Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

• The IDF said it eliminated Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem’s personal secretary in a strike near Beirut.
• Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Beirut isn’t going to let any other government negotiate for a ceasefire on its behalf.
• The Trump administration is reportedly considering moving troops out of NATO countries after several of them hamstringed American efforts in Iran.
• Iran continues to strangle the Strait of Hormuz.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP episode of the FDD Morning Brief featuring FDD Senior Fellow Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus and FDD CMPP Senior Director Bradley Bowman.

They examine the implications of the ceasefire and negotiations between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

• Yesterday, the IDF said it completed the deployment of ground troops to a so-called anti-tank line in south Lebanon.
• An American journalist kidnapped in Iraq last week is on her way home.
• A firefight broke out adjacent to the Israeli consulate in Istanbul yesterday.
• Massive explosion at the Panama Canal yesterday.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with NUFDI Research Director Khosro Isfahani.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

• The regime in Tehran somehow managed to shoot down an American F-15 fighter jet over the weekend.
• The aviators from that downed F-15 are both ok.
• Donald Trump’s Truth Social post yesterday seems to suggest that the April 6 deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz has been extended until tomorrow night.
• The internet blackout continues inside Iran. 
• The war in Lebanon continues. 
• Tough day in Israel yesterday, with a building in Haifa absorbing a direct hit from a ballistic missile, while cluster munitions also hit dozens of locations across central Israel. 
• Turkey is somehow getting its oil tankers out of the Strait of Hormuz. 

Featured FDD piece: "Islamist Turkey: A Base for Muslim Brotherhood Jihadism" - FDD Memo, Sinan Ciddi and William Doran

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Freedom House's Yana Gorokhovskaia.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

• Turkey is working with Iranian authorities to secure permission for 11 Turkish-owned ships to sail through the Strait of Hormuz.
• Israeli forces eliminated the commander of Hezbollah’s southern front.
• The International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank are joining forces to coordinate a response to the ongoing war with Iran.

Featured FDD piece: "Islamist Turkey: A Base for Muslim Brotherhood Jihadism" - FDD Memo, Sinan Ciddi and William Doran

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FDD Turkey Program Director Sinan Ciddi fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with world-renowned Turkey scholar Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak.

• Trouble continues in the Strait of Hormuz.
• Kosovo announced that it plans to deploy troops to the U.S.-backed international stabilization force for Gaza.
• The Iranian ambassador is still in Lebanon, and the Lebanese government is still effectively beholden to Hezbollah.
• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi wants President Trump to end the war.

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FDD Research Analyst Mariam Wahba delivers headlines ahead of a conversation between FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer and "Oh My World!" host Hagar Chemali.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

• U.S.-Israeli air superiority continues
• Iranian air defenses remain down
• Israel eliminated the head of Iran’s navy
• The Islamic Republic is preparing for a ground war
• U.S. President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for the regime to make a deal
• Beirut declared Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon persona non grata and instructed him to leave the country
• Hezbollah continues to batter northern Israel with rockets
• The U.S. embassy in Iraq told American citizens to leave Iraq immediately
• IDF chief of staff informed the cabinet that the army could collapse on itself if the war continues at this pace due to manpower shortages

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ilan Berman, Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

They discuss how Russia and Iran have adapted to U.S. sanctions, why economic pressure often falls short, and what it will take for Washington to regain the upper hand.

Learn more: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

They examine the tactical picture in Iran, the threat to the Strait of Hormuz, and what states could become key players in the conflict.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

They assess public sentiment in Israel, the danger of leaving the Islamic Republic weakened but intact, and why the fight against the regime’s ideology could define the region’s future.

Learn more: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP episode of the FDD Morning Brief featuring Ebtesam AlKetbi of the Emirates Policy Center and FDD Senior International Fellow Eyal Hulata.

They examine how Operation Epic Fury is impacting Gulf countries.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring FDD experts Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus and Bradley Bowman. They examine the U.S.-Israel military synchronization powering Operation Epic Fury as it unfolds.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

They provide timely situational updates and analysis on the evolving war with Iran and the military dimensions of Operation Epic Fury.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

HEADLINE 1: The Palestinian Authority is still paying money to terrorists.

HEADLINE 2: The Trump administration continues to heap financial pressure on Iran.

HEADLINE 3: A construction project in Gaza seems to be in the works.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Turkey Program Senior Director Sinan Ciddi.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

---

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Georgia is becoming Iran’s sanctions evasion hub" - Keti Korkiya, The Hill

"The US should stop indulging Hungary and Slovakia" - Ivana Stradner and Dalibor Rohac, Washington Examiner

"Saving the European-American marriage" - Clifford D. May, The Washington Times

HEADLINE 2: India's prime minister touched down in Israel today.

HEADLINE 3: In case you missed it, Syria recently transferred thousands of ISIS prisoners to Iraq. 

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Erin Molan, former television presenter for Sky News Australia and host of The Erin Molan Show.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"What if the Iranian Regime Is Stronger Than Trump Thinks?" - Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh, The New York Times

"How Did the United States End Up on the Same Side as the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen?" - Bridget Toomey, FDD Insight

"The Islamic Republic’s Weaponization of Global Terror" - Mark Dubowitz and Edmund Fitton-Brown, The Iran Breakdown

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: Iran and Russia held joint naval exercises in and around the Gulf of Oman.

HEADLINE 2: The European Union officially designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.

HEADLINE 3: Israel carried out a large counterterrorism operation in the town of Hebron this week.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Yishai Fleisher, who serves as the international spokesperson for the Jewish Community of Hebron.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

---

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Europe Looks to Israeli Tech to Defend Tanks" - Brad Bowman and Justin Leopold-Cohen, Real Clear Defense

"Free Jimmy Lai!" - Cliff May, The Washington Times

"Ukraine, four years in" - LinkedIn Newsletter: This Week at FDD

HEADLINE 2: The Lebanese government provided an update on disarming Hezbollah.

HEADLINE 3: Qatar is taking some heat right now from an unlikely place: the Israeli left.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Andrew Tabler of The Washington Institute.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Allies, Adversaries, and the Axis" - Bradley Bowman and LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster, Foreign Podicy

"Did Iran Use Chemical Weapons on Protesters?" - Andrea Stricker (writing with Gregory D. Koblentz), The National Interest

"Trump could be missing the opportunity to rebuild the Navy efficiently and quickly" - RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, New York Post

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 2: Remember the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation? A security firm based in North Carolina called UG Solutions helped secure the group’s aid distribution sites. Well, UG Solutions might be coming back.

HEADLINE 3: Israel successfully completed new tests with its David’s Sling missile defense system.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Gaza native who serves as the founder and director of the Realign for Palestine project at the Atlantic Council.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Egypt Tests Trump’s Pledge to Defend Persecuted Christians" - Mariam Wahba, Newsweek

"A few words of advice on Iran and Gaza" - Cliff May, The Washington Times

"Al Jazeera Centre for Studies: Academic Veneer Normalizing Terrorism" - Toby Dershowitz and Qatar expert Eitan Fischberger, FDD Insight

HEADLINE 2: Israel indicted two more individuals for allegedly spying on behalf of Iran.

HEADLINE 3: Indonesia is planning to participate in the International Stabilization Force in Gaza.

