Iran Is Rewiring Its Proxy Network
The Islamic Republic’s preparation for renewed regional escalation is making it less vulnerable to outside attacks.
Gulf States
FDD Analysis
Houthis escalate attacks in Red Sea and on Saudi Arabia, Riyadh evaluates options
After Yemen’s Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20, the Iran-backed terror group has attacked Saudi Arabia directly and claimed attacks on eight Saudi-linked...
Op-eds
Erdogan’s Iraq play: A bigger game than oil
There is an easy way to read Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to host Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi in Ankara on July 28, and to call the visit “historic”: as an energy...
Op-eds
Iraq pressured by regional countries to rein in Iran-backed militias as new data on extent of attacks released
Iraq finds itself under growing pressure from regional countries and the US to rein in Iranian-backed Iraqi militias. The latest pressure from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan comes as Ahmad...
Op-eds
Saudis gravitate toward Middle East basket cases when it should join US’ fight against Iran
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly called President Trump on Saturday and implored him to hold off on striking the Islamic Republic of Iran. Trump acquiesced and punted...
Op-eds
Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: August
Trend Overview Welcome back to the Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker. Once a month, we ask FDD’s experts and scholars to assess the administration’s foreign policy. They provide trendlines...
Policy Tracker
If the Saudis want a nuclear arsenal, Trump’s new deal might just give it to them
President Donald Trump made waves the day after his administration announced a bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. He conditioned the deal on Riyadh joining the Abraham...
Op-eds
Saudi Participation in U.S. Airstrikes on Iraq Signals Impatience With Baghdad’s Inability To Control Armed Factions
Baghdad’s failure to address drone attacks from Iran-backed Iraqi militias is forcing other countries to act. American and Saudi forces, in a first for the ongoing war with Iran, launched joint...
Policy Briefs
As Iran batters the Gulf states, Trump’s course is beyond clear
President Donald Trump says he has “plenty of time” for talks with Iran. That works because Washington, DC, is 7,000 miles away from the Strait of Hormuz. But if you are in Dubai,...
Op-eds
Former Israeli prime minister says Qatar funded Iran’s IRGC
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on July 27 that he will “declare Qatar an enemy state” if re-elected to lead the government. Bennett, who is running in the October 2026...
Op-eds
US, Saudi Arabia strike Iranian-backed militias in Iraq after militia attacks
US Central Command (CENTCOM) and Saudi Arabia’s Armed Forces carried out strikes on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq on the evening of July 28 after several days of escalating attacks by...
Op-eds
The Houthis Are Hitting Saudi Arabia’s Energy Pipeline — and Here’s Why That Matters
Saudi Arabia has weathered Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz by relying on its east-west pipeline to send crude from the kingdom’s energy-rich eastern province to the Red Sea terminal...
Op-eds
The Middle East Moves Toward a Multifront Maritime War
Yemen’s Houthis have brought the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait into the conflict between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran — blocking millions more barrels of oil from easily...
Policy Briefs
Trump Throws Cold Water on U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal
Following the announcement of a U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement, President Donald Trump is now raising doubts over it. In a Truth Social post on July 23, one day after news of the agreement,...
Policy Briefs
Why Hasn’t Washington Pressed Qatar To Extradite Terrorists?
Qatar needs to cooperate with U.S. extradition efforts.
Op-eds
Why the Houthis Declared a Blockade on Saudi Arabia
The Yemeni militant group is poised to disrupt another key chokepoint in the global energy supply.
Op-eds
Iran renews attacks on Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in Iraq
Iran increased attacks on the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq in mid-July as the US continued to carry out renewed airstrikes on Iran. By July 2, the US had conducted 10...
Op-eds
Washington Is Starting to Treat Syria and Iraq as One Policy
In recent weeks, Syria and Iraq have positioned themselves to be key players in a new Middle Eastern order. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi was in Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump...
Op-eds
Iraq sanctions individuals and entities tied to Lebanese Hezbollah
On July 15, Iraq’s Ministry of Finance circulated a banking directive instructing ministries, state entities, and financial institutions to implement recent US Treasury Department sanctions...
Op-eds
Iraqi Prime Minister Zaidi meets President Trump, Secretary Hegseth in Washington
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi met with US President Donald Trump on July 14 as part of his multi-day trip to Washington. It is Zaidi’s first trip to the United States after being sworn...