Iraq’s Ministry of Finance issued an order imposing sanctions on Hezbollah-linked individuals and entities that mirrors US designations from March and June. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi is currently visiting the United States, where he hopes to garner support for an expanded economic partnership and prove his government’s commitment to countering Iranian influence. Read more →
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi met US President Donald Trump and other US officials during his first official visit to Washington since taking office. The talks focused on security cooperation, investment, and Iraq's plans to bring weapons held by Iranian-backed militias under state control. While Trump praised Zaidi's leadership, the visit also drew criticism from pro-Iranian factions in Iraq and skepticism from some US lawmakers. Read more →
On July 16, Syrian authorities intercepted a weapons shipment concealed in an Iraqi oil tanker and bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon. The tanker contained a wide range of sophisticated weapons and components, including first-person-view drones, fiber-optic spools, drone warheads, anti-tank missiles, and cruise-missile components. Read more →
The Iran ceasefire is dead. FDD Research Analyst Janatan Sayeh and Bill Roggio discuss whether Europe may finally be turning on Tehran, whether Israel will rejoin the active fight, and whether the weakened Islamic Regime survives by unleashing its terror proxies across the Gulf. Read more →
Syria has convened its first parliament since the fall of the Assad regime, marking another milestone in the country's political transition under President Ahmad al Sharaa. The assembly's opening comes as Syria expands diplomatic engagement and attempts to strengthen regional and international ties. Read more →
The Houthis and Iran attempted to resume direct flights between Tehran and Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital of Yemen, in early July. On July 14, Saudi Arabia struck Sanaa International Airport to prevent one such flight, prompting the Houthis to launch missiles at Saudi Arabia in response. Read more →
On June 26, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement, mediated by the United States, to permanently end their state of conflict and address its root causes—primarily, Hezbollah’s arms. While the deal is promising on its face, significant parts of it may be difficult or impossible to implement under Lebanon’s current domestic conditions. Read more →
The United States is on pace for another record year of military strikes in Somalia in 2026. At least 74 strikes have been carried out so far, the majority targeting Al Qaeda’s Shabaab—a clear shift from 2025, when the US set a record for strikes and focused most of them on the Islamic State’s local affiliate. Read more →
The US-led Board of Peace said on July 8 that it would soon begin setting up a “pilot zone” in Gaza that would bring unarmed civilians screened for Hamas links across the Yellow Line into the Israeli-controlled portion of the territory. Meanwhile, Hamas has escalated ceasefire violations in the areas it still controls as the group works to rebuild its forces. Read more →
The Trump administration initiated a rescission of Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism on July 8. The decision follows President Donald Trump's meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al Sharaa at the NATO summit in Ankara and comes amid broader US and European efforts to reintegrate Syria into the international community. Read more →
Iraqi elites received the body of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as his funeral procession toured Iraq’s Shiite holy cities on July 8. Notably, Iraq’s top cleric did not say prayers or attend the ceremony due to stated health reasons. Read more →
The Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran faced its most significant test yet on July 7 after Iran attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington responded with a new round of military strikes and sharply narrowed its oil sanctions waiver, with both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement. Read more →
Hamas said that it is prepared to dissolve its governing institutions in Gaza and transfer authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a key component of the US- and UN-backed ceasefire framework. As negotiations continue, Israeli officials argue that Hamas surrendering administrative control without relinquishing weapons would leave Hamas as the dominant force behind the scenes. Read more →
A new 14-point trilateral framework toward ending hostilities in Lebanon puts Hezbollah, Iran’s strongest terror proxy, at a crossroads. Disarm and let Lebanon reclaim its southern border—or keep threatening Israel and risk blowing up the fragile US-Iran peace deal. FDD Senior Fellow David Daoud joins Bill Roggio to break down what's really at stake in these negotiations. Read more →
Over the past two years, the Islamic Republic has engaged in at least 15 distinct ballistic missile operations from its territory against foreign targets. Despite a pause in these attacks in 2023, the 2024–2026 period resumed a trend of increasing Iranian missile operations in the region between 2017–2022. Read more →