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September 16, 2026 Russia Is Practicing Attacks on Undersea Cables in the Arctic. The Consequences Could Reach Space. Hidden underneath the frigid Arctic waters, Moscow is rehearsing attacks on allied infrastructure. According to a September 10 Reuters report, U.S., UK, and Norwegian forces disrupted a covert... September 15, 2026 Syria’s Fuel Protests Expose the Limits of Its Economic Recovery “We don’t want new roundabouts or malls. We just want to live.” That was the message from one protester in Aleppo as demonstrations over soaring fuel prices spread across Syria on September... September 15, 2026 Countering Chinese AI Distillation: The Case for Federal Action China’s AI models are improving quickly, but it’s not all through innovation. Much of the progress is thanks to stolen American tech. On September 8, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency... September 14, 2026 IAEA Ends Syria’s Nuclear Noncompliance Finding A unanimous vote by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) Board of Governors on September 9 formally ended consideration of Syria’s nuclear noncompliance. The decision followed cooperation by... September 11, 2026 Israel Razes Hilltop Hezbollah Stronghold, Securing Buffer Zone in South Lebanon After a siege lasting nearly three months, Israeli forces are now in control of a strategic hilltop in southern Lebanon dubbed Iran’s “second front” against the Jewish state. The Ali al-Taher... September 11, 2026 U.S. Space Command Is Testing Maneuver Warfare To Prepare for Next Generation of Fighting It won’t look like a dogfight from Star Wars or Battlestar Galactica, but in a future war, U.S. satellites may need to maneuver to survive. Space Command (SPACECOM) is practicing the right way to do... September 10, 2026 U.S. Sanctions on Iranian Aviation Should Be Followed by Operational Isolation Washington first tightened the chokehold on Tehran at sea and is now extending it to the skies. On September 8, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned all 27 remaining active Iranian airlines... September 10, 2026 The UK Sanctions Hezbollah’s Shadow Bank. Lebanon Should Shut It Down. The United Kingdom has put Hezbollah’s shadow bank in its crosshairs. On September 8, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced sanctions on “Lebanese Hezbollah’s financing arm, al-Qard al-Hassan... September 10, 2026 IAEA Refers Iran’s Nuclear File to UN Security Council In the first such action in 20 years, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) Board of Governors voted to refer Iran’s noncompliance with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations to the... September 9, 2026 Israel-UK Relations Nosedive as Foreign Secretary Announces Punitive Measures Bilateral relations between Israel and the United Kingdom have plummeted to depths unseen in the decades since the sunset of the British mandate over Palestine in May 1948. In a September 8 announcement to... September 9, 2026 Yes, China’s State-Owned Shipping Giant Is Spying on the United States COSCO’s cover is blown. On September 1, Reuters reported that the Chinese state-owned shipping giant — one of the largest maritime services companies in the world — uses equipment concealed aboard... September 8, 2026 China’s Push for Transport Integration Could Expand Beijing’s Control of Central Asian Trade Routes A new front in the U.S.-China competition is taking shape along the Middle Corridor, the critical trade route linking China and Europe while bypassing Russia and Iran. This corridor, also known as the... September 4, 2026 Eyeing Russia and Iran, Berlin and Jerusalem Share Naval Capabilities Amid acts of Russian sabotage throughout Europe, NATO announced Wednesday that Germany completed a test launch of an Israeli-made ballistic missile in the North Atlantic. The test followed Tuesday’s... September 4, 2026 Saudi Nuclear Deal Raises Concern Over Diluted U.S. Nonproliferation Standards In a notable loosening of decades of U.S. nonproliferation practice, the bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia now being reviewed by Congress would open the... September 2, 2026 The U.S. Rare Earth Playbook Provides a Blueprint for Supply Chain Securitization Washington is arming itself against weaponization of rare-earth-element supply chains. On August 24, the Department of Defense’s Economic Defense Unit (EDU) announced a $750 million offtake agreement... September 1, 2026 Treasury Sanctioned Palestinian Terror Group Masar Badil. Its Allies Should Be the Next Targets. Sanctioning a terrorist front accomplishes little if the same network can operate through the work of its allies. On August 26, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)... August 28, 2026 Economic Pressure on Iran Is Working, But Washington Still Needs an Endgame Iran’s confinement to a no-war, no-peace limbo may soon produce Washington’s