FDD Morning Brief

Headlines:The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned seven companies and individuals that are part of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ weapons procurement network. Iran instructed the Houthis in Yemen to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if the U.S. strikes Iranian power infrastructure.Syrian authorities thwarted an attempt to smuggle arms from Iraq through Syria and onward to Hezbollah in Lebanon. President Trump announced the release of a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen from the Islamic Republic almost two years after she was detained. --FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with former UK Commissioner for Countering Extremism Robin Simcox.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:The regime in Iran publicly hanged two people accused of membership to the Islamic State. Yes, you got that right. The world’s most prolific state sponsor of terrorism is punishing, uh, terrorists.President Donald Trump hosted Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House yesterday. Lebanon and Israel have resumed talks over in Rome. This is the sixth round of direct talks, but the first since the two sides signed a framework agreement last month.--FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with foreign policy expert and "Oh My World!" host Hagar Chemali.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Sad news on Sunday morning. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina passed away following a brief illness after returning from a trip to Ukraine.Iraqi prime minister Ali al-Zaidi is due in Washington today for high level talks with the Trump Administration.Channel 12 in Israel released the contents of a handwritten letter penned in 2022 by none other than Yahya Sinwar.--FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Miad Maleki.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Senior Fellow Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with documentary filmmaker and "Operation Arnon" producer Hannah Puder.Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP), fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with CMPP Senior Research Analyst Cam McMillan.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery,  senior director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI), fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with Celeste Wallander, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs of the United States.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is giving the Iran-backed Iraqi militias until September 30 to give up their weapons.Iraq and Syria agreed on Monday to strengthen cooperation across a number of sectors, including energy and border security, but also water, agricultuare and transport.Israeli forces eliminated three senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives in Gaza.The International Monetary Fund reached an agreement with Egypt that could unlock over $1.6 billion for the country.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Research Analyst Ahmad Sharawi.Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Israel and Lebanon, under the auspices of the United States have entered into a new diplomatic agreement.Reports out of Israel suggest that Hamas may be making some sort of a comeback.Egypt and Iran played soccer against eachother on Friday in Seattle. That’s not really news. The World Cup match, which ended in a 1-1 draw was overshadowed by the fact that both countries were outraged that their game was designated as a Pride Match.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Steven A. Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Remember the Gaza Board of Peace? Yeah. It’s been pretty quiet lately. Well, presentatives from the Board are planning to meet in Cyprus next week.OPEC, the oil cartel for oil-producing nations, is in danger of losing another member.Secretary of State Marco Rubio just wrapped up a three-day tour of the Gulf.Confusion continues over the state of affairs in Lebanon.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Edmund Fitton-Brown.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Saudi media reported that Hamas leaders recently met with French officials on an undisclosed date in an unspecified location in the Middle East. Really informative, right? So now, for something more specific. This is the first reported meeting between Hamas and European officials since October 7.Turkey just concluded joint military drills with Qatari land forces.Iran and Oman agreed to form a joint working group to keep talks going on the future of the Strait of Hormuz.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Rep. Max Miller (R-OH).Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring the Free Press columnist Eli Lake and FDD expert Janatan Sayeh.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Does the MOU play Strait into Tehran's hands? | feat. Bernard Haykel and Jonathan HessenFDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring FDD experts Bernard Haykel and Jonathan Hessen.Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:President Trump suggested that Syria should fight Hezbollah instead of Israel.Sources told the Wall Street Journal that the U.S. is going to allow Iran to begin selling oil and fuel as soon as the ceasefire deal is signed.France and Britain are planning to deploy a multinational coalition to the Strait of Hormuz if and when the ceasefire with Iran comes into effect.We spend a lot of time talking about war in the Middle East, but don’t forget that there’s a brutal civil war ravaging Sudan. Foreign powers have gotten involved on both sides — and Iran is one of them.--FDD Turkey Program Director Sinan Ciddi fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with Middle East analyst Eitan Fischberger.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Haviv Rettig Gur, host of the Ask Haviv Anything podcast and Middle East Analyst at The Free Press.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP episode of the FDD Morning Brief featuring FDD experts Miad Maleki, Bradley Bowman, and Ahmad Sharawi.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring FDD experts Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus, RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, and Behnam Ben Taleblu.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Yesterday, Iran launched missiles at Israel for the first time since the April ceasefire took effect.President Trump urged Netanyahu not to strike back at Iran — to no avail. Israel doubles down on its efforts to disarm Hamas in Gaza.--FDD Research Analyst Mariam Wahba fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with Rafaela Siewert of The Free Press.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:The duplicitous, conniving, and corrupt state of Qatar is going to provide 6 billion dollars to Iran’s collapsing economy.The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, is going to pack up and go home come December 31st.Yesterday, Hezbollah rejected the latest ceasefire agreement, despite both the Israeli and Lebanese governments agreeing to move forward.The rump of the Islamic Republic has been hyping a statement supposedly issued by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei claiming that Tehran has dealt the U.S. and Israel a quote, “decisive blow,” and that both countries have been deeply humiliated. That’s pretty rich coming from a man who hasn’t been seen since the first day of the war. Except in the form of a cardboard cutout or an AI rendering.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbriefTo read Natalie's latest memo on Qatari influence, please visit: https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/06/03/mapping-qatars-400-billion-footprint-in-the-united-states/