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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/

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Whither the Hamas solidarity movement?" - Ben Cohen, JNS

"Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Houthis But Were Afraid to Ask" - Cliff May and Edmund Fitton-Brown, Foreign Podicy

"Weaponized Mass Migration" - RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 2: Israel continues to even the score from October 7.

HEADLINE 3: And I really don’t like this: Egypt and Turkey signed a military cooperation agreement in Cairo.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ghaith Al-Omari, senior fellow at The Washington Institute and former senior advisor to the Palestinian Authority.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Should Western Tech Giants Partner With Pro-Hamas Network Al Jazeera?" - Toby Dershowitz and Asher Boiskin, The Cipher Brief

"Why Is the Trump Administration Wiring Venezuelan Oil Revenue to Qatar?" - Natalie Ecanow, The Dispatch

"Sudanese Army Breaks Key Siege as U.S. Leads Humanitarian Aid Push" - Mariam Wahba, FDD Policy Brief

HEADLINE 2: Earlier this week, the IDF dropped some sort of non-toxic chemical substance near the Blue Line. The Israelis have been consistently clearing greenery to ensure unhindered lines of sight. UNIFIL was outraged.

HEADLINE 3: Lebanon’s army chief headed to Florida this week for meetings with his American counterparts.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Israeli journalist and "The War of Return" co-author Adi Schwartz.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"After Erdogan: Who Will Control Turkey?" - Sinan Ciddi and William Doran, FDD Memo

"Reimagining Mediterranean Security with Greek Minister for National Defense Nikos Dendias" - FDD Event

"Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: February" - FDD Experts

HEADLINE 1: The Islamic Republic of Iran has designated every European military as a terrorist organization. 

HEADLINE 2: Looks like the EU Commission has fired a senior official after a scandal involving Qatari influence and lavish gifts.

HEADLINE 3: Hamas claims that it has killed several members of Israel-backed paramilitary groups operating in Gaza.

HEADLINE 4: The Israelis have opened up the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza after a year of keeping it closed.

HEADLINE 5: The government of South Africa and Israel are engaged in a nasty diplomatic spat right now. 

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Asaf Romirowsky, executive director of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) and the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA).

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 2: The Saudis are in town, led by the crown prince’s brother.

HEADLINE 3: South Africa reportedly is moving ahead with investigations into naval drills that took place in early January.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Research Analyst Ahmad Sharawi.

For all past episodes: https://bit.ly/3LENwPr

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Iran Protests Highlight South Africa’s Broken Moral Compass" - David May, The Algemeiner

"Two Bad Apples Threaten to Spoil the Gaza Board of Peace" - Natalie Ecanow and Sinan Ciddi, National Review

"In the Eye of the Storm" - Mark Dubowitz and Rich Goldberg, The Iran Breakdown

HEADLINE 2: This is not a parody: Hamas wants to be part of Gaza’s new government.

HEADLINE 3: The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in Middle Eastern waters yesterday.

AND BONUS HEADLINE 4: The IDF is still hammering Hezbollah in Lebanon.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Elliott Abrams, who formerly served as U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela.

For all past episodes: https://bit.ly/3LENwPr

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Israel’s hostage agony finally ends — but its Gaza mission is far from over" - Mark Dubowitz, New York Post

"Iranian Influence Operation Floods X With Anti-Protest Messaging" - Max Lesser and Maria Riofrio, FDD Policy Brief

"Why Is Saudi Arabia Abandoning Peace?" - Hussain Abdul-Hussain, The National Interest

For all episodes: https://bit.ly/4qHfzNp

HEADLINE 1: Israel banned 29 Turkish individuals from entering the country.

HEADLINE 2: Iran is reportedly turning to cryptocurrency to resuscitate its economy.

HEADLINE 3: The Treasury Department slapped sanctions on a network of nonprofits tied to Hamas.

HEADLINE 4: Israel is still schwacking Hezbollah in Lebanon.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Craig Singleton, senior director of FDD’s China Program.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Over the Barrel of a Gun: Syria’s Deal With the SDF" - Ahmad Sharawi, Real Clear World

"The mission behind Trump’s Board of Peace is simple — and critics keep getting it wrong" - Jonathan Schanzer, New York Post

"Assessing the China-Russia Threat Nexus in Technology and Information Warfare" - Craig Singleton, David Shedd, Ivana Stradner, and William Evanina, FDD Event

HEADLINE 2:  U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who also serves as Trump’s Syria envoy, thinks that things are going well in Damascus.

HEADLINE 3: The IDF began a sweeping counterterrorism operation in the West Bank city of Hebron.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Israeli American journalist Emily Schrader.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Persian Puzzles" - FDD's Foreign Podicy

"As Iran’s uprising intensifies, Israel cannot afford to sit this one out" - Saeed Ghasseminejad and Navid Mohebbi, Ynetnews

"Canada’s Bet on Beijing Puts USMCA at Risk" - Elaine Dezenski and Susan Soh

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

HEADLINE 1: Argentina is going after the Muslim Brotherhood.

HEADLINE 2: The U.S. Treasury Department rolled out a new sanctions package in support of the Iranian people. 

HEADLINE 3: It’s official. Phase two of the Gaza ceasefire has begun.

HEADLINE 4: Things are still going boom in Lebanon.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Advisor Jonathan Hessen.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

--

FDD Featured Pieces:

"The quiet way AI normalizes foreign influence" - Leah Siskind, Cyberscoop

"Egypt Sentences Christian Researcher Under Blasphemy Law, Underscoring a Recurrent Breach in U.S.-Egypt Relations" - Mariam Wahba, FDD

"Made in China, Paid by Seniors: Stopping the Surge of International Scams" - Nathan Picarsic, U.S. Senate Testimony

HEADLINE 2: More than a year has passed since the assassination of Hamas mastermind Yahya Sinwar. You’ll recall he was the man primarily responsible for the 10/7 slaughter.

HEADLINE 3: The Kurdish National Army — which is the military wing of the Kurdistan Freedom Party — captured the IRGC headquarters in the western Iranian town of Kermanshah.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Founder and President Cliff May.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: January" - FDD Experts

"Southern Exposure: Trump’s Arrest of Maduro Brings Opportunities and Dangers" - Cliff May feat. Carrie Filipetti, Foreign Podicy

"Mark Dubowitz: The regime clings to its ninth life" - Bill Roggio and Mark Dubowitz, Generation Jihad

"Don’t make the mistake Obama did, Mr. President, enforce your Iran ‘red line’" - Ahmad Sharawi, New York Post

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: A big Gaza announcement is expected.

HEADLINE 2: The Lebanese Armed Forces said it completed the first phase of its plan to deploy across south Lebanon and disarm non-state groups.

HEADLINE 3: An Iranian hacking group claimed it identified an Israeli agent coordinating Mossad operations inside Iran.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Gadeer Kamal Mreeh, former member of Knesset (Israel's parliament) and founder and CEO of GKM Global Consulting LLC.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Lebanon Must Become Independent of Saudi Arabia Too" - Hussain Abdul-Hussain, This is Beirut

"Can Iran Hold the Line Against Its Protesters?" - Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh, The Wall Street Journal

"How the UK Is Undermining US Indo-Pacific Security" - Alexander Gray and Cleo Paskal

HEADLINE 2: Over in Paris, Syria and Israel resumed security talks. And it looks like they might have made a breakthrough.