opening. Gas stations across Iran are facing miles-long queues, with people waiting for hours only to find stations closed... August 28, 2026 Trump Administration Sends Secretive U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal to Congress for Review The Trump administration appears poised to upend long-standing U.S. policy restricting the spread of nuclear fuel-making technologies. It has transmitted a U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement to... August 27, 2026 Iraq’s Growing Oil Exports Through Basra Should Not Become an Asset for Iran Basra, Iraq’s oil export hub perched on the Persian Gulf, is busier than it has been since conflict between the United States and Iran began in February. According to Bloomberg, satellite imagery... August 27, 2026 Taiwan’s Chip Smuggling Case Shows Promise for Allied Export Control Enforcement In a world of globalized supply chains, enforcing export controls is also a globalized effort. On August 24, Taiwan charged nine individuals in a scheme to smuggle Super Micro servers containing Nvidia... August 27, 2026 Moscow Targets U.S.-Backed Projects as Armenia Moves West Although Moscow failed to swing Armenia’s June elections in its favor, it continues to stir the pot in Yerevan, aiming to thwart Armenia’s turn toward the West. A new report from cybersecurity company... August 27, 2026 Operation Economic Outcast’s Success Depends on Aggressive, Sustained Enforcement First there was the maximum pressure campaign during President Trump’s first term. Then came Operation Economic Fury in April 2026. Now, with Operation Economic Outcast, the Trump administration is launching... August 26, 2026 The Lebanese Government Ordered Iran’s Would-Be Ambassador Out. Then Another Part Let Him Stay. Lebanon ordered Iran’s ambassador-designate out in March. Five months later, he remains in Beirut — with at least six more months of legal residence. Mohammad Reza Sheibani was rejected for political... August 25, 2026 Treasury Says Iran Controls Hezbollah. Lebanon Is Still Responsible. Washington has potentially raised the cost of doing business with Hezbollah by formally tying the group to Iran under U.S. sanctions law. On Thursday, August 20, the Treasury Department’s Office... August 24, 2026 Fresh Off Major Defense Drills, Taiwan Proposes Record Military Spending Taiwan is doubling down on a double-digit increase in baseline defense spending. On August 20, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te proposed an 18 percent increase in baseline defense spending for the coming... August 24, 2026 Syria-Israel Talks Will Face a Turkish Test Syria and Israel are back at the negotiating table after a seven-month pause in talks over a potential security agreement. On August 23, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met with Mossad Director... August 24, 2026 Denied Syrian Foothold, Turkey Could Harass Israel at Sea As Israel moves to prevent Turkish military encroachment in neighboring Syria, officials are bracing for Ankara to shift pressure to the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey remains a member of NATO, and such... August 21, 2026 Halting Trade With Iran Won’t Help UAE Combat Sanctions Evasion The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is moving to constrain Iran economically — but it is leaving a major source of regime revenue untouched. On August 18, following a series of high-level discussions with... August 21, 2026 Deadline for Iraq’s Militias To Disarm Nears but Tehran’s Proxies Show They’re Above the Law Iraq’s new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, appears to be trying to reign in the Iranian-backed militias that have spread terror and disunion in his country. But a recent arrest may point to the limits... August 20, 2026 Central Asia’s Power Needs Are an Opportunity for Washington Blackouts across Central Asia should be a light-bulb moment for Washington as it seeks to diversify critical-mineral supply chains. An August 14 blackout across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and... August 20, 2026 Washington Should Not Reduce Military Exercises With South Korea President Donald Trump ordered the Department of Defense to “substantially reduce” military exercises between the U.S. and South Korean militaries on Sunday. These regularly occurring combined exercises... August 19, 2026 Israel Is Drawing the Line Against Turkey in Syria For the first time since March, Israeli jets struck deep inside Syria on August 18, targeting the Abu Duhur airbase in Idlib governorate, roughly 70 kilometers south of the Turkish border. According to... August 19, 2026 Tehran’s Negotiators Are Not a Counterweight to the IRGC Whatever separates Tehran’s senior leadership, a strategy of escalation to extract concessions from Washington unites them. President Donald Trump confirmed on August 17 that his administration has... August 18, 2026 New White House Report Brings ‘Shadow