FDD Morning Brief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Steven A. Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for MENA at the Council on Foreign Relations.

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

THE NEW SYRIA AND ISRAEL'S SECURITY

HEADLINE 1: Argentina is going after the Muslim Brotherhood.

HEADLINE 2: The U.S. Treasury Department rolled out a new sanctions package in support of the Iranian people. 

HEADLINE 3: It’s official. Phase two of the Gaza ceasefire has begun.

HEADLINE 4: Things are still going boom in Lebanon.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Advisor Jonathan Hessen.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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FDD Featured Pieces:

"The quiet way AI normalizes foreign influence" - Leah Siskind, Cyberscoop

"Egypt Sentences Christian Researcher Under Blasphemy Law, Underscoring a Recurrent Breach in U.S.-Egypt Relations" - Mariam Wahba, FDD

"Made in China, Paid by Seniors: Stopping the Surge of International Scams" - Nathan Picarsic, U.S. Senate Testimony

HEADLINE 1: The Trump administration designated three branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations yesterday.

HEADLINE 2: More than a year has passed since the assassination of Hamas mastermind Yahya Sinwar. You’ll recall he was the man primarily responsible for the 10/7 slaughter.

HEADLINE 3: The Kurdish National Army — which is the military wing of the Kurdistan Freedom Party — captured the IRGC headquarters in the western Iranian town of Kermanshah.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Founder and President Cliff May.

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

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: January" - FDD Experts

"Southern Exposure: Trump’s Arrest of Maduro Brings Opportunities and Dangers" - Cliff May feat. Carrie Filipetti, Foreign Podicy

"Mark Dubowitz: The regime clings to its ninth life" - Bill Roggio and Mark Dubowitz, Generation Jihad

"Don’t make the mistake Obama did, Mr. President, enforce your Iran ‘red line’" - Ahmad Sharawi, New York Post

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of FDD's Iran Program.

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

HOW ARE DOMESTIC POLITICS SHAPING ISRAEL'S NATIONAL SECURITY?

HEADLINE 1: A big Gaza announcement is expected.

HEADLINE 2: The Lebanese Armed Forces said it completed the first phase of its plan to deploy across south Lebanon and disarm non-state groups.

HEADLINE 3: An Iranian hacking group claimed it identified an Israeli agent coordinating Mossad operations inside Iran.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Gadeer Kamal Mreeh, former member of Knesset (Israel's parliament) and founder and CEO of GKM Global Consulting LLC.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Lebanon Must Become Independent of Saudi Arabia Too" - Hussain Abdul-Hussain, This is Beirut

"Can Iran Hold the Line Against Its Protesters?" - Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh, The Wall Street Journal

"How the UK Is Undermining US Indo-Pacific Security" - Alexander Gray and Cleo Paskal

HEADLINE 1: Five years after the Abraham Accords, Israel and Morocco are still going strong.

HEADLINE 2: Over in Paris, Syria and Israel resumed security talks. And it looks like they might have made a breakthrough.

HEADLINE 3: Gidon Saar has landed in Somaliland.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Carine Hajjar, an opinion journalist for The Washington Post.

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

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Why These Iranian Protests Are Different" - Behnam Ben Taleblu, The Free Press

"Recognizing Somaliland" - FDD's Foreign Podicy

"Why Trump bared his teeth and nabbed Venezuela’s Maduro — and it’s not just drugs" - Jonathan Schanzer, New York Post

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI).

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

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ambassador Jeff Bartos, who serves as the U.S. Representative for UN Management and Reform.

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

IS THE BONDI BEACH MASSACRE AUSTRALIA'S WAKE-UP CALL?

HEADLINE 1: The United States just slapped new sanctions on Iran’s shadow oil fleet. 

HEADLINE 2: Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are mulling a military coalition to deter the Turks.

HEADLINE 3: U.S. MidEast envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Gaza ceasefire talks…. In Miami. 

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Joel Burnie, executive manager of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.

Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"It’s time for Brussels to designate Yemen’s Houthis as a terrorist organization' - Behnam Ben Taleblu and Bridget Toomey, Euractiv

"Mostly quiet on the Gazan front" - Clifford D. May, The Washington Times

"How Turkey Props up Venezuela" - Sinan Ciddi and William Doran, The National Interest

HEADLINE 1: Qatar is once again pushing Washington to sell it F-35s.

HEADLINE 2: Israel facilitated the exit of more than 200 Palestinians from Gaza.

HEADLINE 3: Hamas is abusing Gazans. Again.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Miriam Haart, who starred in the hit Netflix TV series My Unorthodox Life.

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

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Featured FDD Pieces:

"Lebanon Must Pick the Abraham Accords over the Muslim Brotherhood" - Hussain Abdul-Hussain, This Is Beirut

"How to Finish off the Muslim Brotherhood" - Ahmad Sharawi, The National Interest

"Is Bondi Beach a sign that ISIS is making a comeback?" - Seth J. Frantzman, The Jerusalem Post