HEADLINE 3: Gidon Saar has landed in Somaliland.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Carine Hajjar, an opinion journalist for The Washington Post.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Why These Iranian Protests Are Different" - Behnam Ben Taleblu, The Free Press

"Recognizing Somaliland" - FDD's Foreign Podicy

"Why Trump bared his teeth and nabbed Venezuela’s Maduro — and it’s not just drugs" - Jonathan Schanzer, New York Post

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The United States just slapped new sanctions on Iran’s shadow oil fleet. 

HEADLINE 2: Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are mulling a military coalition to deter the Turks.

HEADLINE 3: U.S. MidEast envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Gaza ceasefire talks…. In Miami. 

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Joel Burnie, executive manager of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

---

Featured FDD Pieces:

"It’s time for Brussels to designate Yemen’s Houthis as a terrorist organization' - Behnam Ben Taleblu and Bridget Toomey, Euractiv

"Mostly quiet on the Gazan front" - Clifford D. May, The Washington Times

"How Turkey Props up Venezuela" - Sinan Ciddi and William Doran, The National Interest

HEADLINE 2: Israel facilitated the exit of more than 200 Palestinians from Gaza.

HEADLINE 3: Hamas is abusing Gazans. Again.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Miriam Haart, who starred in the hit Netflix TV series My Unorthodox Life.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Lebanon Must Pick the Abraham Accords over the Muslim Brotherhood" - Hussain Abdul-Hussain, This Is Beirut

"How to Finish off the Muslim Brotherhood" - Ahmad Sharawi, The National Interest

"Is Bondi Beach a sign that ISIS is making a comeback?" - Seth J. Frantzman, The Jerusalem Post

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.

HEADLINE 2: Israeli and Taiwanese officials recently conducted a series of secret meetings. 

HEADLINE 3: The U.S. and Israel wrapped up joint naval exercises yesterday.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Aviva Klompas, co-founder and CEO of Boundless.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Trojan Horse: China's Auto Threat to America" - Elaine Dezenski, Congressional Testimony

"Fight To Keep China Out of U.S. K-12 Classrooms Comes to Congress" - Jennifer Richmond, FDD

"A Free Venezuela Elevates U.S. Energy Security" - Saeed Ghasseminejad, RealClearWorld

HEADLINE 2: Israeli authorities raided a vacant United Nations Relief and Works Agency facility in East Jerusalem.

HEADLINE 3: The IDF discovered three crude rockets in the West Bank city of Tulkarem.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with activist, actress, and New York Times bestselling author Noa Tishby.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"The Widening Gulf Between Iran and the Gulf" - Behnam Ben Taleblu and Norman T. Roule, FDD's Foreign Podicy

"Al Jazeera’s Academic Arm Platforms Hamas Denialism and Anti-Israel Propaganda" - Toby Dershowitz, FDD Insight

"Anti-Israeli Countries’ Attempt To Ban Israel From Eurovision Song Contest Falls Flat — With Help From Germany, Austria" - David May, New York Sun

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 2: The Pentagon deployed a new type of drone to the Middle East.

HEADLINE 3: Iraq added Hezbollah and the Houthis to its asset freeze list.

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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow analyzes the latest headlines, followed by a pre-recorded conversation between Jon Schanzer and FDD Director of Impact and AI Research Fellow Leah Siskind.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"America needs to stop being naive in Gaza" - Bonnie Glick, Washington Reporter

"China’s Influence Operation in US Education Was Supposed To Be Shut Down, But Did Closing the Confucius Institutes Only Make It Stronger?" - Jennifer Richmond, The Washington Free Beacon

"Is Qatari Money Corrupting American Education?" - Natalie Ecanow, Townhall

HEADLINE 1: Saudi Arabia is providing the Palestinian Authority with a $90 million grant.

HEADLINE 2: Three Israeli soldiers were wounded in two separate attacks yesterday.

HEADLINE 3: The IDF raided the offices in Ramallah and Hebron of an organization called the Union of Agricultural Work Committees.

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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow, filling in for Jonathan Schanzer, provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Southern Transition Council Special Representative Amr Al-Bidh.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

---

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Trump is right to crack down on the Muslim Brotherhood" - Edmund Fitton-Brown, The Spectator

"Japan Has Changed How the World Must Think About Taiwan" - Craig Singleton, The New York Times

"Africa 2025: Things Fall Apart" - Clifford D. May, Foreign Podicy

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 2: The Palestinian economy is on the brink of collapse.

HEADLINE 3: The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or “GHF,” is wrapping up its operations in Gaza.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL).

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Iran Drops the Façade of Tolerance Toward Persian Jews" - Janatan Sayeh, National Review

"Reconstructing Gaza: The devil is in the detail" - Ben Cohen, JNS

"Oy, There's Too Much News" - The Commentary Magazine Podcast feat. Jonathan Schanzer

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The IDF carried out strikes against several Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in south Lebanon.

HEADLINE 2: Israeli prosecutors charged seven men suspected of smuggling arms from Syria into Israel.

HEADLINE 3: Israeli prosecutors charged seven men suspected of smuggling arms from Syria into Israel.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with former Israeli acting National Security Advisor BG (Res.) Prof. Jacob Nagel. 

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"New York, New York, it’s a socialist town" - Clifford D. May, The Washington Times

"Trump’s Gaza peace plan is doomed — unless he shuts down terror-boosting UNRWA" - Enia Krivine and Richard Goldberg, New York Post

"Is Iran Unraveling?" - Mark Dubowitz, The Iran Breakdown

HEADLINE 2: Syria opened its first trial over the mass killings of Alawite minorities last spring.

HEADLINE 3: Yee Haw! The State of Texas designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Eran Lahav, the head of the Middle East Department at the David Institute for Policy & Research of IDSF.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Maritime Protection of Taiwan’s Energy Vulnerability" - FDD Memo

"US Military Dominance Is the Backbone of Prosperity" - Saeed Ghasseminejad, The National Interest

"What Washington Should Demand From Riyadh Before Providing the F-35" - Bradley Bowman and Justin Leopold-Cohen, Real Clear Defense

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on over two dozen targets that support Iran’s ballistic missile and drone production networks.

HEADLINE 2: U.S. Central Command provided an update on operational activity in Syria.

HEADLINE 3: Israeli forces dismantled a Hamas network in the West Bank.

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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow, filling in for Jonathan Schanzer, provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Atlantic Council Nonresident Senior Fellow Sarah Zaaimi.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Previewing the Trump-MBS Meeting" - Jonathan Schanzer, Edmund Fitton-Brown, and Bradley Bowman, FDD

"With voting in Iraq complete, government formation begins" - Bridget Toomey, FDD's Long War Journal

"The war against Christians" - Clifford D. May, The Washington Times

HEADLINE 2: The Houthis might be hitting pause on their attacks against Israel and Red Sea shipping.

HEADLINE 3: Iran said it dismantled a spy network linked to Israel and the United States.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Adjunct Fellow Seth Frantzman, who serves as senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces

"Tehran’s Crisis is Iran’s Reckoning" - Janatan Sayeh, Real Clear World

"Fifty Years of Gaslighting Israel at the U.N." - David May and Ben Cohen, National Review

"Erhurman’s election a step towards peace, but beware of Ankara’s appetite" - Sinan Ciddi and William Doran, Kathimerini

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

HEADLINE 1: Israel is at its wit’s end with the porous Egyptian border.

