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/

A VISION FOR YEMEN'S FUTURE

HEADLINE 1: In June 2021, Hamas asked Iran for $500 million to help fund the destruction of Israel.

HEADLINE 2: On Saturday, The Washington Post reported that the regime in Iran hired a Georgian drug trafficker to assassinate a rabbi in Azerbaijan.

HEADLINE 3: The United States has sent another THAAD air defense system to Israel.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ahmed Atef, a former Yemeni diplomat who now serves as the U.S. representative of the Southern Transitional Council.

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

MAXIMUM PRESSURE ON THE REGIME IN IRAN + MAXIMUM SUPPORT FOR THE IRANIAN PEOPLE

HEADLINE 1: On Wednesday, the IDF struck what it described as “remaining military capabilities” that belonged to the former Bashar al-Assad regime.

HEADLINE 2: The IDF is establishing a new security corridor in southern Gaza.

HEADLINE 3: Russia and Iran’s deputy foreign ministers spoke with each other about Iran’s nuclear program.

HEADLINE 4: The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a network of Houthi financiers and procurement operatives.

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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Emily Schrader, an Israeli journalist, author, and activist who serves as a news anchor at ILTV News.

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

Israel’s tech ecosystem plays a pivotal role in strengthening US-Israel relations, particularly collaborative innovations, economic partnerships, and geopolitical ties. These dynamics, notably in defense technology, align with U.S. national security interests and foster normalization with Gulf states by enhancing regional stability and economic resilience. Through the lens of innovation, these unique opportunities for collaboration and diplomacy have the potential to reshape regional dynamics and foster lasting peace.

For an insightful conversation on technology’s power to shape diplomacy and drive peace in the Middle East, FDD hosts Eyal Hulata, senior fellow, FDD and former Israeli National Security Advisor; Ilana Sherrington Hoffman, director of global partnerships, Startup Nation Central; and Seth Spergel, managing partner, Merlin Ventures. Nave Shachar, director of innovation diplomacy, Startup Nation Central, gives keynote remarks. 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/2025/04/03/israeli-innovation-and-defense-tech-strengthening-ties-and-regional-normalization/