Headlines:US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israel and Hezbollah agreed to stop shooting — basically, a sort-of ceasefire under which Israel would stop striking Beirut and Hezbollah would stop attacking Israel. However, to no one’s surprise, the shooting has continued.The Iranian regime is planning a three-day funeral for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which will reportedly take place in mid-June.Bahrain banned its citizens from traveling to Iran and Iraq for somewhat obvious security concerns.Another round of Iran sanctions hit the books yesterday. This time, Treasury targeted Iran’s digital asset exchanges and their leaders for helping the IRGC access the international financial system and evade U.S. sanctions.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation withSimone Rodan-Benzaquen, FDD's senior envoy for Europe.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:The Israeli military is on the move in Lebanon. The IDF is set to move further north to do more damage to Hezbollah.We’ll keep with Lebanon and note here that the Europeans are nudging their way into this theater. The Brits are saying that they want the Israeli advance to end. The French have done the same.Ahmad al-Sharaa, the newish leader of Syria, says he wants all the remaining sanctions on his country lifted.One of the biggest Iran-backed militias in Iraq, Kataeb Hezbollah, says it will not disarm, despite calls from the United States to do so.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Iranian-American entrepreneur and activist Moj Mahdara.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:The Sultanate of Oman committed to increase trade and economic relations with Iran.The Treasury Department slapped sanctions on the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which is the body that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard stood up to extort vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.The IDF carried out a strike in Beirut yesterday — it was the first Israeli strike in Beirut in three weeks.The U.S. government is expanding its probe into the United Nations Relief and Works Agency — a.k.a. “UNRWA,” a.k.a. Hamas in UN clothing.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Joseph Zacks, FDD Adjunct Fellow and former deputy assistant director for counterterrorism for the CIA.Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Israeli media reported that Shin Bet chief David Zini met with former Palestinian Authority security official Mohammad Dahlan in the United Arab Emirates.The regime in Iran executed a man accused of spying on behalf of the Mossad.The IDF expanded operations in Lebanon, pushing past the ceasefire line delineated in April — the so-called “Yellow Line.Iranian hackers were responsible for a breach of the Los Angeles transport authority earlier this year. An Israeli cybersecurity firm traced digital evidence to a known operation that’s believed to be affiliated with Tehran.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with UK international lawyer and barrister Natasha Hausdorff.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring FDD experts Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus and Behnam Ben Taleblu.They dissect the latest on the Iran deal: what we know, what we don't, and what we're watching.Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HeadlinesTreasury sanctioned nine Hezbollah enablers who help preserve the terrorist group’s chokehold on Lebanon by obstructing peace or disarmament efforts. German federal prosecutors brought criminal charges against two individuals suspected of helping Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plot the murder of Jewish leaders in Germany. The Trump administration is threatening to revoke the visas for the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations if ambassador Riyad Mansour doesn’t withdraw his candidacy for vice president of the UN General Assembly.Some bold statements coming out of Tehran. --FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Jacki Alexander, president and CEO of HonestReporting.Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:The Trump administration rolled out another batch of Iran sanctions, as well as a second package targeting four individuals associated with Palestinian terror groups and the Gaza flotilla.It’s official. Hamas has a new leader in Gaza.The world’s largest cable-laying company suspended work in the Persian Gulf after Iran demanded that the company obtain permits and pay fees to continue repairing subsea cables.Israeli troops reportedly found a document in Gaza last year indicating that Hamas spent the January to March 2025 ceasefire training new recruits.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ryan Brobst, deputy director of FDD's Center on Military and Political Power.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Iranian drone attacks, whether launched by the regime or its Iraqi proxies, continue to plague the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Remember the yellow zone in Gaza? You know, the territory that Israel controls and that surrounds the red zone that is still controlled by Hamas? Looks like Israel is slowly gaining ground on the terror group.The outrage continues over Nicholas Kristof’s column in The New York Times accusing Israel of training dogs to r*pe Palestinians in jail.The Israeli government just passed a death penalty law for West Bank Palestinians convicted of murder.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Daniel Swift, a senior research analyst from FDD's Center on Economic and Financial Power.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HeadlinesWe’ve got another flotilla on the way to Israel. Just what we all needed, right?A Hezbollah drone attack wounded four Israeli civilians in northern Israel.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Wednesday that Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates during the war with Iran to meet with Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.Fatah, the Palestinian Authority’s dominant faction, is on day two of a three-day conference to elect members to its Central Committee and Revolutionary Council, which is essentially the party’s parliament.