FDD Morning Brief

FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Steve Hayes, CEO and editor of The Dispatch.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

HEADLINE 1: The United States smuggled thousands of Starlink internet terminals into Iran.HEADLINE 2: Remember the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation? A security firm based in North Carolina called UG Solutions helped secure the group’s aid distribution sites. Well, UG Solutions might be coming back.HEADLINE 3: Israel successfully completed new tests with its David’s Sling missile defense system.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Gaza native who serves as the founder and director of the Realign for Palestine project at the Atlantic Council.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief--Featured FDD Pieces:"Egypt Tests Trump’s Pledge to Defend Persecuted Christians" - Mariam Wahba, Newsweek"A few words of advice on Iran and Gaza" - Cliff May, The Washington Times"Al Jazeera Centre for Studies: Academic Veneer Normalizing Terrorism" - Toby Dershowitz and Qatar expert Eitan Fischberger, FDD Insight

HEADLINE 1: Turkish forces aren’t leaving Syria anytime soon.HEADLINE 2: Israel indicted two more individuals for allegedly spying on behalf of Iran. HEADLINE 3: Indonesia is planning to participate in the International Stabilization Force in Gaza.--FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Advisor Richard Goldberg.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/--Featured FDD Pieces:"Whither the Hamas solidarity movement?" - Ben Cohen, JNS"Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Houthis But Were Afraid to Ask" - Cliff May and Edmund Fitton-Brown, Foreign Podicy"Weaponized Mass Migration" - RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe

Reuel Marc Gerecht, former CIA Iranian-targets officer and FDD scholar. He breaks down why recent Oman talks may deliver little. He discusses how Iran might retaliate and the limits of US strikes. He doubts Turkey can replace Iran regionally and explains practical limits to Turkish influence. He also examines Gulf rivalries and Saudi caution.

Ghaith Al-Omari, senior fellow at The Washington Institute and former PA advisor, brings expertise on Palestinian politics and Gaza reconstruction. He discusses Gaza’s fragile ceasefire and governance challenges. He warns Hamas will remain powerful short-term and argues against normalizing engagement. He reviews lessons from past diplomacy and the regional fallout from the Saudi-Emirati rift.

Adi Schwartz, Israeli journalist and co-author of The War of Return, explores Gaza's reconstruction beyond rubble. He discusses reshaping societal and ideological foundations, the role of UNRWA and refugee status, and Israel's capacity for a long-term security presence. Short takes on governance symbols, regional tensions with Iran, and possible post-conflict regional shifts.

Asaf Romirowsky, executive director of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East and leader at ASMEA, is an expert on UNRWA and campus Middle East advocacy. He discusses allegations of NGO complicity and vetting disputes. He covers Israel’s designation of UNRWA, evidence cited, and operational limits in Gaza. He also talks about aid systems, education reform, and campus funding influences.

Ahmad Sharawi, Senior Research Analyst specializing in Syria and Kurdish affairs, breaks down shifting dynamics in Syria’s Kurdish areas. He discusses Kurdish-SDF losses and fragile ceasefires. He explains Shara’s motives around power and oil, Turkey’s deep influence in Damascus, and regional border and smuggling risks.

Elliott Abrams, a CFR senior fellow and former U.S. special representative on Iran and Venezuela, offers seasoned foreign policy perspective. He discusses U.S. force posture in the Gulf and deterrence logic. He weighs offensive options versus political costs and Israel’s concerns about Iranian responses. He compares lessons from Venezuela and explores shifting regional alignments.

FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a pre-recorded conversation between Jonathan Schanzer and Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum.For all episodes: https://bit.ly/4qHfzNp