FDD Events Podcast

Authoritarian regimes are gaining influence over how Americans understand the world through the AI tools trusted to be neutral arbiters of information. By optimizing authoritarian propaganda for AI consumption, adversarial governments are shaping the narratives in AI tools relied on by millions for research, education, and everyday information. This event will explore how propaganda outlets are strategically filling legacy media’s void by positioning content to be cited by large language models, analyze Russia's campaigns to influence AI training data and embed Kremlin-aligned narratives into chatbot responses, and discuss the repercussions for the growing deployment of Chinese-built AI models in the United States.

To discuss these emerging vulnerabilities and the options available to policymakers, technologists, and the media ecosystem, FDD hosts Joseph Bodnar, senior research manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, and Jamil Jaffer, founder and executive director of George Mason University’s National Security Institute. The discussion is moderated by Leah Siskind, FDD director of impact & AI research fellow.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2026/03/04/surveying-foreign-influence-in-ai-tools/

Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion have opened a new chapter in the Middle East — but whether the United States and Israel translate an unprecedented military campaign into a lasting political victory will define the region for a generation. This FDD media call examines the endgame of the combined U.S.-Israeli campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including how air superiority over Iran changes the calculus for regime change, and what it would take to hand Iran to its people rather than see it collapse into a failed state. The experts assess Iran's deliberate strategy of shepherding its ballistic missile and drone arsenals to erode Israeli and Gulf civilian morale over time, analyze the threat of Strait of Hormuz mining as Tehran's greatest remaining source of leverage, and examine critical shortages of defensive interceptor munitions. In addition, the experts discuss Hezbollah's underwhelming entry into the conflict, what Israel is doing to ensure it cannot regenerate again, and why Ali Larijani and the Supreme National Security Council — not Iran's constitutional leadership council — are now the most consequential institution inside the Islamic Republic.

To discuss these developments with journalists and creators, FDD hosts four of its scholars: Jonathan Schanzer, executive director and Middle East scholar, RADM (Ret) Mark Montgomery, senior fellow and senior director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow and senior director of FDD’s Iran Program, and David Daoud, senior fellow focused on Lebanon and Hezbollah. The discussion is moderated by Joe Dougherty, FDD’s senior director of communications.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/03/02/operation-epic-fury-and-the-future-of-the-middle-east/

In the early hours of February 28, the United States and Israel launched a coordinated military campaign against the Iranian regime—Washington calling it “Operation Epic Fury,” Israel calling it “Operation Lion’s Roar.” Strikes hit sites across Iran, targeting ballistic missile infrastructure, IRGC facilities, intelligence headquarters, and senior regime leadership.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead. President Trump confirmed his elimination on February 28: “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead.” U.S. officials told Fox News that the strikes were moved up after intelligence revealed Khamenei and dozens of senior Iranian officials were meeting at his compound. Among those killed: Defense Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani, IRGC Chief Mohammad Pakpour, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, and multiple other senior military and intelligence figures.

Iran has retaliated. A ballistic missile penetrated Israeli air defenses and struck a residential building in central Tel Aviv, killing at least one woman. Over 200 missiles and drones were fired at Israel and U.S. bases across the region—striking the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and causing casualties in Dubai and Syria. Regional governments have condemned Iran’s strikes in the strongest terms.

Inside Iran, the response is electric. Videos show Iranians cheering in the streets. Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has called on the armed forces to defect and urged citizens to prepare to mobilize. The opposition is deploying secure communications, satellite broadcasts, and hacked regime infrastructure to sustain the moment. The regime is decapitated. The question now is whether it falls.

To assess fast-moving developments and their strategic implications, FDD hosts a timely SITREP moderated by FDD Executive Director and host of the FDD Morning Brief Jonathan Schanzer, featuring FDD CEO and host of The Iran Breakdown Mark Dubowitz, and FDD Senior Advisor and former White House National Security Council director Richard Goldberg.

Convened around the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s establishment of the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC), FDD’s Energy and National Security Program hosts a symposium examining current U.S. energy policy and its implications for national security and foreign policy.

Opening with keynote remarks by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, this symposium assess U.S. energy policy over the past year. It analyzes how energy policy intersects with U.S. strategic interests across regions, examines efforts to accelerate AI power infrastructure buildout and stabilize the grid, and explores the administration’s approach to countering China’s influence over critical resources.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2026/02/04/the-state-of-american-energy-dominance/

At the recent trilateral summit in Jerusalem, leaders from Greece, Cyprus, and Israel advanced a shared vision of regional stability, prosperity, and cooperation. These nations, alongside the United States, are deepening coordination through mechanisms such as the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation (P-TEC), the 3+1 framework, and the Achilles Shield program. As Greece emerges as a pivotal partner in U.S. energy strategy, these initiatives are cementing Athens’ role as the linchpin of Eastern Mediterranean security.

To discuss Greece’s trilateral diplomacy with Israel and Turkey, the intersection of energy and security, and more, FDD is pleased to host Greek Minister for National Defense Nikos Dendias in conversation with FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2026/02/03/reimagining-mediterranean-security-with-greek-minister-for-national-defense-nikos-dendias/

China and Russia continue to deploy sophisticated information operations and systematic technology theft to undermine U.S. national security, reshape global norms, and influence public opinion across the West.