HEADLINE 2: Israel and Greece wrapped up joint military exercises this week.

HEADLINE 3: Turkey held a terrorist summit in Istanbul on Wednesday.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Hebrew University Professor Netta Barak-Corren.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

--

Featured FDD Pieces:

"Learning the Right Lessons From ‘A House of Dynamite’" - Bradley Bowman and David Adesnik, Real Clear Defense

"Iranians Challenge the Regime by Celebrating Cyrus the Great" - Janatan Sayeh and Behnam Ben Taleblu, FDD

"The US must not endorse Russia and China’s vision for cybersecurity" - John Yoo and Ivana Stradner, The Hill

HEADLINE 2: The U.S. sent a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for the implementation of an International Stabilization Force, or “ISF,” which would operate in Gaza until 2027.

HEADLINE 3: On Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that Beirut has no choice but to sit down and talk with Israel.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Research Analyst Mariam Wahba, whose work focuses on Egypt and minority communities in the Middle East.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Israel 2040: Benny Gantz’s Vision for Security and Cooperation" - FDD Event

"How the U.S. Can Stay Ahead of China in Space" - Jack Burnham and Sophie McDowall, The Cipher Brief

"Aoun’s Push for Talks with Israel Must Overcome Hezbollah’s Ploys" - Hussain Abdul-Hussain, This is Beirut

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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FDD Senior Fellow Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Gadi Ezra, former director of Israel's National Public Diplomacy Unit.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Is Trump Getting Played by Xi?" - Matt Pottinger, The Free Press

"Trump rallies the allies to break China’s dangerous mineral, rare earths monopoly" - Elaine Dezenski, New York Post

"How Turkish Arms End Up in African Conflicts" - Sinan Ciddi and William Doran, Foreign Policy

HEADLINE 2: The Trump administration announced a new aid package for minorities in Syria.

HEADLINE 3: Turkish prosecutors filed new charges against Istanbul’s mayor.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Joseph Braude, president of the Center for Peace Communications.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Patient Extremism: The Many Faces of the Muslim Brotherhood" - FDD Memo

"Qatar’s Calculated Bet on the Islamic Republic" - Saeed Ghasseminejad, RealClearWorld

"Iraqi polls grapple with Israeli and Iranian relations as country prepares to vote" - Hussain Abdul-Hussain, New York Post

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

HEADLINE 1: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrapped up his tour of the Gulf with a trip to Oman.

HEADLINE 2: The warring Hamas and Fatah factions convened for discussions in Egypt yesterday to talk unity.

HEADLINE 3: Back to Turkey, where the country has renewed military deployment mandates for Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. 

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with writer and Middle East analyst Eitan Fischberger.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Georgian Dream’s Power Grab Sets Stage to Outlaw Opposition" - Keti Korkiya, FDD Policy Brief

"The UN Cybercrime Treaty: A Trojan Horse for Suppressing Dissent" - Ivana Stradner and Emily Hester, FDD Memo

"To Preserve the Gaza Deal, Keep Qatar at Arm’s Length" - Natalie Ecanow, FDD Policy Brief

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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HEADLINE 1: Hamas’s base of operations in Turkey is reportedly growing.

HEADLINE 2: Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani slammed Israel for committing genocide and violating the ceasefire in Gaza. Did he mention Hamas’s October 7 massacre? Nope.

HEADLINE 3: The new Syrian regime seized a massive haul of captagon pills.

BONUS HEADLINE 4: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad yesterday.

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"5 Ways the United States and Europe Must Help Ukraine Now" - RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, FDD Insight

"How the Muslim Brotherhood Built a Media Empire" - Mariam Wahba, The Free Press

"The New Middle East and the Challenges to Israel" - Jonathan Schanzer, Commentary

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 the Middle East Forum.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The Houthis announced the untimely passing of their military chief of staff, Muhammed al-Ghamari.

HEADLINE 2: Iranian oil tankers briefly came back online this week.

HEADLINE 3: Iran convicted two French citizens of espionage.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Research Analyst Bridget Toomey, whose research focuses on the Houthis and Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"50 Years of Anti-Zionist Propaganda: Why the UN’s ‘Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People’ Must Be Dismantled" - Ben Cohen and David May, FDD Memo

"The news from Gaza" - Cliff May, The Washington Times

"Buying the Hatchet" - Ahmad Sharawi, Foreign Policy

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Nadav Eyal, an award-winning Israeli journalist affiliated with Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynetnews.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief 

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus, FDD senior fellow and former IDF international spokesperson, and Ariel Oseran, senior Middle East correspondent for i24 News English.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer sits down with the families of hostages held in Gaza for a conversation recorded at the Kennedy Center on October 8, 2025 — just hours before details of the hostage deal began to emerge.

Recording credit: Production Management One (https://www.instagram.com/pm1pro/)

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The Treasury Department rolled out a fresh round of Iran sanctions. 

HEADLINE 2: The U.S. Department of Commerce added over a dozen Chinese companies to a restricted trade list. 

HEADLINE 3: Israel disrupted a major arms smuggling operation into the West Bank. 

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with former Israeli National Security Advisor Eyal Hulata.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Israel Moves To Counter Drone Threat on Egyptian Border" - Mariam Wahba, FDD

"Hamasniks in fox holes" - Cliff May, The Washington Times

"Recipe for Success: Guidance Based on the Experience of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission" - Sophie McDowall, FDD

HEADLINE 1: A prisoner exchange deal between Iran and France is in the works.

HEADLINE 2: Some interesting stuff coming out of Lebanon and Syria.

HEADLINE 3: Speaking of Syria, Syria and Kurdish Forces in the country agreed to a ceasefire yesterday.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with New York Times bestselling author Yossi Klein Halevi.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Combatting PRC Illegal, Coercive, Aggressive, and Deceptive Behavior in the Indo-Pacific" - Craig Singleton, Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee

"America must stop aiding our enemies by enabling the shadowy world of dirty cash" - Josh Birenbaum, New York Post

"Is Qatar Finally Ready to Split With Hamas?" - Natalie Ecanow, Wall Street Journal

HEADLINE 1: The U.S. government approved a new aid package for Lebanese security forces.

HEADLINE 2: Syria held elections for the first time since Bashar al-Assad’s fall.

HEADLINE 3: Israel intercepted all the boats and there was no violence or bloodshed. But poor Greta Thunberg was grumpy because she wasn’t greeted with hugs and a dance party.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow The Honorable Elliott Abrams, who formerly served as U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela and Deputy National Security Advisor.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces

"Trump will help Ukraine hit Putin where it hurts — to finally end his bloody war" - John Hardie, New York Post

"5 Ways to Curb Iran’s Oil Exports to China" - Saeed Ghasseminejad, The National Interest

"Europe Should Support Moldova Against Russian Meddling" - Ivana Stradner and RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Foreign Policy

"Hamas Says 'Yes, But...'" - Elliott Abrams, The Free Press

HEADLINE 1: German authorities arrested three suspected Hamas operatives one day before Yom Kippur.

HEADLINE 2: Israeli forces dismantled a large rocket cache in the West Bank. 

HEADLINE 3: Israel’s Navy intercepted the flotilla attempting to break the so-called blockade on Gaza. Except, guess what? The navy reports that a bunch of boats didn’t have any aid all.

