A pilot of an F-15E Strike Eagle reportedly shot down over Iran was rescued on April 3, while the second crew member remains missing. The downing of an F-15E is the first American fighter jet to be shot down by Iran since major combat operations began in Iran on February 28. Read more →
FDD’s Janatan Sayeh is back with Bill Roggio for an update on the Iran war, including: the potential for concrete regime change, last night’s address by President Trump, rumored US-Iran deliberations, the fragile balance of power on the ground, and the possibility of a popular uprising against the wounded Islamic Republic. Read more →
Between March 28 and April 1, Iran and its allied militias continued launching drones, missiles, and rockets against regional countries—with less overall frequency but more accuracy. The attacks targeted energy infrastructure, airports, military facilities, ports, and residential areas. Read more →
The Iran-backed terror group Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shiite militia, kidnapped American journalist Shelly Kittleson in downtown Baghdad on March 31. The US government had previously warned Kittleson of a threat against her and the group’s desire to kill or abduct journalists. Read more →
Washington is considering ground operations as joint US-Israeli strikes impact Iran’s military and internal security forces, reportedly causing thousands of casualties. Simultaneously, Tehran has increased security recruitment efforts, deployed foreign proxy militias, and escalated executions and arrests of Iranian citizens while issuing threats over “sharing images or footage with foreign actors.” Read more →
Israel targeted and killed Ali Shuaib, an employee of the Hezbollah TV station Al Manar, and two others who worked for the pro-Hezbollah Al Mayadeen channel. The Israel Defense Forces claimed Shuaib was a Hezbollah Radwan Force operative using his journalistic credentials to monitor Israeli troop movements. Read more →
A drone attack targeted the residence of Kurdistan Region of Iraq President Nechirvan Barzani amid escalating strikes in Iraq on March 28, followed by a drone interception near the home of Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the following day. Iranian-backed militias and Iran have been blamed for attacks across Iraq, including more than 500 drone and missile strikes against the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region since February 28. Read more →
Kharg Island looks like the perfect target — take it, and you choke off Iran’s oil. But it’s not that simple. Bill Roggio is joined by Ryan Brobst and Cameron McMillan to discuss why seizing Kharg could hand Tehran exactly what it wants: a wider war, a vulnerable US position, and a fight on the regime’s terms. Read more →
The Houthis launched missile and drone attacks against Israel, the first direct military action since the beginning of the US and Israeli campaign against Iran that began on February 28. The Iran-backed Yemeni terrorist group threatened to continue and expand attacks until a series of conditions it issued are met. Read more →
Between March 24 and March 27, Iran and its allied militias continued launching drones and missiles against Arab countries. The attacks targeted energy infrastructure, airports, military facilities, ports, and residential areas in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Jordan. Read more →
Reports citing Western officials suggest that Russia has started supplying Iran with complete drones after Russia was previously suspected of only providing components to improve Iranian systems. The unmanned aerial systems are likely modified, Russian-made versions of the same Shahed-136 one-way attack drones that Tehran previously supplied to Moscow. Read more →
The US and Israel continued airstrikes as negotiations over the passage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz hit an impasse and Iran ramped up efforts to repress its populace. The regime has expanded internal security checkpoints into a dispersed network across various cities and increased arrests targeting alleged collaborators and dissenters. Read more →
While attention has shifted to the conflicts in Iran and Lebanon, Gaza remains under a fragile ceasefire, with ongoing low-level clashes. High Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov highlighted progress toward a disarmament framework tied to UN-backed plans. Despite this, Hamas continues to consolidate control in parts of the territory as Israel targets militants and terrorist infrastructure. Read more →
Turkish spy chief Ibrahim Kalin’s March 22 meeting with senior Hamas leaders in Istanbul highlights Turkey’s continued high-level engagement with the group, reinforcing Ankara’s role as a mediator in Gaza ceasefire negotiations while omitting any discussion of Hamas’s disarmament. The meeting reflects a broader pattern of Turkish support for the group, evidenced by recent US Treasury sanctions on Turkish charities linked to Hamas. Read more →
On March 18, Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez removed longtime Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and installed Gustavo González López, followed by initiating a broad restructuring of the military’s top leadership. These moves unfolded alongside US-supported stabilization efforts and the passage of a February 20 amnesty law that has facilitated the release of dozens of political prisoners. Nevertheless, a UN fact-finding mission reported that the country’s repressive apparatus remains largely unchanged. Read more →