Transshipment Network’ Into Spotlight To prevail in a trade war against China, the United States needs enforcement tools that match its trade policy goals. On August 13, the White House released a report accusing more than 40 countries of... August 14, 2026 Iraq Struggles To Find Oil Export Options, but the UAE May Be Able To Help Iraq relies on oil revenue for over 90 percent of its budget. With exports hovering at around half of the usual 3.4 million barrels per day (bpd) that were exported before Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz,... August 13, 2026 Israel Seeks To Preserve Military Depth in Gaza “Israel is currently at the yellow line,” the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, told Israeli television on August 9. “That is where its troops are. What we are asking... August 12, 2026 In Iran, the New Lineup Is the Same Hardline Regime The latest reshuffle of Iran’s government looks less like renewal than a game of musical chairs among regime veterans. Islamic Republic Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, whose status and capacity to... August 12, 2026 U.S. Sanctions Georgia-Based Cryptocurrency Company for Supporting IRGC Even as Tbilisi says it seeks a reset in relations with Washington, it is turning a blind eye to financial schemes that benefit Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). On August 7, the U.S.... August 12, 2026 Syria Agrees To Turn Over Assad-Era Nuclear Material Syria has reportedly agreed to turn over nuclear material — remnants of the Assad regime’s clandestine nuclear program — to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under a U.S.-brokered deal. According... August 12, 2026 In Syria, Selective Prosecution of War Crimes Fosters Disunity For nearly a quarter-century, former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad presided over a repressive system that tortured and killed Syrians with little expectation that he would ever answer for its crimes. That... August 12, 2026 Russia’s Eurasian Economic Union Creates New Pathways for Potential Sanctions Evasion As Western sanctions work to isolate Russia’s economy, Moscow is investing in trade backdoors. The intergovernmental council of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) concluded its 47th meeting with the... August 11, 2026 Yemen on the Brink of a Return to Civil War When the Houthis in Yemen entered the conflict between the United States and Iran on July 20 by announcing a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, it spelled danger in the Red Sea. Now, it appears Yemenis... August 7, 2026 China-Linked Social Media Network Seeks To Shift COVID Responsibility From China to U.S. Long after COVID-19 ended, China is still trying to shape the world’s perception of the pandemic. On August 6, FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI) identified at least 50 coordinated... August 7, 2026 Treasury Penalizes Anti-Money Laundering Failure After Weak Enforcement The U.S. Treasury Department is raising the cost of turning a blind eye to suspicious financial activity. On August 3, Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) imposed a $125 million... August 6, 2026 Pragmatism Could Draw Syria and Hezbollah Into an Accommodation During the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah spent years fighting the factions now ruling Damascus. Now, even as Damascus intercepts the group’s weapons and disrupts its supply routes, Hezbollah’s Secretary... August 6, 2026 Israel Holds Firm as Hamas Attempts To Delay Disarmament Nine months have elapsed since President Donald Trump’s peace plan for the Gaza Strip was enshrined by UN Security Council Resolution 2803. Trump’s plan lays out an explicit vision for a Gaza freed... August 6, 2026 New Congressional Investigation Alleges Banned Chinese Firms Never Left Domestic Networks In confronting Chinese cyber threats, the call is coming from inside the house. On August 4, the House Select Committee on China revealed that three Chinese telecommunications firms — China Mobile,... August 5, 2026 Syria’s Break With Russia Must Go Beyond Oil Syria’s current leaders and Russia once stood on opposite sides of the battlefield. Yet since the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Moscow’s longtime ally during the Syrian civil... August 4, 2026 Turkey-Based Global Director of Sham Charity Arrested for Conspiring To Help Hamas The jig is up for a Turkish resident who allegedly funneled millions of dollars to Hamas while posing as a philanthropist. On July 31, U.S. authorities announced the arrest of Mohammad Hasna, the global... August 4, 2026 U.S. Should Quickly Heed Ukraine’s Request on Starlink As it braces for what may be its most difficult winter of the war, Ukraine is reportedly seeking permission to use the Starlink satellite communications system to target ballistic missile launchers on...

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