HEADLINE 4: The U.S. Treasury Department slapped sanctions on 21 entities and 17 individuals involved in Iranian weapons procurement networks supporting the regime’s ballistic missile and military aircraft programs. 

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Amotz Eyal, founder and CEO of the Israeli newswire Tazpit Press Service (TPS).

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"The Quiet Return of Hezbollah’s Smuggling Network in Syria" - Ahmad Sharawi, FDD

"Trump Administration Plan for Gaza Puts Unprecedented and Unified Pressure on Hamas" - Aaron Goren, FDD

"8 UN Failures in Yemen" - Bridget Toomey, FDD

"Iran on Your Soil: Tehran’s Global Crime Network Exposed" - The Press Service of Israel

HEADLINE 1: The IDF took out two Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon.

HEADLINE 2: Israeli authorities thwarted an ISIS-linked bomb plot.

HEADLINE 3: The Houthis attacked a Dutch-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with journalist Frannie Block of The Free Press.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Hidden Huaweis" - Nathan Picarsic and Emily de La Bruyère, Real Clear Defense

"The Chance to Save Myanmar" - Dan Swift and Sean Turnell, Foreign Affairs

"FAQ: 5 Things to Know About Israel’s Gaza City Offensive" - Joe Truzman, FDD

"The Middle Kingdom Meets Higher Education" - Craig Singleton, FDD

HEADLINE 1: U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will travel to Egypt soon.

HEADLINE 2: The mayor of Gaza City reportedly sent a letter to President Trump.

HEADLINE 3: Another Houthi missile fired at Israel out of Yemen. Another Israeli interception.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with former UK Ambassador to Yemen and current FDD Senior Fellow Edmund Fitton-Brown.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"5 Recent Instances of Foreign Malign Influence Threatening U.S. National Security" - Mark Montgomery and Max Lesser, FDD

"When Erdoğan Shifted Focus to the Kurds in Syria" - Sinan Ciddi and Ahmad Sharawi, The Jerusalam Strategic Tribune

"Qatar Is Knocking on Canada’s Door" - Natalie Ecanow, FDD

HEADLINE 1: Italy and Spain deployed navy ships to escort the flotilla attempting to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza.

HEADLINE 2: Iran says it obtained a trove of documents about sensitive Israeli sites and nuclear facilities.

HEADLINE 3: Russia and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of nuclear power plants in Iran.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Council on Foreign Relations Adjunct Senior Fellow Henri Barkey.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"China Has Weaponized Battery Production Against the United States" - Elaine Dezenski and Josh Birenbaum, The National Interest

"The United Nations is falling apart" - Edmund Fitton-Brown, The Spectator

"Qatar is no Arab Switzerland" - Cliff May, The Washington Times

HEADLINE 1: If you weren’t already worried about the rise of thinking machines, you definitely want to think twice about getting your news from AI chatbots. 

HEADLINE 2: Israel will close the Allenby crossing between the West Bank and Jordan indefinitely.

HEADLINE 3: Hamas-led authorities in the Gaza Strip executed three alleged “collaborators” as they face rising pushback from militias. 

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Arab-Israeli journalist and social activist Yoseph Haddad.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Will Israel stop the carnage? A brutal occupation won’t work" - Reuel Marc Gerecht, UnHerd

"A Surge in Islamism Widens Rift Between Sudanese Army and Its Regional Allies" - Hussain Abdul-Hussain, FDD

"Palestine recognition would reward terrorism and contradict international law" - Irwin Cotler and Orde Kittrie, National Post

HEADLINE 1: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants Washington’s help diffusing tensions with Egypt. And man, is that overdue.

HEADLINE 2: Qatar is still making a stink about Israel’s strike in Doha.

HEADLINE 3: As the Gaza City offensive ramps up, Gaza-based terrorists fired two rockets at the southern Israeli city of Ashdod yesterday.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for MENA at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"As Beijing beckons, is Washington sleepwalking on Egypt?" - Mariam Wahba and Ryan Brobst, Breaking Defense

"Africa’s debt collector: China’s shifting role offers US a golden opportunity" - Daniel Swift, The Hill

"'Scientific Malpractice’: Israel Publishes 58-Page Report Dissecting Claims of Famine in Gaza" - David Adesnik, FDD

HEADLINE 1: Israel’s anti-missile laser system is nearly operational.

HEADLINE 2: Two Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack at the Allenby border crossing between Jordan and the West Bank.

HEADLINE 3: A Houthi drone evaded Israeli air defenses and slammed into a hotel in Eilat.

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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow, filling in for Jonathan Schanzer, provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Executive Director of the Hudson Institute's Public Interest Fellowship Garrett Exner.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"The United States Should be Prudent Regarding al-Sharaa’s Turn" - Jonathan Schanzer and Ahmad Sharawi, The National Interest

"Human Rights Are the Key to a Free Iran" - Janatan Sayeh, RealClearWorld

"US designates 4 Iran-backed Iraqi militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations" - Bridget Toomey, FDD's Long War Journal

HEADLINE 1: The Treasury Department rolled out a fresh batch of Iran sanctions.

HEADLINE 2: In response to Israel's strike against Hamas leaders in Doha, representatives from nearly 60 Arab and Islamic countries convened in Qatar to lash out at Israel.

HEADLINE 3: Israel carried out strikes against Yemen’s Hodeidah Port.

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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow, filling in for Jonathan Schanzer, provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Vice President of Research David Adesnik.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"The Saudi-Qatari Competition for Influence in Syria" - Ahmad Sharawi and Natalie Ecanow, The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune

"Three years later, Iran’s freedom martyr Mahsa Amini inspires demands for change" - Rich Goldberg and Benham Ben Taleblu, New York Post

"President Trump, Don’t Settle for Empty Promises on Reindustrialization" - Emily de La Bruyere and Nathan Picarsic, Newsweek

For COGAT statistics on humanitarian aid in Gaza: https://gaza-aid-data.gov.il/mainhome#AidData

HEADLINE 1: Yesterday, the IDF issued evacuation orders for at least three high-rise buildings in Gaza City, including a tower at the Islamic University.

HEADLINE 2: Another Israeli citizen was caught spying for Iran.

HEADLINE 3: Arab countries are considering establishing a joint military force.

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FDD Senior Fellow Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Shane O'Connor, a humanitarian advisor to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD pieces:

"Wasn’t Hell Supposed to Break Loose if the U.S. Struck Iran?" - Reuel Marc Gerecht and CFR's Ray Takeyh, The Wall Street Journal

"Lessons from Doha: Eject Hamas now" - Ahmad Sharawi, The Hill

"המבצע הבא בעזה חייב להתחיל במסיבת עיתונאים" - Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus, Israel's N12 News

"The art of lying about Israel" - Cliff May, The Washington Times

HEADLINE 1: The Pentagon approved a new security assistance package for Lebanon.

HEADLINE 2: Speaking of Hezbollah, guess who busted a Hezbollah cell? The Syrian army.

HEADLINE 3: The Treasury Department rolled out fresh sanctions targeting Houthi financial networks.

