FDD Morning Brief

To help protect the United States and its allies from the rising threat of missile and drone attacks, FDD is excited to inaugurate its new Air and Missile Defense Program, housed within the Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP).

This state-of-the-art program conducts rigorous, timely research regarding the air and missile defense capabilities necessary to protect the United States, its forward-deployed forces, and its allies and partners from adversary missiles, aircraft, and drones. The development, procurement, and fielding of cutting-edge air and missile defense capabilities — in sufficient quantities — by the United States, its NATO allies, Israel, Taiwan, Ukraine, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and others can bolster deterrence and enhance collective defense against evolving threats.

Join FDD for a kickoff discussion of the systems, policies, and infrastructure critical to empowering the United States and its allies to meet these challenges. The panel features program co-leaders Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD’s CMPP and RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI), as well as Lydia LaFavor, CMPP research fellow. The conversation will be moderated by Pentagon reporter at Politico, Paul McLeary.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2025/04/22/fdds-air-and-missile-defense-program-launch/

The current economic “moment” is seeing a generational re-ordering of global trade, alliances, and capital. The Trump Administration is unleashing an unprecedented and muscular use of economic power, with tariffs on historical allies and adversaries alike, ramped up sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, new investment incentives and reviews, and willingness to endure economic pain to remake the global order. The framework and objectives for this new use of economic power, however, continue to evolve.

What tools are available for advancing America’s strategic interests and what doctrinal guardrails should govern their use? How can the U.S. and partners limit emerging geoeconomic risks? What new models of economic integration, trade, investment, and development should we be pursuing? Which pathways are available to counteract adversarial challenges, and what strategic alignments are required among allies to sustain U.S. and global prosperity? As questions abound, the United States and its partners face choices about how to safeguard domestic interests while fostering global economic resilience and security.

To examine these questions and more, FDD hosts an on-the-record expert panel including Brian Hook, vice chairman of Cerberus Global Investments; and Elaine Dezenski, senior director and head of FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP). Juan C. Zarate, chairman and co-founder of FDD’s CEFP, will moderate the discussion.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2025/04/21/the-trajectory-of-us-economic-statecraft/

SANCTIONS, TARIFFS, AND MORE

HEADLINE 1: Turkish Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin met with Hamas leaders over the weekend. 

HEADLINE 2: The U.S. and Iran held a second round of nuclear talks in Rome.

HEADLINE 3: Hamas launched a deadly attack against Israeli troops in northern Gaza.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Juan Zarate, former deputy national security advisor for combating terrorism under George W. Bush and chairman and co-founder of FDD's Center on Economic and Financial Power.

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

MORAL COURAGE IN THE WAKE OF OCTOBER 7

HEADLINE 1: Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani arrived in Moscow yesterday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

HEADLINE 2: Hamas is on the verge of bankruptcy.

HEADLINE 3: The U.S. Treasury sanctioned the International Bank of Yemen.

HEADLINE 4: Lebanese forces detained multiple people who fired rockets into Israel last month.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with actress and producer Debra Messing, who has used her platform to stand with Israel and against antisemitism in the wake of October 7, 2023.

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

The U.S. military has a vested interest in the security of the nation’s critical transportation infrastructure. During a conflict, America’s adversaries are likely to attack U.S. critical infrastructure in an attempt to constrain Washington’s policy options, including its capacity to mobilize the armed forces. Over the past year, the intelligence community has revealed how deeply Chinese hackers known as Volt Typhoon penetrated U.S. transportation, energy, and water systems. Meanwhile, other Chinese Communist Party (CCP) malicious cyber operations, including Flax Typhoon, hijacked cameras and routers. Salt Typhoon burrowed deep into U.S. telecommunications networks; Silk Typhoon compromised U.S. Treasury networks.

These hacks have uncovered a dangerous truth: the cybersecurity of the critical air, rail, and maritime infrastructure that underpins U.S. military mobility is insufficient. In addition to enabling disruption, compromising critical infrastructure would allow U.S. adversaries to amass information about the movement of goods and military equipment – and impede America’s ability to deploy, supply, and sustain large forces.

To explore these themes and more, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies hosts Gen. (Ret.) Mike Minihan, former commander, Air Mobility Command; RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director, FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation; and Annie Fixler, director and research fellow, FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation. The conversation is moderated by Bradley Bowman, senior director, FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2025/04/17/persistent-access-persistent-threat-ensuring-military-mobility-against-malicious-cyber-actors/

CAN THE UNITED STATES SUSTAIN SIMULTANEOUS MILITARY SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL, UKRAINE, AND TAIWAN?

HEADLINE 1: Jordan arrested 16 people linked to the Muslim Brotherhood who were involved in a plot to undermine Jordan with targeted attacks.

HEADLINE 2: The European Union announced a new aid package for the Palestinian Authority.

HEADLINE 3: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says 2025 is the year that the Lebanese Armed Forces must gain a monopoly of arms in his country.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ryan Brobst, a senior research analyst at FDD's Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP).

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

IRAN, OMAN, AND THE UNITED STATES

HEADLINE 1: The IDF struck a Hamas command center inside Gaza’s al-Ahli hospital.

HEADLINE 2: Syrian President Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani was on a charm offensive this weekend. Yes, I still called him by the name he used when he was openly leading an Al-Qaeda affiliate group.

HEADLINE 3: The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are reportedly planning to sign a nuclear energy cooperation agreement.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis on headlines of the Middle East, followed by a conversation with FDD Chief Executive Mark Dubowitz, who hosts FDD's brand-new podcast, The Iran Breakdown.

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

LEBANON, ISRAEL, AND THE FUTURE OF THE MIDDLE EAST

HEADLINE 1: The Trump administration rolled out another round of Iran sanctions.

HEADLINE 2: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a wanted man in Argentina.

HEADLINE 3: Israeli and Turkish officials met in Azerbaijan to discuss Syria.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Carine Hajjar, an opinion and editorial writer and Editorial Board member at The Boston Globe.

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

JERUSALEM, ANKARA, AND WASHINGTON

HEADLINE 1: Hezbollah may be using maritime routes to smuggle weapons into Lebanon.

HEADLINE 2: Iran has been recruiting Swedish criminal gangs to target Jews and Israelis.

HEADLINE 3: Protests erupted in Egypt against President Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Erick Stakelbeck, a bestselling author and host of "Stakelbeck Tonight" and "The Watchman" on TBN.

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

Iran’s nuclear program is escalating, its economy is worsening, and Tehran’s terror-regime ties with other authoritarians are tightening. As a result, the United States has an unparalleled opportunity to operationalize alternative policy options that marry maximum support for the Iranian people with maximum pressure against the Iranian regime.

To advance these ideas, FDD and the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI) host a symposium featuring a keynote address by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) followed by an exclusive fireside chat with HIH Reza Pahlavi, crown prince of Iran, and Cliff May, FDD founder and president. An expert panel featuring Behnam Ben Taleblu, FDD’s Iran Program senior director, and Cameron Khansarinia, NUFDI vice president, will unpack the current state of play with Iran and how maximum support can be paired with maximum pressure; Negar Mojtahedi, Iran International correspondent, will moderate.

For more, check out: https://www.fdd.org/events/2025/04/07/maximum-support-operationalizing-the-other-iran-policy/