FDD Morning Brief

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO EMPOWER JEWISH STUDENTS FACING ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS?HEADLINE 1: It’s official. France, Britain, and Germany are planning to reimpose sanctions on Iran.HEADLINE 2: UNIFIL’s days are officially numbered. HEADLINE 3: Israeli officials issued an arrest warrant for an American who was lobbying for Qatar in the country.--FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Jacob Baime, CEO of the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC).Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/--Featured FDD Articles:"5 Urgent Tasks for the New National Cyber Director" — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Annie Fixler, FDD Insight"A Year of Meming Dangerously: Iranian Influence Operations Targeting Israel Since October 7" — Ari Ben Am, FDD Memo"Qatar’s growing footprint in Africa" — Natalie Ecanow, FDD's Long War Journal

WHAT LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED FROM PAST MIDDLE EAST PEACE EFFORTS? HEADLINE 1: Australia and Iran are engaged in a heavyweight diplomatic spat.HEADLINE 2: The IDF conducted a rare daytime raid in Ramallah yesterday.HEADLINE 3: Officials from France, Britain, and Germany met with an Iranian delegation in Geneva yesterday to discuss the looming snapback sanctions.--FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Ambassador Dennis Ross, The Washington Institute's William Davidson Distinguished Fellow and a former Israeli-Palestinian peace process negotiator under Presidents H. W. Bush and Clinton.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/--Featured FDD Articles: "Iran faces a perfect storm of domestic failures" - Janatan Sayeh and Navid Mohebbi, JNS"Oil holds the key to Ukraine war’s end — if Trump plays hardball" - Rich Goldberg and John Hardie, New York Post"Reexamining the U.S.-South Africa Relationship" - FDD Virtual Event

WHY IS ISRAEL INVESTED IN THE FATE OF SYRIA'S DRUZE? HEADLINE 1: Iran just might limit its uranium enrichment to avoid further punishment from Israel and the West.HEADLINE 2: Egypt is reportedly bolstering its military presence along the border with Gaza.HEADLINE 3: U.S. envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack and deputy special envoy Morgan Ortagus arrived in Israel yesterday.--FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Jonathan Hessen, nonresident senior fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/--Featured FDD Articles:"For the First Time in 25 Years, Syria Acknowledges Direct Talks With Israel" - Ahmad Sharawi, FDD Policy Brief"Behind Khamenei's post-war shake up: Salvaging the remains of the 'Axis of Resistance'" - Saeed Ghasseminejad, The Jerusalem Post "Exodus or Endurance: The Plight of Egypt’s Christians" - Cliff May and Mariam Wahba, FDD's Foreign Podicy

QATAR, TURKEY, IRAN, AND GAZAHEADLINE 1: The Trump administration just went scorched earth on the International Criminal Court with fresh sanctions.HEADLINE 2: An Israeli imprisoned in Lebanon for over a year has quietly been freed — no prisoner swap needed.HEADLINE 3: Tensions are running high in the West Bank.--FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH). Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/--Featured FDD Articles:"The single negotiation goal with Iran should be complete dismantlement of nuclear program" - Mark Dubowitz and Brig. Gen. (Res.) Jacob Nagel "Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: August 4–17, 2025" - David Daoud "The Iran Breakdown: American Economic and Financial Power and the Iran File" - Mark Dubowitz and Juan Zarate

WHY ARE LEGACY MEDIA OUTLETS AMPLIFYING HAMAS' NARRATIVE? HEADLINE 1: Hamas has possibly agreed to a 60-day ceasefire with Israel. But don’t hold your breath. The terms are 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences. HEADLINE 2: Yesterday, the families of the “Beautiful Six” commemorated one year since Hamas murdered their loved ones in cold blood. HEADLINE 3: Israel and Australia are locking horns — and things are only getting worse.--FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Jonas Du, a fellow at The Free Press. Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/--Featured FDD Articles: "Donald Trump Set a Nuclear Precedent. Now He Must Enforce It" - Andrea Stricker and Henry Sokolski in The National Interest"The urgent need to procure more THAAD interceptors" - Bradley Bowman and Ryan Brobst in Defense News"Top US teachers’ union supports Palestinian counterpart with terror-linked leader" - Brandy Shufutinsky in JNS

HOW IS ENERGY RELATED TO U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY? HEADLINE 1: The family of Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker released a new video of him in Hamas captivity.HEADLINE 2: Israel is preparing a full-scale offensive in Gaza City. HEADLINE 3: Israel struck the Houthis where it hurts — again.--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 articles:"Nvidia⁩ Games: China v. the US in AI Arms Race" — FDD's Foreign Podicy with Cliff May"Egypt Inks Multi-Billion Dollar Energy Deal With Israel Despite Gaza Tensions" — FDD Policy Brief by Mariam Wahba"China Has Most To Gain From Trump-Putin Talks in Alaska" — Craig Singleton

HOW DID ORDINARY IRANIANS RESPOND TO ISRAEL’S 12-DAY WAR AGAINST THE REGIME’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM?HEADLINE 1: Israel is reportedly in talks with several countries to take in Palestinians from Gaza.HEADLINE 2: Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, visited Beirut this week.HEADLINE 3: Turkey and Syria signed a defense cooperation agreement.BONUS HEADLINE 4: France, Germany, and the UK may reimpose sanctions on Iran.--FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with FDD Research Analyst Janatan Sayeh, who specializes in Iranian domestic affairs and the regime’s malign influence in the region.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/--Featured FDD articles:"The Houthis and the U.N.’s Ship of Fools" by Max Meizlish and Bridget Toomey"Ukraine peace is in reach — if Trump meets Putin’s demands with US vigor" by RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and John Hardie"America’s fair-weather friends" by Cliff May

IS SYRIA'S NEW STRONGMAN UP TO THE TASK? HEADLINE 1: Iran reported a new statistic about last month’s 12-day war. Between June 13 and 24: Iranian police arrested 21,000 people.HEADLINE 2: The evidence against Hamas’s claim of starvation in Gaza is mounting, even as the accusations against Israel continue to fly.HEADLINE 3: The IDF eliminated five armed terrorists masquerading as World Central Kitchen workers.--FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with FDD Research Analyst Ahmad Sharawi, who specializes in the Levant.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/--Featured FDD articles: "Analysis: Armenia–Azerbaijan deal worries Iran" by Janatan Sayeh"U.S. and Partners Conclude Month of Military Exercises in the Pacific While Eyeing China" by Cameron McMillan and Roc Iore"Mapping a Shadow War: Explosions Across Iran After the 12-Day War" by FDD Visuals Team and NUFDI

ISRAELI MOSSAD OPERATIVES ARE SPYING IN IRAN WHILE SOME ORDINARY ISRAELIS ARE SPYING FOR IRAN.HEADLINE 1: Iran has sent its surviving nuclear scientists into hiding.HEADLINE 2: The IDF foiled another attempt to smuggle weapons from Egypt into Israel.HEADLINE 3: White House envoy Steve Witkoff met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani in Ibiza, Spain over the weekend.--FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with journalist Dan Raviv, host of “The Mossad Files” podcast.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/

HOW DO TRUMP VOTERS VIEW U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES?HEADLINE 1: The United Nations has finally engaged with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or “GHF.”HEADLINE 2: The Lebanese government approved a U.S. proposal to disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025. HEADLINE 3: Israel signed a major energy export deal with Egypt.--FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Carrie Filipetti, executive director of The Vandenberg Coalition.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/