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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow, filling in for Jonathan Schanzer, provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Hussain Abdul-Hussain, an FDD research fellow who specializes in the Gulf region and Yemen.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Articles:

"Turkey Could Be Next in Israel’s Cross-hairs After Qatar. The Consequences? Catastrophic" - Sinan Ciddi, Haaretz

"Baghdad Has an Opportunity To Counter Illicit Iranian Activity in Iraq. Will the Government Take It?" - Bridget Toomey, FDD Policy Brief

"From Playground to Classroom: The Spread of Antisemitism in K-12 Schools" - Brandy Shufutinsky, Congressional Testimony

HEADLINE 1: Qatar isn’t the only target for the Israel in the last 48 hours — Syria was hit, too.

HEADLINE 2: Israel ordered the full evacuation of Gaza City.

HEADLINE 3: Tensions are soaring between Israel and Spain.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ambassador Edward Gabriel, president and CEO of the American Task Force on Lebanon.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Articles:

"Building the Future U.S. Cyber Force" - RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Dr. Erica Lonergan, FDD Monograph

"China’s money launderers are bankrolling America’s fentanyl epidemic" - Max Meizlish and Elaine Dezenski, The Hill

"Why Israel Shouldn’t Celebrate Lebanon’s Promise to Disarm Hezbollah Just Yet" - David Daoud, Haaretz

"Hamas’ Chief Negotiator Is a Terrorist, Not a Peacemaker" - Jonathan Schanzer and Ahmad Sharawi, The Dispatch

HEADLINE 1: Some major weekend action from the Houthis. Yesterday, the Iran-backed terrorists launched an explosive drone at Israel, and it made impact.

HEADLINE 2: In some more Houthi news, the government in Southern Yemen accused Iran of helping their enemies in the north of Yemen, the Houthis, produce chemical weapons.

HEADLINE 3: Saudi Arabia is expanding its role in post-Assad Syria.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Aaron MacLean, an FDD Senior Advisor and host of the "School of War" podcast. 

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Featured FDD Articles:

"China Won’t Get Addicted to America’s Chips" - Craig Singleton, The Wall Street Journal

"How the U.N. Became Hamas’s Partner" - Cliff May and Richard Goldberg, FDD's Foreign Podicy

"FDD's Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: September" - John Hardie

HEADLINE 1: Israel launched a satellite into space.

HEADLINE 2: Apparently, Tehran had increased its stockpile of enriched uranium in the weeks before Israel launched its first preemptive strike on the program in June.

HEADLINE 3: The Shin Bet thwarted a plot to assassinate Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Emily Schrader, an Israeli journalist, author, and activist who serves as a news anchor at ILTV News Israel.

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Featured FDD Articles:

"Turkey’s Quiet Relationship with ISIS" — Sinan Ciddi in The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune

"Xi’s military parade showed just how dangerous China has become" — Bradley Bowman in The New York Post

"10 Takeaways From Simulated Attacks on Taiwan’s Energy Sector" — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Craig Singleton, Johanna Yang, and Jack Burnham, FDD Insight

HEADLINE 1: The Trump administration dialed up the pressure on Iran.

HEADLINE 2: The Houthis took a beating. And then they raided UN offices in Yemen over the weekend.

HEADLINE 3: Another European country plans to recognize a state of Palestine.

BONUS HEADLINE 4: Purported environmentalist Greta Thunberg is trying to send another flotilla to Gaza.

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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Yaakov Katz, former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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Featured FDD Articles:

"What if Israel Was Right and the Arabs Were Wrong?" — Hussain Abdul-Hussain, This Is Beirut

"By Tying Ukraine’s Hands, the Pentagon Undermines Trump" — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and John Hardie, The Wall Street Journal

"The Shadows Moscow Casts Over Historian Mark Galeotti" — Cliff May and Mark Galeotti, FDD's Foreign Podicy

HEADLINE 1: It’s official. France, Britain, and Germany are planning to reimpose sanctions on Iran.

HEADLINE 2: UNIFIL’s days are officially numbered.

HEADLINE 3: Israeli officials issued an arrest warrant for an American who was lobbying for Qatar in the country.

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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Jacob Baime, CEO of the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC).

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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Featured FDD Articles:

"5 Urgent Tasks for the New National Cyber Director" — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Annie Fixler, FDD Insight

"A Year of Meming Dangerously: Iranian Influence Operations Targeting Israel Since October 7" — Ari Ben Am, FDD Memo

"Qatar’s growing footprint in Africa" — Natalie Ecanow, FDD's Long War Journal

HEADLINE 1: Australia and Iran are engaged in a heavyweight diplomatic spat.

HEADLINE 2: The IDF conducted a rare daytime raid in Ramallah yesterday.

HEADLINE 3: Officials from France, Britain, and Germany met with an Iranian delegation in Geneva yesterday to discuss the looming snapback sanctions.

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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Ambassador Dennis Ross, The Washington Institute's William Davidson Distinguished Fellow and a former Israeli-Palestinian peace process negotiator under Presidents H. W. Bush and Clinton.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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Featured FDD Articles:

"Iran faces a perfect storm of domestic failures" - Janatan Sayeh and Navid Mohebbi, JNS

"Oil holds the key to Ukraine war’s end — if Trump plays hardball" - Rich Goldberg and John Hardie, New York Post

"Reexamining the U.S.-South Africa Relationship" - FDD Virtual Event

HEADLINE 1: Iran just might limit its uranium enrichment to avoid further punishment from Israel and the West.

HEADLINE 2: Egypt is reportedly bolstering its military presence along the border with Gaza.

HEADLINE 3: U.S. envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack and deputy special envoy Morgan Ortagus arrived in Israel yesterday.

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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Jonathan Hessen, nonresident senior fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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Featured FDD Articles:

"For the First Time in 25 Years, Syria Acknowledges Direct Talks With Israel" - Ahmad Sharawi, FDD Policy Brief

"Behind Khamenei's post-war shake up: Salvaging the remains of the 'Axis of Resistance'" - Saeed Ghasseminejad, The Jerusalem Post

"Exodus or Endurance: The Plight of Egypt’s Christians" - Cliff May and Mariam Wahba, FDD's Foreign Podicy

HEADLINE 1: The Trump administration just went scorched earth on the International Criminal Court with fresh sanctions.

HEADLINE 2: An Israeli imprisoned in Lebanon for over a year has quietly been freed — no prisoner swap needed.

HEADLINE 3: Tensions are running high in the West Bank.

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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH).

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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Featured FDD Articles:

"The single negotiation goal with Iran should be complete dismantlement of nuclear program" - Mark Dubowitz and Brig. Gen. (Res.) Jacob Nagel

"Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: August 4–17, 2025" - David Daoud

"The Iran Breakdown: American Economic and Financial Power and the Iran File" - Mark Dubowitz and Juan Zarate

HEADLINE 1: Hamas has possibly agreed to a 60-day ceasefire with Israel. But don’t hold your breath. The terms are 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences.

HEADLINE 2: Yesterday, the families of the “Beautiful Six” commemorated one year since Hamas murdered their loved ones in cold blood.

HEADLINE 3: Israel and Australia are locking horns — and things are only getting worse.

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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Jonas Du, a fellow at The Free Press.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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Featured FDD Articles:

"Donald Trump Set a Nuclear Precedent. Now He Must Enforce It" - Andrea Stricker and Henry Sokolski in The National Interest

"The urgent need to procure more THAAD interceptors" - Bradley Bowman and Ryan Brobst in Defense News

"Top US teachers’ union supports Palestinian counterpart with terror-linked leader" - Brandy Shufutinsky in JNS

HEADLINE 1: The family of Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker released a new video of him in Hamas captivity.

