Qatar’s diplomacy should worry Trump in Iran talks
From Hamas to Hezbollah and Iran, Doha's deals carry dangerous long-term costs
Gulf States
FDD Analysis
Body of slain Iranian leader Khamenei arrives in Iraq for Najaf and Karbala rites
The body of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was taken to the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on July 8 as part of his funeral procession. Large crowds gathered to mourn the slain leader...
Op-eds
How the Houthis Could Put the World in Double Dire Straits
The terror group could use the lessons it learned from the Iran war to endanger the global community.
Op-eds
Sanaa-Tehran Direct Air Route Would Aid Iranian Efforts To Arm Houthis in Yemen
Despite an air blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, a delegation of Iranian-backed Houthis from Yemen arrived in Tehran on July 3 — marking the first time in roughly a decade that a commercial...
Policy Briefs
Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: July
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
Gulf States Sanction Hezbollah, but Qatar Has a Flawed Record on Terror Finance Enforcement
There may be a ceasefire in Lebanon, but Hezbollah’s pocketbook is still in the world’s sights. On June 30, the United States and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) jointly imposed sanctions...
Policy Briefs
Why Is Saudi Arabia Appeasing Iran?
Normalization with Israel would be far more beneficial for Saudi security than conciliation with the regime that has bombed its territory.
Op-eds
Iraq launches corruption crackdown, sets deadline for militia weapons handover
Iraq launched a series of raids targeting corrupt politicians and officials on June 28. “Elite Counter Terrorism Service units raided homes inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone...
Op-eds
As Kurdistan Region seeks drone defenses, Rubio warns Iraq about Iran proxies
Iraq is working to shore up the economic stability and security of the Kurdistan Region in the wake of months of drone and missile attacks. More than 800 attacks, many assumed to have originated...
Op-eds
Pirate attacks on ships in the Gulf of Aden are on the rise
The Gulf of Aden and other waters around the Horn of Africa are seeing an increase in maritime attacks. Since late April, Somali pirates have been attacking and seizing vessels at a rate not...
Op-eds
Washington Wants a Relationship With Iraq Focused On Business, but Security Can’t Be Ignored
Amid a tense regional situation, Iraq’s new government is engaged in a high-stakes balancing act. Tom Barrack, the U.S. special presidential envoy for Iraq and Syria, met with Iraq’s new prime minister,...
Policy Briefs
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi meets US envoy amid militia pressure
US Envoy to Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack met with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi on June 15 to discuss strengthening ties between Baghdad and Washington. The meeting comes as the US continues...
Op-eds
Can Iraq’s New Prime Minister Thread the US-Iran Needle?
Ali al-Zaidi finds himself in a seemingly untenable position between Iraq’s paramilitary groups and President Donald Trump.
Op-eds
Iraq’s prime minister prepares US visit amid Iran threats and militia focus
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi is preparing for an upcoming trip to Washington, DC, Iraqi media outlets recently reported. The prime minister has been working since his May appointment...
Op-eds
Qatar covers its tracks: Gulf state spent millions to infiltrate American classrooms
Excerpt Qatar Foundation International has poured millions of dollars into U.S. K-12 public schools over the past 17 years. Qatari officials have long claimed that QFI has a “narrow philanthropic...
Op-eds
Crazy rich Qataris
Backers of the Muslim Brotherhood are indoctrinating your kids
Op-eds
Qatar’s New Online Influence Machine
For years, Qatar has positioned itself in Washington as a trusted American partner: a host to major U.S. military assets, a mediator in hostage negotiations, and a wealthy Gulf state capable...
Op-eds
Iraq’s New Christian Patriarch Inherits a Vanishing Flock
On its surface, Polis III Nona’s installation ceremony bore all the hallmarks of a thriving church. The new patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, Iraq’s largest Christian denomination,...
Op-eds
Iraq Moves to Disarm Iranian Militias While Hezbollah Gets a Pass
Recent moves by Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Imam Ali expose a growing inconsistency in U.S. policy toward Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq and Lebanon.
Op-eds
Why Is Saudi Arabia Circumventing the Lebanese State?
Saudi Arabia's decision to actively undermine diplomacy between Lebanon and Israel, a pathway to peace and disarming Hezbollah, should not be tolerated by the Lebanese.