S.-ISRAEL TIES, INTERNAL ISRAELI POLITICS, AND THE HOSTAGE NEGOTIATIONS HEADLINE 1: The IDF announced that it has successfully used lasers to shoot down enemy projectiles. HEADLINE 2: The Lebanese Armed Forces reportedly dismantled most of Hezbollah’s infrastructure in south Lebanon. HEADLINE 3: After 13 years, the stars and stripes are flying ag…

Is Iran on the brink, or is the West getting played again? Filling in for host Cliff May, Behnam Ben Taleblu is joined by Andrea Stricker and Saeed Ghasseminejad to discuss Trump’s renewed demand for full nuclear dismantlement, the regime’s internal weakness, and why half-measures won’t cut it. From stalled negotiations to nationwide strikes and th…

WHAT'S THE STORY WITH HUMANITARIAN AID TO GAZA? HEADLINE 1: Israel and Syria are holding direct talks. HEADLINE 2: Germany is starting to change its tone on Israel. HEADLINE 3: The Palestinian flag is about to fly at the World Health Organization. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely updates and sharp analysis, followed by a conve…

President Trump’s May 19 phone call with Vladimir Putin does not appear to be two hours well-spent. According to readouts, the Russian ruler agreed to continue talking about talking. Around the same time, Putin launched a massive drone strike against Ukrainian soldiers defending their country and civilians attempting to survive the long war waged a…

FOREIGN INFLUENCE IN K-12 SCHOOLS AND BEYOND HEADLINE 1: Israel and Turkey reportedly established a new mechanism to help prevent unwanted military incidents in Syria. HEADLINE 2: Two more Houthi missile attacks were recorded. HEADLINE 3: France is working with Saudi Arabia on a proposal for Gaza that would require Hamas to disarm. -- FDD Executive…

EGYPT, CHINA, AND THE HORN OF AFRICA HEADLINE 1: The Israeli cabinet approved plans to build a security barrier along Israel’s border with Jordan. HEADLINE 2: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is traveling to Lebanon this week. And the corrupt alta cocker might actually notch a legitimate win. HEADLINE 3: The U.S. State Department annou…

IS SYRIA'S NEW REGIME MALIGN OR MODERATE? HEADLINE 1: Israel is working on a plan to relocate civilians in Gaza if a ceasefire doesn’t materialize soon. HEADLINE 2: It’s official: Hamas’s October 7th attack was designed to derail Saudi-Israel normalization. HEADLINE 3: Another day, another Israeli caught spying for Iran. -- FDD Executive Director J…

TRUMP'S GULF TRIP AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE REGION HEADLINE 1: President Trump’s whirlwind Middle East tour was rife with record-breaking deals. HEADLINE 2: Congressional Republicans have reiterated their support for full Iranian nuclear dismantlement. HEADLINE 3: Trump’s sharp policy reversal on U.S. sanctions against Syria during his Gulf tour…

Following the Oct. 7, 2023 invasion of Israel and the pogrom carried out by terrorists from Hamas and affiliated Islamist organizations, and some Gazan civilians as well, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opined that the attack “did not happen in a vacuum.” Well, he’s correct just not in the way he intended. Hebron is an ancient city 20 miles s…

THE REGIONAL RAMIFICATIONS OF U.S.-SAUDI NUCLEAR COOPERATION HEADLINE 1: Tehran’s oil-for-missiles pipeline to Beijing just got sanctioned. HEADLINE 2: Israel targeted Muhammad Sinwar in a strike yesterday HEADLINE 3: Yesterday, President Trump announced that he’s lifting sanctions on Syria to — quote — “give them a chance at greatness” — end quote…

NUCLEAR TALKS, CONGRESS, AND MAXIMUM SUPPORT FOR THE IRANIAN PEOPLE HEADLINE 1: The IDF is closing in on victory in the Hamas stronghold of Rafah in southern Gaza, with heavy fighting now focused on the neighborhood of Janina. HEADLINE 2: After 43 years, Israel brought home the body of a fallen soldier—Sgt. First Class Zvi Feldman—from deep inside …

IRAN, SYRIA, THE HOUTHIS ... AND MORE HEADLINE 1: The United States dropped the demand for normalization with Israel as a condition for advancing civil nuclear cooperation discussions with Saudi Arabia. HEADLINE 2: A mob at Columbia University disseminated pamphlets praising a Palestinian terrorist. There’s a reason people call this school Birzeit …

Melanie Phillips is a British journalist, broadcaster, and author. Her weekly column currently appears in The Times of London. She’s a regular panelist on BBC Radio’s The Moral Maze and speaks on public platforms throughout the English-speaking world. Her best-selling book, “Londonistan,” about the British establishment’s capitulation to Islamist a…

HOUTHIS, HAMAS, AND THE HOSTAGES HEADLINE 1: Israel prepares for “Operation Gideon’s Chariots” — a new, expanded ground offensive in Gaza. HEADLINE 2: The United States and Iran are set to resume nuclear talks. HEADLINE 3: Things are heating up a little in Lebanon. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analy…

DOCUMENTING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE OCTOBER 7 MASSACRE HEADLINE 1: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Qatar to stop playing games. HEADLINE 2: The UK arrested 8 men on suspected terror offenses. HEADLINE 3: Israel carried out a strike near the presidential palace in Damascus, Syria. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timel…