HEADLINE 2: Israel is preparing a full-scale offensive in Gaza City.

HEADLINE 3: Israel struck the Houthis where it hurts — again.

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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/

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Featured FDD articles:

"Nvidia⁩ Games: China v. the US in AI Arms Race" — FDD's Foreign Podicy with Cliff May

"Egypt Inks Multi-Billion Dollar Energy Deal With Israel Despite Gaza Tensions" — FDD Policy Brief by Mariam Wahba

"China Has Most To Gain From Trump-Putin Talks in Alaska" — Craig Singleton

HEADLINE 1: Israel is reportedly in talks with several countries to take in Palestinians from Gaza.

HEADLINE 2: Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, visited Beirut this week.

HEADLINE 3: Turkey and Syria signed a defense cooperation agreement.

BONUS HEADLINE 4: France, Germany, and the UK may reimpose sanctions on Iran.

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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with FDD Research Analyst Janatan Sayeh, who specializes in Iranian domestic affairs and the regime’s malign influence in the region.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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Featured FDD articles:

"The Houthis and the U.N.’s Ship of Fools" by Max Meizlish and Bridget Toomey

"Ukraine peace is in reach — if Trump meets Putin’s demands with US vigor" by RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and John Hardie

"America’s fair-weather friends" by Cliff May

HEADLINE 1: Iran reported a new statistic about last month’s 12-day war. Between June 13 and 24: Iranian police arrested 21,000 people.

HEADLINE 2: The evidence against Hamas’s claim of starvation in Gaza is mounting, even as the accusations against Israel continue to fly.

HEADLINE 3: The IDF eliminated five armed terrorists masquerading as World Central Kitchen workers.

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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with FDD Research Analyst Ahmad Sharawi, who specializes in the Levant.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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Featured FDD articles:

"Analysis: Armenia–Azerbaijan deal worries Iran" by Janatan Sayeh

"U.S. and Partners Conclude Month of Military Exercises in the Pacific While Eyeing China" by Cameron McMillan and Roc Iore

"Mapping a Shadow War: Explosions Across Iran After the 12-Day War" by FDD Visuals Team and NUFDI

HEADLINE 1: Iran has sent its surviving nuclear scientists into hiding.

HEADLINE 2: The IDF foiled another attempt to smuggle weapons from Egypt into Israel.

HEADLINE 3: White House envoy Steve Witkoff met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani in Ibiza, Spain over the weekend.

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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with journalist Dan Raviv, host of “The Mossad Files” podcast.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

HEADLINE 1: The United Nations has finally engaged with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or “GHF.”

HEADLINE 2: The Lebanese government approved a U.S. proposal to disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025.

HEADLINE 3: Israel signed a major energy export deal with Egypt.

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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Carrie Filipetti, executive director of The Vandenberg Coalition.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

HEADLINE 1: A group of Iranian scientists secretly visited Russian nuclear facilities last year.

HEADLINE 2: Israel is snarling at the United Nations, and it’s high drama.

HEADLINE 3: The multi-front war in the Middle East continues on, uh, multiple fronts.

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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/

HEADLINE 1: Turkey hosted a senior Hamas delegation this weekend.

HEADLINE 2: White House envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited Gaza on Friday.

HEADLINE 3: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or “UNRWA,” is feeling the heat here in the United States.

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FDD Executive Director President Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Major (Ret.) Andrew Fox, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The Trump administration is forging ahead with its maximum pressure campaign.

HEADLINE 2: In more sanctions news, the Trump administration sanctioned the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority.

HEADLINE 3: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun intensified his call for Hezbollah to disarm.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: Syrian refugees displaced during the country’s civil war are starting to return home.

HEADLINE 2: The IDF has released an assessment of its Fall 2024 campaign against Hezbollah.

HEADLINE 3: The Houthis have again threatened to escalate attacks against international shipping.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Nadav Eyal, an award-winning Israeli journalist affiliated with Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynetnews.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: Israel has taken a good first step by implementing daily tactical pauses in Gaza.

HEADLINE 2: As if to underscore the need for a pause, two more Israelis were killed in action.

HEADLINE 3: As if we didn’t have enough Gaza news to cover today, President Trump is reportedly rethinking his Gaza strategy.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Aaron Magid, former Amman-based journalist and author of a biography of Jordan's King Abdullah.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: Saudi Arabia announced $6.4 billion worth of investments in Syria.

HEADLINE 2: Another country is poised to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

HEADLINE 3: 8 Israeli soldiers were injured yesterday.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with David Daoud, FDD Senior Fellow and expert on Lebanon and Hezbollah.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned a petroleum smuggling and sanctions evasion network that generates cash for the Houthis.

HEADLINE 2: A round of nuclear talks is scheduled to take place on Friday between Iran, Britain, France, and Germany – the E3.

HEADLINE 3: The U.S. pulled out of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ).

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The Israeli army is moving into Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

HEADLINE 2: Hostage families slammed IDF’s Deir al-Balah ground op — fearing for their loved ones’ lives.

HEADLINE 3: More allegations of Israeli brutality in Gaza. And more denials from Israel.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Einat Wilf, author, former Israeli Knesset member, and foreign policy advisor to the late Shimon Peres.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: Israel launched a national awareness campaign warning Israelis of Iranian recruitment attempts.

HEADLINE 2: The Yemeni National Resistance Forces intercepted a shipment of Iranian weapons.

HEADLINE 3: President Trump met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at the White House on Wednesday.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Reverend Johnnie Moore, chairman of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Adjunct Fellow Seth J. Frantzman, who serves as a senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely updates and expert analysis, followed by a conversation with Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-born Israeli lecturer, author, and expert on Iranian politics.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely updates and expert analysis, followed by a conversation with Roi Kais, Arab affairs correspondent for Israel's Channel 11.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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 targets in Germany.

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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation between Jonathan Schanzer and award-winning investigative journalist Lisa Daftari, who serves as the editor-in-chief for The Foreign Desk.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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 West Bank.

BONUS HEADLINE 4: Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi issued a fatwa against President Donald Trump.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Jonathan Panikoff, who directs the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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

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The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a Washington, DC-based nonpartisan 501(c)(3) research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy. FDD does not accept donations from any foreign governments.

FDD conducts in-depth research, produces accurate and timely analyses, identifies illicit activities, and provides policy options – all with the aim of strengthening U.S. national security and reducing or eliminating threats posed by adversaries and enemies of the United States and other free nations.

Founded shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001, FDD conducts actionable research, prepared by experts and scholars from a variety of backgrounds – including government, intelligence, military, private sector, academia, and journalism. It brings proficiency in foreign languages, law, finance, technology, and other skills to its work.

FDD regularly provides open-source research and analyses to policymakers and the media. Since its founding, FDD has shared its expertise with the Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations and congressional offices on a bipartisan basis.

In addition to its in-house experts, FDD proudly collaborates with and seeks counsel from a range of distinguished advisors. FDD houses three centers on American power, which include FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power, FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power, and FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation.

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Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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 Iran.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Chief Executive Mark Dubowitz, who hosts FDD's new podcast, The Iran Breakdown.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, delivering timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of FDD's Iran Program.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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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

The Islamic Republic — closer than ever to acquiring a nuclear weapon — had dismissed U.S. diplomatic overtures and accelerated its nuclear program in ways that clearly exceed any plausible civilian use.