Both regimes have spent decades stealing American intellectual property, trade secrets, and advanced technology – and are now weaponizing artificial intelligence to accelerate their espionage and influence campaigns. As Beijing and Moscow’s influence campaigns expand and evolve, the U.S. and its allies must understand the methods employed by the authoritarian regimes and their real-world consequences.

To discuss where these adversaries collaborate and how Beijing learns from Moscow’s tactics, FDD hosts David Shedd, former acting director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and author of the newly published book, The Great Heist: China’s Epic Campaign to Steal America’s Secrets, and Ivana Stradner, research fellow with FDD’s Barish Center for Media Integrity. The discussion will be moderated by Craig Singleton, senior director of FDD’s China Program.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2026/01/22/assessing-the-china-russia-threat-nexus-in-technology-and-information-warfare/

The U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) sits at the forefront of efforts to detect, disrupt, and deter illicit finance – yet growing challenges are testing the limits of existing regulatory frameworks. As Congress weighs updates to the Bank Secrecy Act and the U.S. and Western allies debate new global standards through the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), debates over the Corporate Transparency Act, a steep rise transnational criminal networks, and the surge of ransomware attacks underscore the urgency of modernizing America's anti-money laundering infrastructure.

As illicit financial crime evolves, how can FinCEN rise to meet the challenge? How do cryptocurrency and AI impact financial crime and enforcement? What tools are available to combat sophisticated threats from cartels and Chinese money-laundering organizations?

To discuss the landscape of modern financial crime and the future of FinCEN, FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP) hosts former FinCEN directors Kenneth A. Blanco, Jennifer Shasky Calvery, and Himamauli Das. This conversation is moderated by Juan C. Zarate, chairman of FDD’s CEFP.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2025/12/18/fincen-modernization-and-the-future-of-financial-crime-enforcement/

Recently, Greece hosted two important energy events: the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation (P-TEC) and a historic 3+1 meeting of Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and the United States. As the U.S. seeks to implement its vision for energy dominance, Greece has responded by accelerating its own efforts to reshape the global energy system. From opening new LNG import terminals and signing long-term agreements with American LNG exporters, establishing the Vertical Corridor to supply American gas to Ukraine and other parts of Europe, partnering with Chevron to explore natural gas off Crete, and resuscitating the Great Sea Interconnector to link the grid from Europe to the Middle East, the pipeline to America’s global energy dominance increasingly runs through Athens.

To discuss U.S. energy investment and infrastructure projects, Greece’s unique position at the crossroads of an emerging energy dominance corridor, and more, FDD's Energy and National Security Program is pleased to host a fireside discussion moderated by its director Richard Goldberg featuring Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2025/12/05/advancing-energy-security-with-greek-minister-of-energy-stavros-papastavrou/

Taiwan imports roughly 98 percent of its energy, making it one of the world's most energy-insecure economies. This vulnerability creates an opportunity for Beijing to pursue its campaign to force Taipei’s capitulation through gray-zone tactics, using economic, legal, and cyber-enabled economic warfare to throttle Taiwan's fuel supply without firing a shot. A successful Chinese campaign to disrupt Taiwan's LNG supply would force the island into difficult choices between powering civilian infrastructure or maintaining industrial production – including the semiconductor manufacturing that produces a super-majority of the world’s advanced chips.

This summer, teams from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the Taipei-based Centre for Innovative Democracy and Sustainability (CIDS) at National Chengchi University conducted a tabletop exercise examining how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) might escalate military, diplomatic and economic pressure towards an unacknowledged quarantine, interrupting and potentially blocking Taiwan’s energy imports. The exercise revealed that while Taiwan must urgently address its energy vulnerabilities, coordinated actions by the United States, Japan, Australia, and European partners can significantly impact Beijing's strategic calculus.

For a discussion on the findings from this tabletop exercise and actionable steps Taiwan and its partners can take to build resilience and strengthen deterrence, FDD hosts a panel of exercise participants including Kenan Arkan, managing director of commodities origination at J.P. Morgan; RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI); and Craig Singleton, senior director of FDD's China Program. This conversation is moderated by Politico China Correspondent Phelim Kine. 

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2025/11/17/power-under-pressure-the-fight-to-protect-taiwans-energy-lifelines-from-beijings-aggression/

Following the 12-Day War and the United States’ strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, the Trump administration has reiterated that U.S. policy remains unequivocal: Tehran will not be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon. With the regime weakened, but not defeated, Washington appears to be embracing a broad containment strategy anchored in military deterrence, maximum-pressure sanctions, and diplomatic isolation following the UN snapback sanctions to constrain Iran and prevent its network of proxies from rebuilding.

The return to containment raises an important question: What are the lessons to be learned from the last time Washington pursued this policy against an anti-American, oil-rich autocrat in the Middle East who repressed his own people, pursued weapons of mass destruction, and targeted Israel with ballistic missiles?

To examine the parallels between Iran in 2025 and Iraq after the First Persian Gulf War, FDD hosts Reuel Marc Gerecht, FDD resident scholar and former CIA Iranian targets officer; and Kenneth M. Pollack, Middle East Institute vice president for policy and former NSC director for Persian Gulf affairs. Moderated by FDD’s Iran Program Senior Director Behnam Ben Taleblu, the discussion will analyze how Washington’s mix of deterrence, sanctions, and diplomacy aims to recalibrate U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic while preventing a 2003-style Iraq War outcome with Iran.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2025/11/05/containment-redux-persian-gulf-war-lessons-from-iraq-for-us-strategy-toward-iran/