
Network of Iraqi militias claim responsibility for attack in Israel
A network of Iraqi militias backed by Iran have claimed responsibility for attacking Israeli territory.

A network of Iraqi militias backed by Iran have claimed responsibility for attacking Israeli territory.

Iran has described Razi Mousavi as “a veteran advisor of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps” and a one of “the companions of the assassinated general Qassem Soleimani.”

The U.S. hit three Hezbollah Brigades facilities after three U.S. soldiers were wounded, including one critically, in a drone strike at a U.S. airbase in Erbil. the handful of U.S. strikes has not deterred the militias or their Iranian masters.

Bill and Joe discuss the latest issues emanating from Israel’s defensive war in Gaza, including the tragic death of the three Israeli hostages mistakenly shot by IDF soldiers, the massive labyrinth of tunnels continuing to be discovered by the IDF and controversy surrounding the decision to flood them, and use by Hamas of suicide bombers — Joe explains why one case is different.

A Norwegian tanker was hit with a cruise missile, while a French warship shot down two drones that “came straight at” it. The Houthis have vowed to continue to attack all international ships that enter or leave Israeli ports.

Bill and Joe are joined by Seth Frantzman — FDD adjunct fellow and LWJ contributor as well as acting news editor and senior middle east correspondent for The Jerusalem Post — to get his first-hand account of goings on in Israel on and since the attacks on October 7, 2023.

Three members of Lebanese Hezbollah, including a pro-Assad fighter have been killed by a reported Israeli airstrike in southern Syria. One of the Hezbollah members killed is Hassan Ali Daqduq, son of infamous Hebzollah commander Ali Musa Daqduq.

Bill and Joe discuss the latest surrounding Israel at war after the resumption of fighting one week ago and since Israel’s expansion of its ground incursion into southern Gaza.

Bill and Joe are joined again by FDD Senior Fellow and Iran expert Behnam Ben Taleblu to discuss the latest regional updates surrounding Israel’s war against Hamas (and then some).

The attack is the latest by the Houthis against international shipping and U.S. Navy warships. The U.S. military has yet to respond to repeated attacks on U.S. warships and commercial vessels.

Bill and Joe are back with an update on Israel’s now-resumed war in Gaza, and they’re joined by FDD Senior Fellow and Hezbollah expert David Daoud. They discuss the latest activity from Hezbollah at Israel’s border with Lebanon, U.S. funding to the Lebanese Armed Forces (or as Bill calls it: “giving crack to a crackhead”), the pieces in play on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s regional chessboard, and more.

The USS Carney shot down an Iranian-supplied KAS-04 UAV as it was “was heading toward the warship.” The UAV was likley launched by the Iranian-backed Houthis.

Bill and Joe are back with an update on the latest from Israel and Gaza, starting with the release by Hamas of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel amidst the backdrop of a still-holding ceasefire.
They’re also joined again by FDD Senior Fellow and Iran expert Behnam Ben Taleblu to unpack the latest regional aggression covered with Tehran’s fingerprints, including more missiles fired at U.S. and Israeli assets in the region (and why one incident last week was actually a “game-changer”) as well as the latest string of maritime hijackings off the coast of Yemen.

The anti-ship ballistic missiles, which were fired by the Houthis after a U.S. warship foiled a hijacking in the Gulf of Aden, missed their mark. The U.S. military has not responded to the attack.

Bill and Joe discuss the ceasefire agreement and expected hostage exchange.

The the U.S. military accused Iran of directly carrying out attacks on U.S. forces. “close-range ballistic missiles” were used in a recent attack against U.S. forces.

Unlike three previous strikes by the U.S. military which were intended to deter the militias from attacking U.S. forces, today’s strike targeted a Hezbollah Brigades team that had targeted a U.S. base in western Iraq.

Bill and Joe are back for an update on the latest headlines stemming from Israel’s war in Gaza. They check in on where things stand with Shifa, do a multi-front around the horn to catch up on Gaza, the West Bank, and the northern front with Lebanon and Syria. They also discuss the insanity that is media coverage of Gaza.

Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada is led by Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani, who is directly responsible for the formation of the Shia terror groups in Iraq and the killing of American soldiers. An IRGC agent was also listed in the designation of Hezbollah Brigades leaders.

Bill and Joe are back for an update on Israel’s ground incursion into Gaza, and they’re again joined by their FDD colleague and Iran expert Behnam Ben Taleblu to provide a deeper, more nuanced analysis on Tehran’s role as puppet master to the various terrorist groups in play.

The U.S. attack is thought to have killed a handful of Iranian proxy militiamen. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin did not mention deterrence or a desire to deescalate this time around.

Bill and Joe are back with an update on Israel’s ground offensive inside Gaza. They’re joined by FDD’s David May to discuss international pressure on Israel, trajectories and timelines, rumors about reporters from western outlets receiving tips and then traveling into Israel alongside Hamas on October 7, and more.

The Biden administration’s Oct. 27 attempt to deter Iran and its proxies from further strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria has failed, as the militias launched an additional 21 attacks since that date.

The Iran-backed militia in Yemen that is better known as the Houthis shot down an unmanned U.S. MQ-9 Reaper in international waters off the coast of Yemen. The Houthis have shot down four U.S. Reapers since 2017.

Bill and Joe are back to discuss the latest from Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza, including the established civilian corridor. They talk about Netanyahu’s recent remarks — and Nasrallah’s. They also debunk the latest “attempted Abbas assassination” rumors.

Israel Defense Forces’ spokesperson claimed that foreign fighters are entering Lebanon and are assisting Hezbollah.

Bill and Joe provide a mid-week update on Israel and Gaza — including Joe’s key takeaway from today’s IDF conference call, IDF tactics on the ground inside Gaza (particularly related to the tunnels), Hezbollah propaganda ahead of Hassan Nasrallah’s Friday speech, and more.


Today’s attack is the third by the Houthis that has targeted Israel, and the terror group has threatened more as Israel prepares its ground offensive into Gaza.

The war goes on; rockets are still raining down on central Israel (including Jerusalem) while Israel continues targeting Hamas leaders in Gaza. But…
Breaking today and over the weekend:
Israeli boots are now on the ground inside Gaza. There was also some IDF activity in Jenin inside the West Bank.
Iran’s President Raisi gaslit said on X that, “the Zionist regime’s crimes have crossed the red lines which may force everyone to take action.”
While Lebanese Hezbollah is still keeping things at a simmer just below the threshold of all-out war, other Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria are very much in the game. Some are even firing at U.S. forces in the region.
Bill and Joe are joined again by FDD’s Behnam Ben Taleblu to unpack these and related headlines.