Iran's military has been shattered. The Strait of Hormuz remains contested. Three months in, Bill Roggio and FDD's Jon Schanzer examine why quick victories are rare, patience is scarce, and this war is entering its most consequential phase yet. Read more →
Iraqi nationalist cleric Muqtada al Sadr announced that his militia, Saraya al Salam, will integrate into state security institutions. This development comes as Iraq’s new political leadership is navigating the issue of disarming Iran-backed militias. Read more →
Syria moved forward with another round of local elections on May 24 as the government seeks to strengthen its legitimacy and extend authority following years of conflict. The vote came as Damascus said it was working with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to turn over remnants of the previous Assad regime’s chemical weapons program. Read more →
On May 28, Israel conducted its first strike in weeks targeting Beirut. The Israelis have yet to confirm it, but reporting indicates that the intended target was Ali al Hussaini, a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Forces’ Imam Hossein Division. This division, whose origins were in the Syrian Civil War, has been reinforcing Hezbollah throughout the conflict with Israel that began in October 2023. Read more →
Less than two weeks after Hamas named Mohammed Odeh as its new military commander, Israel eliminated him. The IDF also targeted a number of other high-profile Hamas members as the terrorist group continues refusing to disarm. Read more →
During his message for Eid al Adha, Ali Mohamad Rage, Shabaab’s top spokesman, congratulated the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), Al Qaeda’s branch in West Africa, for its recent victories in Mali. Rage also praised Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and denounced American and Turkish activities in Somalia. Read more →
The Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) said Iranian drones and a missile struck one of its facilities near Erbil on May 25, wounding nine Peshmerga, while other camps were reportedly also targeted in recent weeks. Kurdish Iranian opposition groups, operating from Iraq’s Kurdistan Region for decades, formed a coalition to coordinate activities in February. The attacks come as Iraq’s new government seeks to curb armed groups and address regional security concerns. Read more →
Hezbollah's missiles may be depleted, but cheap FPV drones are changing the battlefield — slipping past defenses, targeting Israeli troops, and exposing a dangerous new vulnerability. Bill Roggio and David Daoud unpack Hezbollah’s drone evolution, the psychological warfare behind the footage, and why Israel may be drifting back toward the failed security zone dynamics of the past. Read more →
A car bombing in central Damascus on May 19 killed one soldier and wounded civilians, as Syrian forces conducted raids against suspected militants in Deir Ez Zor. Damascus is also advancing reconciliation efforts with Kurdish groups and pursuing international diplomatic engagement. Read more →
Before Hamas. Before Al Qaeda. Before the Islamic State. There was… the Muslim Brotherhood. And for nearly a century, it has played the long game by building influence across the Middle East and even deep inside the West. Bill Roggio is joined Edmund Fitton-Brown to discuss. Read more →
After the elimination of Al Qassam Brigades leader Izz al Din al Haddad on May 15, Hamas has reportedly turned to longtime senior member Mohammed Odeh to take the reins of the group’s military wing. As Hamas reportedly rearms and reconstitutes its strength, the IDF reports that its members and other Palestinian terrorists have continued to violate the ceasefire in Gaza. Read more →
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said that recent drone attacks targeting their territory originated from Iraq, increasing pressure on Baghdad to address the activities of Iranian-backed militias operating inside the country. The incidents come amid continued regional tensions involving Iran and have intensified scrutiny of Iraq’s newly formed government. Read more →
The UAE’s designation of 16 Hezbollah-linked individuals and five affiliated organizations mirrors prior US Treasury sanctions targeting the broader web of financial, accounting, and institutional entities connected to Hezbollah’s economic ecosystem. Read more →
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to promote a plan to move his country away from American foreign military financing, but that comes at a time when Israel’s military requirements are increasing, and it is already spending an extraordinary percentage of gross domestic product on defense. Read more →
The US military, "in coordination with the Armed Forces of Nigeria," killed Abu Bilal al Minuki and several other senior Islamic State leaders in an operation in northeastern Nigeria. President Trump and US Africa Command described Minuki as the Islamic State’s second in command and director of global operations. Read more →