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring FDD experts David Daoud and Craig Singleton.They examine the takeaways from the U.S.-China summit, the deadlock over Hezbollah's disarmament in the Israel-Lebanon talks, and what Washington can achieve on both fronts.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:The UAE and Saudi Arabia both struck Iran during the latest round of conflict.Operation Economic Fury continues apace.Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Qatar’s Minister of State for Defense Affairs in Doha.Israel’s Iron Dome and Arrow defense systems have been working overtime but, after weeks — if not months — of speculation, the chair of Israel’s Rafael defense firm asserted that the country is not short of missile interceptors.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Andrew Fox of the Henry Jackson Society.Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan met with a group of Hamas officials in Ankara over the weekend.The New York Times reported over the weekend that Russia is shipping drone components to Iran through the Caspian Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.The Wall Street Journal ran an exclusive on Saturday detailing how the Israelis set up a secret military post in Iraq that hosted special forces and served as a logistical hub for the Israeli Air Force.With elections slated for the fall, a heated political debate is erupting in Israel over Hamas and the October 7 attack.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, founder and director of the Realign for Palestine project at the Atlantic Council.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:The Iranian regime and the United States traded fire in the Strait of Hormuz last night.The Trump administration issued another batch of sanctions as part of Operation Economic Fury.Reports yesterday suggested that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait blocked the United States from using their bases and their airspace after President Trump announced Project Freedom.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claims he met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei — but it’s unclear if and when that meeting took place.An Israeli strike in Gaza killed the son of Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya. --FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Norman Roule, former National Intelligence Manager for Iran at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and current Non-Resident Senior Adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Reports broke suggesting that U.S. intelligence indicates Iran would need about nine months to a year to build a nuclear bomb.The United States, in partnership with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar proposed a UN Security Resolution to defend freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.The United Arab Emirates came under attack on Monday and again yesterday. These were the first attacks on the UAE since the ceasefire took hold last month.--FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation between guest interviewer Cliff May, FDD Founder and President, and Eugene Kontorovich, Executive Director of George Mason University Scalia Law School’s Center for the Middle East and International Law.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Hezbollah has been deploying a new category of drone that the IDF has struggled to counter.OPEC+, the broader alliance of oil-producing nations that includes OPEC members and additional producers like Russia, met on Sunday and agreed to bump up oil production by 188,000 barrels a day starting in June.U.S.-Iran negotiations hit another wall this past weekend.--FDD Turkey Program Director Sinan Ciddi fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with FDD Senior Research Analyst Ahmad Sharawi.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines: The Global Sumud Flotilla is back — this time without Greta Thunberg.Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei released a written statement yesterday to mark National Persian Gulf Day. Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems reportedly signed a letter of intent with Volkswagen to acquire one of VW’s factories in western Germany.FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with FDD Research Fellow Max Meizlish.Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:The United Arab Emirates announced that it’s leaving the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC.Tensions are brewing between Israel and Ukraine over allegations that Israeli authorities are allowing vessels carrying “stolen” grain to dock at Haifa port.Earlier this week, Israeli journalist Amit Segal posted a few paragraphs on X explaining that, according to his sources, Qatar is cutting off Hamas. No more money, no more hosting.--FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation between Jon and FDD Senior Advisor Richard Goldberg.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:An attempt on the life of the president of the United States on Saturday night.The talks scheduled between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States over the weekend didn’t happen. A serious exchange of hostilities over the weekend between Israel and Hezbollah over there in the Land of the Cedars.Security services in Israel busted a Hamas financing cell in the West Bank and Gaza.The political pair of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid are teaming up again for another run in Israel. FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Roy K. Altman, federal judge and author of the upcoming book, Israel on Trial: Examining the History, the Evidence, and the Law.Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Israeli authorities charged two IDF Air Force mechanics with spying on behalf of Iran.France is getting feistier, threatening to impose sanctions on Israel if Jerusalem doesn’t change course in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.President Trump attended a meeting between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors at the White House yesterday.A couple of announcements out of Washington relating to those nasty Iraqi militias. First, a 10 million dollar bounty on Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji of the group known as Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, or KSS.The city of Islamabad is reportedly still on a high security alert, as the Pakistani government continues to prepare for another round of talks between the United States and Iran.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD's Hussain Abdul-Hussain.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:At least two maritime vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations.The Treasury Department issued a fresh batch of Iran sanctions, this time targeting Iranian missile and drone procurement networks.The UAE government dismantled an Iran-linked terrorist cell that was allegedly planning terrorist attacks and sabotage operations in the country.