FDD's Foreign Podicy The Fog of Ceasefire
Apr 24, 2026
Max Meizlish, former Treasury OFAC official and sanctions expert. Joseph Zacks, former CIA operations officer with counterterrorism and IRGC experience. They discuss Iran stalling talks, the shift to aggressive financial pressure, threats in the Strait of Hormuz, drone and small-boat tactics, Gulf defense adaptations, and how targeting kleptocratic networks and enablers could shape Tehran’s choices.
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Act Now With Treasury Tools To Tighten The Noose
- Use U.S. economic tools aggressively to increase pressure rather than prolong negotiations.
- Max Meizlish urges Treasury to act sooner against regime enablers and third-party financial institutions to tighten the economic noose.
IRGC Gunboats Operate Like Modern Pirates
- IRGC fast boats and small craft behave more like pirates than a conventional navy but can still seize unprotected commercial ships.
- Cliff May compares the threat to Somali piracy: unarmed ships are vulnerable to small, fast IRGC units.
Deploy Affordable Counter-Drone Defenses Quickly
- Invest in affordable counter-UAS and direct-energy defenses to blunt cheap swarm threats.
- Joseph Zacks highlights Ukrainian and Israeli innovations and recommends Gulf partners adopt low-cost systems and laser/DE capabilities.