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FDD's Long War Journal
The war In Iran: reshaping the Middle East
HonestReporting Canada
March 12, 2026
12:00 pm
EVENT: Between Ally and Adversary: Turkey’s Strategic Calculus in the Iran War
As the war involving Iran reshapes the strategic landscape of the Middle East, Turkey finds itself navigating one of the most complex geopolitical dilemmas in its modern history. Sharing a long border with Iran and balancing its role as a NATO member with its regional ambitions, Ankara is attempting to manage the fallout of a conflict that could dramatically alter the balance of power across the region. Turkish leaders have condemned U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran while simultaneously warning Tehran against expanding the conflict, reflecting a delicate strategy of hedging between competing interests.
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Mark Dubowitz
Chief Executive
- Iran Sanctions
- Iran Human Rights
- Syria
- Iran Missiles
- Iran
- Iran Global Threat Network
- Hezbollah
- Iran-backed Terrorism
- Sanctions and Illicit Finance
- Cyber
- Iran Nuclear
Jonathan Schanzer
Executive Director
- Palestinian Politics
- Iran
- Iran Sanctions
- Iran Global Threat Network
- Hezbollah
- Iran-backed Terrorism
- Turkey
- Jihadism
- Sanctions and Illicit Finance
Behnam Ben Taleblu
Iran Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow
- Iran
- Iran Sanctions
- Iran Missiles
- Iran Human Rights
- Iran Politics and Economy
- Iran Global Threat Network
- Sanctions and Illicit Finance
RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery
CCTI Senior Director and Senior Fellow
Richard Goldberg
Senior Advisor
- Iran
- Palestinian Politics
- Iran Sanctions
- Iran Global Threat Network
- Iran-backed Terrorism
- Gulf States
- Sanctions and Illicit Finance
- International Organizations
Andrea Stricker
Nonproliferation Program Deputy Director and Research Fellow
Reuel Marc Gerecht
Resident Scholar
- Iran
- Iran Politics and Economy
- Turkey
- Arab Politics
- Egypt
Janatan Sayeh
Research Analyst
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Former President of Taiwan
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Overnight Brief: March 27, 2026
Read Full BriefToday In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
- Today at 8:30am (ET): "FDD Morning Brief," FDD Event
- "Does Trump Have an Exit Strategy for Iran?" The Iran Breakdown
- "War of the Words in Iran," The Iran Breakdown
- "Trump’s 15-point Iran truce plan would let one terrifying threat slide," New York Post
- "Trump’s Oil Waiver Gives Iran a Dangerous Financial Lifeline," The Dispatch
- "Lebanon Will Keep Hezbollah’s Arms, Lose its South," This Is Beirut
- "Russia and China are losers in US war on Iran," Tulsa World
- "U.S. Redirects Tehran Regime’s Illicit Wealth to Its Victims," FDD Policy Brief
- "Iran’s New Security Chief Marches to the Same Tune as His Predecessors," FDD Policy Brief
- "The Hormuz Shake(down)," Generation Jihad (by FDD's Long War Journal)
- "The Islamic State’s targeting of a Chinese mine in Congo proves the group is a resilient threat," FDD's Long War Journal
- "Iran-linked group claims arson attacks in Antwerp and London," FDD's Long War Journal
- "Lebanon declares Iranian ambassador-designate ‘persona non grata’ before Iranian missile explodes over Lebanese airspace," FDD's Long War Journal
- "Why seizing Iran’s Kharg Island could be a trap of America’s own making," FDD's Long War Journal
- "Interim Venezuelan president ousts defense chief as Washington makes limited progress in Caracas," FDD's Long War Journal
- "Israel Eliminates Top IRGC Navy Commander Responsible for Closing Strait of Hormuz," FDD Flash Brief
The Must-Reads
- Israel took Iran's Araqchi, Qalibaf off hit list after Pakistan request to US, Pakistani source says
- WINEP’s Ghaith al-Omari: With the Iran war, Hamas tilts toward the Brotherhood
- Trump says U.S. to hold off for 10 days on hitting Iran energy sites
- Iran hardliners ramp up calls for a nuclear bomb, sources say
- WSJ Editorial: Don’t let Iran’s hostage-takers win
- Ukraine's Zelenskiy arrives in Saudi Arabia for 'important meetings'
- Russia helps Iran ‘kill Americans,’ EU’s top diplomat says
- UAE pushes for international force to reopen Hormuz
- Pentagon considers diverting Ukraine military aid to the Middle East
- Trump weighs sending another 10,000 ground troops to the Middle East, WSJ reports
- Yemen's Houthis ready to join Iran war if needed, raising new shipping risk
- Exclusive: China's top chipmaker has supplied chipmaking tech to Iran military, US officials say