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Bernard Haykel.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:The U.S. negotiation team is heading to Islamabad for round two of U.S.-Iran talks, and they’re opening under considerably worse conditions than round one.Egypt is working with Pakistan on lasting U.S.-Iran peace, says Egypt's Foreign Minister.Sudan enters its fourth year of war amid the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis.--FDD Research Analyst Mariam Wahba fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with Ambassador Alberto Fernandez, vice president of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:A ten-day ceasefire is now in effect in Lebanon.The Treasury Department issued a fresh batch of sanctions targeting a network of people, companies, and ships involved in illicitly smuggling Iranian oil.A group of U.S. senators sent a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche asking him to explain why the Trump administration dropped a criminal case against Turkey’s Halkbank.Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani, met with a pair of Kurdish leaders yesterday to discuss the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces — or SDF — into Syria’s state forces.Word on the street is that there was meeting between the U.S. and Hamas in Cairo earlier this week.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with H.R. McMaster, former National Security Advisor to the President of the United States and chairman of FDD's Center on Military and Political Power.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Lebanon and Israel held direct talks for the first time in decades.The Trump administration is gearing up for its blockade of Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf.There are plans for new ceasefire talks in Islamabad.The UK and France are planning to host virtual talks to iron out a strategy for securing the Strait of Hormuz.A defense cooperation memorandum of understanding between Italy and Israel that’s automatically renewed every five years since 2005 expired on Monday. Yesterday, Rome announced that it’s ending the agreement amidst the ongoing war in the Middle East.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with David Adesnik.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Miad Maleki.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:The IDF said it eliminated Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem’s personal secretary in a strike near Beirut.Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Beirut isn’t going to let any other government negotiate for a ceasefire on its behalf.The Trump administration is reportedly considering moving troops out of NATO countries after several of them hamstringed American efforts in Iran.Iran continues to strangle the Strait of Hormuz.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP episode of the FDD Morning Brief featuring FDD Senior Fellow Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus and FDD CMPP Senior Director Bradley Bowman.They examine the implications of the ceasefire and negotiations between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:Yesterday, the IDF said it completed the deployment of ground troops to a so-called anti-tank line in south Lebanon.An American journalist kidnapped in Iraq last week is on her way home.A firefight broke out adjacent to the Israeli consulate in Istanbul yesterday.Massive explosion at the Panama Canal yesterday.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with NUFDI Research Director Khosro Isfahani.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Today's headlines:The regime in Tehran somehow managed to shoot down an American F-15 fighter jet over the weekend.The aviators from that downed F-15 are both ok.Donald Trump’s Truth Social post yesterday seems to suggest that the April 6 deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz has been extended until tomorrow night.The internet blackout continues inside Iran. The war in Lebanon continues. Tough day in Israel yesterday, with a building in Haifa absorbing a direct hit from a ballistic missile, while cluster munitions also hit dozens of locations across central Israel. Turkey is somehow getting its oil tankers out of the Strait of Hormuz. Featured FDD piece: "Islamist Turkey: A Base for Muslim Brotherhood Jihadism" - FDD Memo, Sinan Ciddi and William DoranFDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Freedom House's Yana Gorokhovskaia.Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Today's headlines:Turkey is working with Iranian authorities to secure permission for 11 Turkish-owned ships to sail through the Strait of Hormuz.Israeli forces eliminated the commander of Hezbollah’s southern front.The International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank are joining forces to coordinate a response to the ongoing war with Iran.Featured FDD piece: "Islamist Turkey: A Base for Muslim Brotherhood Jihadism" - FDD Memo, Sinan Ciddi and William Doran--FDD Turkey Program Director Sinan Ciddi fills in for Jonathan Schanzer, providing timely situational updates and analysis ahead of a conversation with world-renowned Turkey scholar Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak.

Today's headlines:Trouble continues in the Strait of Hormuz.Kosovo announced that it plans to deploy troops to the U.S.-backed international stabilization force for Gaza.The Iranian ambassador is still in Lebanon, and the Lebanese government is still effectively beholden to Hezbollah.Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi wants President Trump to end the war.--FDD Research Analyst Mariam Wahba delivers headlines ahead of a conversation between FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer and "Oh My World!" host Hagar Chemali.Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Major General (Ret.) Amir Eshel.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Today's headlines: U.S.-Israeli air superiority continuesIranian air defenses remain downIsrael eliminated the head of Iran’s navyThe Islamic Republic is preparing for a ground warU.S. President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for the regime to make a dealBeirut declared Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon persona non grata and instructed him to leave the countryHezbollah continues to batter northern Israel with rocketsThe U.S. embassy in Iraq told American citizens to leave Iraq immediatelyIDF chief of staff informed the cabinet that the army could collapse on itself if the war continues at this pace due to manpower shortages--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ilan Berman, Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ).Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with former U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief