FIDF LIVE BRIEFING: Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director, FDD - January 25, 2026

In this week's FIDF briefing, host Lara Krinsky, FIDF Director of Content and Production, welcomes Jonathan Schanzer (FDD), Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense Democracies, who maps the IDF's “strategic chessboard." Schanzer argues the region is nearing a peak moment in a conflict driven by Iran and its proxies, pointing to renewed unrest inside Iran amid economic freefall, regime crackdowns, and reports of mass violence, all in the shadow of recent direct Israel–Iran confrontation and U.S. pressure. He says the massive U.S. force posture in the region suggests real readiness for action, but emphasizes that outcomes are hard to predict because so much hinges on President Trump’s next move. The discussion then shifts to the risk of a wider “ring of fire” response—whether Hezbollah, Iraqi militias, the Houthis, and other proxies might attempt a saturation-style missile campaign—and what that would demand from Israel’s layered defenses. Gaza is treated as a diminished battlefield in this scenario, with attention moving to “phase two” plans for the strip’s future and the unresolved question of hostages, while Schanzer repeatedly flags Qatar and Turkey as dangerous actors shaping postwar arrangements. The host closes with a blunt call to action: stay informed, speak up, and materially support the soldiers carrying the burden of deterrence through FIDF.