The Taliban sided with Iran and condemned Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear and military targets. Iran has a long history of supporting the Taliban since 9/11, and the Taliban appears to be returning the favor.
The Islamic Resistance of Iraq has carried out more than 180 such attacks against US forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan since October 7, 2023. The most recent attack risks drawing US forces into an offensive role in Israel’s war with Iran. Thus far, the US has attempted only to provide defensive support for Israel in the conflict.
The Taliban issued a glowing eulogy for Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, the group’s second emir, to mark the ninth anniversary of his death in a US airstrike. However, the group failed to address Mansour’s role in concealing the truth about the death of Mullah Omar, the group’s founder and first emir. This deception led to a major division within the Taliban and the rise of the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province.
Taliban Emir Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada expressed his support for “the oppressed people of Palestine” while denouncing “Zionist assaults and acts of oppression.” In the past, the Taliban has praised Hamas’s fight against Israel and celebrated its brutal October 7, 2023 assault on the country.
Abdul Rauf Azhar is said to have been killed in a strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammad compound in the Pakistani city of Bahawalpur. Azhar is listed by the US government as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Jaish-e-Mohammad has been implicated in numerous terror attacks in the region, including the kidnapping, murder, and beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
India targeted nine terrorist training camps at six different locations in Pakistan overnight. Afterward, the two countries exchanged artillery fire along the disputed Line of Control. While the risk of nuclear escalation is real, the two countries have stood down after similar incidents in the past.
The “Resistance Front” claimed credit for the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people. The group is a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Al Qaeda-allied and Pakistani military- and government-supported terror organization that is entrenched inside Pakistan.
Bill, Behnam, and Janatan dive into the high-stakes complexities of U.S.-Iran relations, unpacking President Trump’s dual-track approach of military readiness and diplomatic outreach to the Islamic Republic. They discuss Iran’s internal reactions to U.S. policy shifts, Saudi Arabia’s cautious recalibration toward Tehran, and intensifying military pressure on the Houthis.
Bill, David, and Ahmad deep dive into the volatile politics of the Middle East, from Jelani’s controversial role in Syria to sectarian tensions in Iraq and Hezbollah under pressure, the balance of power across the region is fragile.
Bill, David, and Joe break down the latest flashpoints across Lebanon, Israel, and Gaza—examining the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon, Israel’s evolving military operations and campaigns against Hezbollah and Hamas, the Lebanese government’s stalled efforts to disarm Hezbollah, and the growing discontent in Gaza as protests against Hamas intensify.
Ahmad Sharawi joins Bill for an update on Syria’s ongoing conflict, including: the recent Alawite insurgency against the government led by Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani, the role of jihadist groups and involvement of the Syrian National Army and Syrian Democratic Forces, Israel’s position on minority protection in Syria, and the feasibility of military action in the region.
US Central Command killed the top military commander of Hurras al Din, Al Qaeda’s branch in Syria. The Trump administration has targeted Hurras al Din four times since taking office, indicating it is ramping up the pressure on the terror group and its allies.
A US airstrike killed Wasim Tahsin Bayraqdar, who US Central Command (CENTOM) identified as “a senior leadership facilitator” for Hurras al Din. The strike is the third against the Al Qaeda branch since President Donald Trump took office.
Bill is joined by Caleb Weiss and Edmund Fitton-Brown to discuss the latest UN Sanctions Monitoring Team report on the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda that was released this week.
Abdul Haq al Turkistani currently operates from Kabul while directing his fighters in Syria. Haq’s presence in Afghanistan directly contradicts the Taliban’s claims that no foreign fighters operate or are based in the country and that Afghanistan isn’t a headquarters for terrorist groups.
The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan is operating training camps in four Afghan provinces, while Jamaat Ansarullah is operating camps in two more. Both groups continue to receive support from the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda.
CENTCOM described Muhammad Salah al Zabir as “a senior operative in the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din.” The strike takes place less than two weeks after the Trump administration took office and may signal a change in policy toward Syria.
The Biden administration removed the Houthis from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in 2021 and didn’t re-list the group despite over 15 months of missile and drone attacks on US naval forces, international shipping, and Israel. The Trump administration ordered re-listing the Houthis after two days in office.
Bill is joined by show regular Edmund Fitton-Brown to discuss Edmund’s latest analysis for FDD’s Long War Journal: The role of Iraqi Shia militias as proxies in Iran’s Axis of Resistance.
Bill is joined by his FDD colleagues David Daoud and Jon Schanzer — who literally wrote the book on conflict in Gaza — to discuss the ceasefire and hostage deal that has just been reached between Israel and Hamas.
The US military conducted a series of operations with “partner forces” in Iraq and Syria over the past week, part of a continuing effort to degrade the Islamic State and prevent it from filling the security vacuum left by the collapse of the Assad regime.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf said the bounty was lifted on Abu Mohammad al Jolani because it would be “a little incoherent […] to have a bounty on the guy’s head” as she sat down to talk with him. The US government currently lists Jolani as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for his ties to Al Qaeda and Hayat Tahrir al Sham as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
US Central Command continued to target the Islamic State’s network in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime. Twelve Islamic State fighters were killed during an operation that also targeted terror camps.
The Turkistan Islamic Party is an Al Qaeda branch that fights under the banner of Hayat Tahrir al Sham, the Salafist jihadist terror group that led the overthrow of the Assad regime and is forming a new Syrian government.
The Biden administration is reportedly debating removing Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) from the list of designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations. However, while the group’s leader, Abu Muhammad al Jolani, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, attempts to portray HTS as moderate, a host of jihadist groups—many designated as Foreign Terror Organizations—fight under the banner of or are allied with HTS.
Khalil al Rahman Haqqani was the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s minister of interior and one of the group’s two deputy emirs, and a brother of the late Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the Haqqani Network. Khalil was a US Specially Designated Global Terrorist who had “acted on behalf of” Al Qaeda’s military.
The significant US operation against the Islamic State is part of the effort to degrade the terror group and keep it from gaining ground in areas held by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the wake of the Assad regime’s collapse. The attacks may also serve as a warning to the Syrian National Army (SNA) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) not to push too hard against the SDF, America’s flawed ally in Syria.
Bill and Will unpack the implications of Trump’s win on the foreign and national security policies, particularly as they related to Ukraine, Israel, and Iran. They also analyze the second Trump administration’s potential strategies for addressing burden sharing amongst NATO members, the ongoing jihadist threat, and the challenges posed by China and North Korea.
Last week, the New York Times ran an article(?) called “Is Afghanistan’s Most-Wanted Militant Now Its Best Hope for Change?” (spoiler: no) and with the subtitle: “Sirajuddin Haqqani has tried to remake himself from blood-soaked jihadist to pragmatic Taliban statesman. Western diplomats are shocked — and enticed.” Yes, really.
Bill and Will discuss plots to target Western assets both inside and outside of combat zones, from the foiled attack targeting a Taylor Swift concert in Europe to credible threats on President Trump’s life made by the Islamic Republic of Iran.