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 →
Syria has completed the formation of its new People's Assembly, appointing the final 70 members of parliament as part of the country's political transition following the fall of the Assad regime. Meanwhile, security tensions persist along the Israeli border, where recent clashes and Israeli military operations underscore the complex security environment. Read more →
Iraq's new government launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign that resulted in dozens of arrests of politicians and senior officials across the country's political spectrum. The raids, carried out by elite security forces, are part of Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi's broader effort to strengthen state institutions and restore public confidence in government. Read more →
Anti-Hamas organizers in Gaza had hoped June 26 would bring a wave of large demonstrations against the terror group. However, Hamas worked to lower turnout with arrests, threats, and armed street deployments. Read more →
A recent precision strike against a senior Islamic State leader underscored Washington's continued counterterrorism mission in Syria. Separately, US President Donald Trump urged Syria's new government to consider intervening against Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon, but Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa stated his country will not send forces, preferring diplomacy over military action. Read more →
One week after President Trump signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran, the 60-day negotiation window is already under pressure—and the concessions are piling up. So, is this two-page MOU actually worth the paper it’s written on? FDD Iran Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow Behnam Ben Taleblu joins Bill Roggio to break it all down. Read more →
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq is seeking to acquire air-defense systems following months of missile and drone attacks targeting energy infrastructure and Iranian opposition groups across northern Iraq. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iranian-backed proxies continue to threaten regional stability by launching attacks from Iraqi territory. Read more →
Days after Tehran and Washington reached a memorandum of understanding over ending the recent conflict, Iran's new supreme leader is distancing himself from the agreement as hardliners clash over its implications. Meanwhile, reports that Iran is preparing to increase support for Hezbollah and statements from senior regime figures suggest that Tehran views any sanctions relief as an opportunity to rebuild proxy capabilities. Read more →
Efforts to advance the US-backed peace plan for Gaza have continued amid difficult negotiations over Hamas’s disarmament and the future security structure of the enclave. Talks in Cairo involving Hamas, Egyptian officials, and representatives of the Board of Peace have focused on implementing key provisions related to weapons restrictions and the deployment of an International Stabilization Force. Read more →
Ukraine hopes a set of sweeping reforms will help redress its chronic shortage of manpower by providing clear terms of service and better pay. However, its promises to begin discharging long-serving troops and reform controversial mobilization procedures raise questions about how it will accomplish these goals simultaneously. Read more →
Since late April, armed attackers in small skiffs, using tactics consistent with pirates, have been attacking ships off Yemen’s southern coast and other waters around the Horn of Africa at a rate not seen since 2011, when piracy in the region was at its peak. Read more →
US Envoy to Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack’s recent visit to Iraq on June 15 highlighted Washington’s efforts to support stability, security cooperation, and political reform in the country amid continuing regional tensions. Discussions focused on strengthening ties between Baghdad and Washington, disarming Iranian-backed militias, and advancing energy deals. Read more →
President Trump said that a two-page memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed between the US and the Islamic Republic of Iran that will end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. But will this deal bring about a lasting peace in the region, or has peace just become another five-letter word? FDD Senior Fellow David Daoud and Bill Roggio speculate as to what will become of the Middle East and America’s influence in the region as this very thin MOU moves forward. Read more →
On June 14, the Israeli military confirmed that it killed Ali Mousa Daqduq, a wanted and dangerous Hezbollah military commander. Daqduq was a key architect of the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and a top Hezbollah commander involved in leading attacks inside Israel. He was previously reported killed in the fall of 2024, but his death was never confirmed. Read more →