What are the implications for regional security and America’s allies? How will these developments affect Iran’s nuclear trajectory? And how might continued escalation shift the strategic balance across the Middle East and beyond?

To deconstruct, Jonathan Schanzer hosts an all-star lineup of experts: RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus, Eyal Hulata, and Mark Dubowitz.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak — author, researcher, and one of the world’s foremost experts on Turkey — from the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Founder and President Cliff May.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Sinan Ciddi, director of FDD's Turkey Program.

Learn more at: www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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 Gaza aid front.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely updates and sharp analysis, followed by a conversation with writer and Middle East analyst Eitan Fischberger.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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 it is.

HEADLINE 3: A Saudi-led delegation of Arab foreign ministers was supposed to visit the West Bank yesterday. Israel blocked it.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely updates and sharp analysis, followed by a conversation with John Spencer, who serves as the chair of urban warfare studies at West Point's Modern War Institute.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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 again in Damascus.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely updates and sharp analysis, followed by a conversation with Jacob Magid, who serves as the U.S. bureau chief at The Times of Israel.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely updates and sharp analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Distinguished Fellow Scooter Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Brandy Shufutinsky, director of FDD's brand-new program on education and national security.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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 announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of Hezbollah financial networks.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Research Analyst Mariam Wahba, whose work focuses on Egypt and minority communities in the Middle East.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Barak Barfi, a Middle East scholar who specializes in Arab and Islamic affairs.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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 was coupled with a major request: that Syria join the Abraham Accords with Israel.

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FDD Research Fellow Hussain Abdul-Hussain fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with Nadim Koteich, a Lebanese journalist and political analyst who serves as the general manager of Sky News Arabia.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation between Jonathan Schanzer and Andrea Stricker, deputy director of FDD's Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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 Syria.

HEADLINE 3: The IDF almost attacked Yemen.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Andrew Ghalili, senior policy analyst at the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI).

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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 on the Hudson.

HEADLINE 3: Israel’s ‘Qatargate’ scandal has gotten even messier.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of FDD's Iran Program.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow and former IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with British historian and author Lord Andrew Roberts, who chaired the United Kingdom's October 7 Parliamentary Commission Report.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: On Wednesday, two Israeli reservists were wounded in a roadside bomb attack in the northern West Bank.

HEADLINE 2: Seven Iranian entities were slapped with U.S. sanctions on Wednesday.

HEADLINE 3: Reuters published details from a 33-page document its reporters found in Damascus after the Assad regime was toppled.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Frannie Block, a reporter for The Free Press.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The Navy lost a $60 million fighter jet because of a Houthi missile attack.

HEADLINE 2: An Israeli district court sentenced an Israeli citizen to 10 years in prison for treason.

HEADLINE 3: Sectarian clashes broke out near Damascus in what people are still calling the new Syria.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The Palestinian Liberation Organization has a new vice president.

HEADLINE 2: The Houthis launched yet another ballistic missile at Israel on Saturday morning.

HEADLINE 3: Qatar and Saudi Arabia are settling Syria’s debt to the World Bank.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with author and Free Press columnist Batya Ungar-Sargon.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

HEADLINE 1: The Palestinian Liberation Organization Central Council held a two-day meeting this week.

HEADLINE 2: Iran may be operating a new, deeply buried tunnel and an expanded security perimeter near the Natanz nuclear site.

HEADLINE 3: Interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa says he is open to normalizing ties with Israel.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Reichman University lecturer Rachel Gur, who formerly served as deputy CEO of Lobby 99.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: Egypt and Qatar reportedly tabled a new ceasefire proposal.

HEADLINE 2: Another day, another round of Iran sanctions.

HEADLINE 3: Egypt and China kicked off their first-ever joint air force exercise.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Saeed Ghasseminejad, senior Iran and financial economic advisor at FDD.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

HEADLINE 1: Turkish Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin met with Hamas leaders over the weekend. 

HEADLINE 2: The U.S. and Iran held a second round of nuclear talks in Rome.

HEADLINE 3: Hamas launched a deadly attack against Israeli troops in northern Gaza.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Juan Zarate, former deputy national security advisor for combating terrorism under George W. Bush and chairman and co-founder of FDD's Center on Economic and Financial Power.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani arrived in Moscow yesterday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

HEADLINE 2: Hamas is on the verge of bankruptcy.

HEADLINE 3: The U.S. Treasury sanctioned the International Bank of Yemen.

HEADLINE 4: Lebanese forces detained multiple people who fired rockets into Israel last month.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with actress and producer Debra Messing, who has used her platform to stand with Israel and against antisemitism in the wake of October 7, 2023.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: Jordan arrested 16 people linked to the Muslim Brotherhood who were involved in a plot to undermine Jordan with targeted attacks.

HEADLINE 2: The European Union announced a new aid package for the Palestinian Authority.

HEADLINE 3: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says 2025 is the year that the Lebanese Armed Forces must gain a monopoly of arms in his country.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ryan Brobst, a senior research analyst at FDD's Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP).

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The IDF struck a Hamas command center inside Gaza’s al-Ahli hospital.

HEADLINE 2: Syrian President Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani was on a charm offensive this weekend. Yes, I still called him by the name he used when he was openly leading an Al-Qaeda affiliate group.

HEADLINE 3: The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are reportedly planning to sign a nuclear energy cooperation agreement.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis on headlines of the Middle East, followed by a conversation with FDD Chief Executive Mark Dubowitz, who hosts FDD's brand-new podcast, The Iran Breakdown.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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.

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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 Boston Globe.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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.

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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 Tonight" and "The Watchman" on TBN.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ahmed Atef, a former Yemeni diplomat who now serves as the U.S. representative of the Southern Transitional Council.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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 financiers and procurement operatives.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Emily Schrader, an Israeli journalist, author, and activist who serves as a news anchor at ILTV News.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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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.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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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 the Middle East Forum.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer and Hudson Institute Adjunct Fellow Garrett Exner who also serves as the executive director of the Public Interest Fellowship.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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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 formerly served as the mayor of Beverly Hills. 

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Senior Vice President Jonathan Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis on headlines of the Middle East, followed by a conversation with Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for MENA at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Learn more at: www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

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.

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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 Tablet Magazine.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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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

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Grant Rumley, who directs The Washington Institute for Near East Policy's Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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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

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Lianne Pollak-David, founding partner of the newly established Coalition for Regional Security.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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 funding to Columbia University, revoking $400 million due to the institution’s failure to respond to campus antisemitism.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with award-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated producer, and bestselling author Yardena Schwartz. 

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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 Chemical Weapons, or the OPCW.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Giran Ozcan, who serves as the executive director of the Kurdish Peace Institute.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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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, social media, and American streets in the wake of Hamas' October 7 massacre in southern Israel.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Henri J. Barkey, the Bernard L. and Bertha F. Cohen Chair in International Relations at Lehigh University and adjunct senior fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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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, and Adam Tarsi of the Department of Defense's Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC).

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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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 more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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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 Financial Power.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Dan Feferman, a Middle East and Jewish studies scholar who serves as the chairman of the peace-building NGO Sharaka.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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.

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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 Director at Startup Nation Central.

Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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"Israel Victory: How Zionists Win Acceptance and Palestinians Get Liberated," by Daniel Pipes: https://a.co/d/0c354bqP

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