FDD Morning Brief

Headlines: Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan met with a group of Hamas officials in Ankara over the weekend. The New York Times reported over the weekend that Russia is shipping drone components to Iran through the Caspian Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. The Wall Street Journal ran an exclusive on Saturday detailing how the Israelis set up a secret military post in Iraq that hosted special...

Headlines: The Iranian regime and the United States traded fire in the Strait of Hormuz last night. The Trump administration issued another batch of sanctions as part of Operation Economic Fury. Reports yesterday suggested that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait blocked the United States from using their bases and their airspace after President Trump announced Project Freedom. Iranian President Masoud Pezesh...

Headlines: Reports broke suggesting that U.S. intelligence indicates Iran would need about nine months to a year to build a nuclear bomb. The United States, in partnership with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar proposed a UN Security Resolution to defend freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates came under attack on Monday and again yesterday....

Headlines: Hezbollah has been deploying a new category of drone that the IDF has struggled to counter. OPEC+, the broader alliance of oil-producing nations that includes OPEC members and additional producers like Russia, met on Sunday and agreed to bump up oil production by 188,000 barrels a day starting in June. U.S.-Iran negotiations hit another wall this past weekend. -- FDD Turkey Program Dire...

Headlines: The Global Sumud Flotilla is back — this time without Greta Thunberg. Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei released a written statement yesterday to mark National Persian Gulf Day.  Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems reportedly signed a letter of intent with Volkswagen to acquire one of VW’s factories in western Germany. FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow fills in for J...

Headlines: The United Arab Emirates announced that it’s leaving the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. Tensions are brewing between Israel and Ukraine over allegations that Israeli authorities are allowing vessels carrying “stolen” grain to dock at Haifa port. Earlier this week, Israeli journalist Amit Segal posted a few paragraphs on X explaining that, according to his so...

Headlines: An attempt on the life of the president of the United States on Saturday night. The talks scheduled between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States over the weekend didn’t happen.  A serious exchange of hostilities over the weekend between Israel and Hezbollah over there in the Land of the Cedars. Security services in Israel busted a Hamas financing cell in the West Bank and...

Headlines: Israeli authorities charged two IDF Air Force mechanics with spying on behalf of Iran. France is getting feistier, threatening to impose sanctions on Israel if Jerusalem doesn’t change course in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. President Trump attended a meeting between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors at the White House yesterday. A couple of announcements out of Washington relati...

Headlines: At least two maritime vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations. The Treasury Department issued a fresh batch of Iran sanctions , this time targeting Iranian missile and drone procurement networks. The UAE government dismantled an Iran-linked terrorist cell that was allegedly planning terrorist attacks and sabotage operations...

Headlines: The U.S. negotiation team is heading to Islamabad for round two of U.S.-Iran talks, and they’re opening under considerably worse conditions than round one. Egypt is working with Pakistan on lasting U.S.-Iran peace, says Egypt's Foreign Minister. Sudan enters its fourth year of war amid the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis. -- FDD Research Analyst Mariam Wahba fills in for Jon...

Headlines: A ten-day ceasefire is now in effect in Lebanon. The Treasury Department issued a fresh batch of sanctions targeting a network of people, companies, and ships involved in illicitly smuggling Iranian oil. A group of U.S. senators sent a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche asking him to explain why the Trump administration dropped a criminal case against Turkey’s Halkbank. Syri...

Headlines: Lebanon and Israel held direct talks for the first time in decades. The Trump administration is gearing up for its blockade of Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf. There are plans for new ceasefire talks in Islamabad. The UK and France are planning to host virtual talks to iron out a strategy for securing the Strait of Hormuz. A defense cooperation memorandum of understanding between It...

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Miad Maleki. Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines: 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 co...

Headlines: 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. -- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational update...

Today's headlines: 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 co...

Today's headlines: 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: "...

Today's headlines: 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. -- FDD Research Analyst Maria...

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Major General (Ret.) Amir Eshel. Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Today's headlines: 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 ba...

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ). Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with former U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook. Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Adjunct Senior Fellow Peter Doran, who authored the FDD Monograph "Winning the Race of the Red Queen: How U.S. Sanctions Can Outpace Russia’s Evasion." They discuss how Russia and Iran have adapted to U.S. sanctions, why economic pressure often falls short, and wha...

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Distinguished Fellow Lewis Libby. Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations. Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief