FDD Morning Brief

Headlines:

• Qatar is reportedly hard at work trying to avert renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran after the midterm elections next week. 
• The Houthis may be lacing their munitions with illegal chemical substances. 
• Australia wants to build out its missile defense shield and is reportedly interested in Israel’s Iron Dome technology.
• The IDF is expanding its counterterrorism missions in the West Bank. 

--

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Research Analyst Samuel Ben-Ur.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:

• Russia is reportedly helping the Houthis and Iran-backed militias in Iraq target Saudi Arabia’s military and energy infrastructure.
• Last week, Libya and Turkey finalized a maritime border agreement that gives Ankara a larger than legal slice of the eastern Mediterranean. 
• Albania is officially joining the International Stabilization Force for Gaza.
• The Jordanian Air Force launched airstrikes on multiple sites in southern Syria in response to that attack last Friday on a Greek Orthodox Church in Jordan that killed nine people. 

--

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Lahav Harkov, senior political correspondent of Jewish Insider.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:

• The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is reeling from an attack on a Greek Orthodox church on Friday afternoon. 
• Hamas appears to be issuing threats that it likely cant back up. 
• Leaders of Hezbollah have reportedly informed parliament speaker and ally Nabih Berri that the group will not join forces with the Islamic Republic of Iran against Israel and the United States if war resumes. 

--

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies and director of the Middle East Program at the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:

• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Ankara yesterday on the first-ever bilateral visit to Turkey for a Canadian prime minister. 
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ term is almost up, which means the succession race is heating up.
• New reports out of Israel: Hamas has no intention to disarm. Shocker, right? 
• The city of Hebron is in lock down.

--

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:

• The UK is sending fighter jets to support Saudi Arabia in its fight against the Houthis.
• Pakistan’s military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir was in Tehran yesterday for meetings with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and other top regime officials.
• The parliament of Libya’s Islamist-aligned eastern government approved a maritime border agreement with Turkey.

--

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Middle East analyst Eitan Fischberger.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:

• Egypt’s National Defense Council agrees to provide Saudi Arabia with all necessary support in its war against the Houthis.
• Saudi Arabia on Saturday announced that five Saudi nationals had been executed for committing acts of terror against the Saudi state and its people.
•  Some wild news stories circulating out there, purportedly showing how the Netanyahu government was steering Qatari cash into Gaza.

--

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Envoy for Europe Simone Rodan-Benzaquen.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:

• The U.S. is allegedly considering dropping the “mother of all bombs” on Iran. Technically, it’s called the Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, or MOAB, and it’s the largest non-nuclear bomb the U.S. has. 
• Terrible news out of Ukraine. It looks like the Ukrainians have run out of Patriot missile interceptors, leaving their country more vulnerable to Russian drone and ballistic missile attacks. 
• Now, for some good news: Lebanon’s central bank revoked Bank Saderat’s license to operate inside the country, effectively shutting down one of Iran’s biggest commercial lenders. 

--

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Advisor Jacob Breach.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:

• Yesterday, the Saudi-led coalition struck a Yemeni oil facility in Sanaa.
• The Iranian regime is using the pause in fighting to get ready for the next round. 
• Well, we covered it last week. Iran allegedly sending $200 million to Hezbollah? And yes, I cast doubt on the report. But I stand corrected. Hezbollah confirmed it yesterday — saying it will now pay up to $14,000 to Lebanese families displaced amid the war with Israel.

--

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Andrew Tabler of The Washington Institute.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Headlines:

• Yemen’s armed forces, the ones loyal to the internationally recognized government in Southern Yemen, said they carried out 1,732 strikes against positions held by the Houthis on Sunday.
• The documentary film called Naza, which alleges all sorts of terrible things against the Israel Defense Forces continues to make waves. 
• Lebanese authorities actually did their job on Thursday. Security services arrested two Hezbollah members transporting half-a-ton of explosives from the border regions with Syria toward Beirut.

--

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Research Analyst Ahmad Sharawi.

Headlines:

• Israel decided to downgrade the UK’s consulate in Jerusalem, but stopped short of fully closing the diplomatic post. 
• Taiwan has its sights on $130 billion worth of domestic infrastructure projects and the government in Taipei wants Saudi Arabia to pitch in. 
• Rumors are swirling that Syria may be gearing up to help Saudi Arabia fight the Houthis. 
• Iran allegedly transferred $200 million to Hezbollah last month to distribute to Lebanese families displaced during the war with Israel. I am not sure I buy it. 

--

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus.

Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief