Shows / FDD Morning Brief
FDD Morning Brief
The Middle East never stops moving. Neither does the FDD Morning Brief.
Three mornings a week, FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer cuts through the noise with the experts who have spent their careers studying, shaping, and living the region’s most consequential moments. All before your morning coffee gets cold.
Episodes
FDD Morning BriefIs this a done deal? | feat. Miad Maleki, Ahmad Sharawi, and Bradley Bowman
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP episode of the FDD Morning Brief featuring FDD experts Miad Maleki, Bradley Bowman, and Ahmad…
FDD Morning BriefThe Ceasefire War | feat. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Conricus, RADM (Ret.) Montgomery, and Behnam Ben Taleblu
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring FDD experts Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus, RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, and Behnam Ben…
FDD Morning BriefHow the IRGC engineered its own survival | feat. Rafaela Siewert
Headlines: Yesterday, Iran launched missiles at Israel for the first time since the April ceasefire took effect. President Trump urged Netanyahu not to strike…
FDD Morning BriefQatar's $400 billion grip on America | feat. Natalie Ecanow
Headlines: The duplicitous, conniving, and corrupt state of Qatar is going to provide 6 billion dollars to Iran’s collapsing economy. The United Nations…
FDD Morning BriefWhere does Europe stand on Iran? | feat. Simone Rodan-Benzaquen
Headlines: US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israel and Hezbollah agreed to stop shooting — basically, a sort-of ceasefire under which Israel would…
FDD Morning BriefThe deal that dooms the Iranian people | feat. Moj Mahdara
Headlines: The Israeli military is on the move in Lebanon. The IDF is set to move further north to do more damage to Hezbollah. We’ll keep with Lebanon and…
FDD Morning BriefThe unfinished war on terror | feat. Joseph Zacks
Headlines: The Sultanate of Oman committed to increase trade and economic relations with Iran. The Treasury Department slapped sanctions on the Persian Gulf…
FDD Morning BriefLaw and order in the Iran war | feat. Natasha Hausdorff
Headlines: Israeli media reported that Shin Bet chief David Zini met with former Palestinian Authority security official Mohammad Dahlan in the United Arab…
FDD Morning BriefWhat's the deal with the Iran deal? | feat. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus & Behnam Ben Taleblu
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring FDD experts Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus and Behnam Ben Taleblu. They dissect the…
FDD Morning BriefThe anti-Israel propaganda pipeline feeding mainstream media | feat. Jacki Alexander
Headlines Treasury sanctioned nine Hezbollah enablers who help preserve the terrorist group’s chokehold on Lebanon by obstructing peace or disarmament efforts…
FDD Morning BriefCan the IDF stop Hezbollah's FPV drones? | feat. Ryan Brobst
Headlines: The Trump administration rolled out another batch of Iran sanctions, as well as a second package targeting four individuals associated with…
FDD Morning BriefHezbollah's West Africa money trail | feat. Daniel Swift
Headlines: Iranian drone attacks, whether launched by the regime or its Iraqi proxies, continue to plague the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi…
FDD Morning BriefWashington's week with Beirut and Beijing | feat. David Daoud and Craig Singleton
Headlines We’ve got another flotilla on the way to Israel. Just what we all needed, right? A Hezbollah drone attack wounded four Israeli civilians in northern…
FDD Morning BriefWhy bombs alone won't beat Iran | feat. Andrew Fox
Headlines: The UAE and Saudi Arabia both struck Iran during the latest round of conflict. Operation Economic Fury continues apace. Turkish Foreign Minister…
FDD Morning BriefGroundhog Day in Gaza | feat. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
Headlines: Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan met with a group of Hamas officials in Ankara over the weekend. The New York Times reported over the weekend…
FDD Morning BriefA broke and belligerent Iran | feat. Norman Roule
Headlines: The Iranian regime and the United States traded fire in the Strait of Hormuz last night. The Trump administration issued another batch of sanctions…
FDD Morning BriefQatar's ICC influence operation | feat. Eugene Kontorovich
Headlines: Reports broke suggesting that U.S. intelligence indicates Iran would need about nine months to a year to build a nuclear bomb. The United States, in…
FDD Morning BriefA Middle East in flux | feat. Ahmad Sharawi, guest hosted by Sinan Ciddi
Headlines: Hezbollah has been deploying a new category of drone that the IDF has struggled to counter. OPEC+, the broader alliance of oil-producing nations…
FDD Morning BriefThe blockade bleeding Iran dry | feat. Max Meizlish, guest hosted by Natalie Ecanow
Headlines: The Global Sumud Flotilla is back — this time without Greta Thunberg. Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei released a written statement yesterday…
FDD Morning BriefFrom Epic Fury to Economic Fury | feat. Rich Goldberg
Headlines: The United Arab Emirates announced that it’s leaving the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. Tensions are brewing between…
FDD Morning BriefIsrael on trial | feat. Roy K. Altman
Headlines: An attempt on the life of the president of the United States on Saturday night. The talks scheduled between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the…
FDD Morning BriefCan Lebanon break free from Hezbollah? | feat. Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Headlines: Israeli authorities charged two IDF Air Force mechanics with spying on behalf of Iran. France is getting feistier, threatening to impose sanctions…
FDD Morning BriefThe Gulf's crude awakening | feat. Bernard Haykel
Headlines: At least two maritime vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations. The Treasury…
FDD Morning BriefIran's dirty hand in Sudan | feat. Ambassador Fernandez, guest hosted by Mariam Wahba
Headlines: The U.S. negotiation team is heading to Islamabad for round two of U.S.-Iran talks, and they’re opening under considerably worse conditions than…
FDD Morning BriefChina's MidEast reckoning | feat. Gen. H.R. McMaster
Headlines: A ten-day ceasefire is now in effect in Lebanon. The Treasury Department issued a fresh batch of sanctions targeting a network of people, companies…
FDD Morning BriefThe unsettled score in Iran | feat. David Adesnik
Headlines: Lebanon and Israel held direct talks for the first time in decades. The Trump administration is gearing up for its blockade of Iranian vessels in…
FDD Morning BriefCan Iran bypass the blockade? | feat. Miad Maleki
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Miad Maleki. Learn more…
FDD Morning BriefFDD Morning Brief SITREP | The stakes behind the Iran ceasefire
Headlines: The IDF said it eliminated Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem’s personal secretary in a strike near Beirut. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that…
FDD Morning BriefThe art of the ceasefire deal? | feat. Khosro Isfahani
Headlines: Yesterday, the IDF said it completed the deployment of ground troops to a so-called anti-tank line in south Lebanon. An American journalist…
FDD Morning BriefThe 20-year war on freedom | feat. Yana Gorokhovskaia
Today's headlines: The regime in Tehran somehow managed to shoot down an American F-15 fighter jet over the weekend. The aviators from that downed F-15 are…
FDD Morning BriefIs Turkey the new Iran? | feat. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, guest hosted by Sinan Ciddi
Today's headlines: Turkey is working with Iranian authorities to secure permission for 11 Turkish-owned ships to sail through the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli…
FDD Morning BriefHezbollah versus Lebanon | feat. Hagar Chemali
Today's headlines: Trouble continues in the Strait of Hormuz. Kosovo announced that it plans to deploy troops to the U.S.-backed international stabilization…
FDD Morning Brief30 days of Roaring Lion | feat. Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Amir Eshel
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Senior Fellow Major General (Ret.)…
FDD Morning BriefThe splintering axis of evil | feat. Ilan Berman
Today's headlines: U.S.-Israeli air superiority continues Iranian air defenses remain down Israel eliminated the head of Iran’s navy The Islamic Republic is…
FDD Morning BriefWashington's war with itself | feat. Rep. Gottheimer (D-NJ)
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ). Learn more…
FDD Morning BriefIs the U.S. maxing out the pressure on Iran? | feat. Brian Hook
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with former U.S. Special Representative for…
FDD Morning BriefWinning the sanctions war | feat. Peter Doran
FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Adjunct Senior Fellow Peter…
FDD Morning BriefWashington's two-front war | feat. Lewis Libby
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Distinguished Fellow Lewis Libby…
FDD Morning BriefThe mullah's monarchy | feat. Ray Takeyh
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign…
FDD Morning BriefThe Iran war's dire straits | feat. Jonathan Hessen and RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special FDD Morning Brief SITREP featuring FDD experts RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Jonathan Hessen. They…
FDD Morning BriefWill Epic Fury finish the regime? | feat. Einat Wilf
FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Einat Wilf, chair of the Knesset's Oz…
FDD Morning BriefFDD Morning Brief SITREP | The Iran war is testing the Gulf
THE WAR IN IRAN IS TESTING THE GULF --- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP episode of the FDD Morning Brief featuring Ebtesam AlKetbi…
FDD Morning BriefFDD Morning Brief SITREP | The military partnership fueling Epic Fury
THE MILITARY PARTNERSHIPS FUELING EPIC FURY --- FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring FDD experts Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan…
FDD Morning BriefFDD Morning Brief SITREP | A wounded regime and the U.S.-Israel alliance
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer hosts a special SITREP featuring FDD experts Janatan Sayeh and Cameron McMillan. They provide timely situational updates…
FDD Morning BriefA post-Khamenei Iran | feat. Nadav Eyal
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal. Learn more…
FDD Morning BriefErdogan's neo-Ottoman ambitions | feat. Sinan Ciddi
ERDOGAN'S NEO-OTTOMAN AMBITIONS HEADLINE 1: The Palestinian Authority is still paying money to terrorists. HEADLINE 2: The Trump administration continues to…
FDD Morning BriefHas Australia lost its way? | feat. Erin Molan
HEADLINE 1: Iran wants to buy anti-ship missiles from China. HEADLINE 2: India's prime minister touched down in Israel today. HEADLINE 3: In case you missed…
FDD Morning BriefThe goal isn't a better deal — it's a free Iran | feat. Mark Dubowitz
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Chief Executive Mark Dubowitz. Learn…
FDD Morning BriefAn ancient city's modern divide | feat. Yishai Fleisher
AN ANCIENT CITY'S MODERN DIVIDE HEADLINE 1: Iran and Russia held joint naval exercises in and around the Gulf of Oman. HEADLINE 2: The European Union…
FDD Morning BriefIs Washington too sold on Syria's new strongman? | feat. Andrew Tabler
HEADLINE 1: More countries are planning to contribute troops to the International Stabilization Force in Gaza. HEADLINE 2: The Lebanese government provided an…
FDD Morning Brief"Peace through strength" or posture without strategy? | feat. Steve Hayes
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Steve Hayes, CEO and editor of The…
FDD Morning BriefWill war return to Gaza? | feat. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
HEADLINE 1: The United States smuggled thousands of Starlink internet terminals into Iran. HEADLINE 2: Remember the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation? A security…
FDD Morning BriefTrump drew a red line. Tehran crossed it. Now what? | feat. Rich Goldberg
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…
FDD Morning BriefIs Turkey Iran's successor? | feat. Reuel Marc Gerecht
FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Reuel Marc Gerecht, a former CIA…
FDD Morning BriefWhat will it take to rebuild Gaza? | feat. Ghaith Al-Omari
HEADLINE 1: Even with talks this weekend, Iran continues to escalate in the Middle East. HEADLINE 2: Israel continues to even the score from October 7…
FDD Morning BriefGaza's societal reconstruction | feat. Adi Schwartz
HEADLINE 1: UNRWA is back in the news. And that’s generally not a good thing for the UN’s most corrupt agency. HEADLINE 2: Earlier this week, the IDF dropped…
FDD Morning BriefIs this the end of UNRWA? | feat. Asaf Romirowsky
IS THIS THE END OF UNRWA? HEADLINE 1: The Islamic Republic of Iran has designated every European military as a terrorist organization. HEADLINE 2: Looks like…
FDD Morning BriefAl-Sharaa's Kurdish gambit | feat. Ahmad Sharawi
HEADLINE 1: Turkish authorities detained six people suspected of spying for Iran. HEADLINE 2: The Saudis are in town, led by the crown prince’s brother…
FDD Morning BriefCould the Maduro playbook work on Khamenei? | feat. Elliott Abrams
HEADLINE 1: A delegation of Hamas officials arrived on Monday in…wait for it…Turkey. HEADLINE 2: This is not a parody: Hamas wants to be part of Gaza’s new…
FDD Morning BriefU.S. forces amass as Iranian protesters die — where's the strike? | feat. Michael Rubin
FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a pre-recorded conversation between Jonathan Schanzer and…