Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Hamas says it is ready to release all remaining hostages for an end to Gaza war IDF intercepts missile from Yemen, sirens sound in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem area Trump says he is in no rush to attack Iran over nuclear program Iran's Khamenei sends letter to Putin ahead of talks with US WINEP’s Farzin Nadimi: countering Iran's deceptive behavior in nuclear negotiations Zelenskiy accuses China of supplying Russia with weapons U.S. Toughens Demands on Syria’s New Islamist-Led Leadership Lebanon’s government arrests militants, asserting its authority US says Chinese satellite firm is supporting Houthi attacks on US interests Russia removes Afghan Taliban from list of banned terrorist groups Europe cajoles U.S. into talks over Ukraine US-Somali airstrikes kill al Shabaab militants, hit weapons ship, government saysIn The News
Israel
Hamas wants a comprehensive deal to end the war in Gaza and swap all Israeli hostages for Palestinians jailed in Israel, a senior official from the Palestinian militant group said, rejecting Israel’s offer of an interim truce. – Reuters
Aid groups are raising new alarm over Israel’s blockade of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, where it has barred entry of all food and other goods for more than six weeks. Thousands of children have become malnourished, and most people are barely eating one meal a day as stocks dwindle, the United Nations says. – Associated Press
The IDF intercepted a missile that had been launched from Yemen at Israeli territory, the military said early Friday morning. – Jerusalem Post
An order extending Israel’s time to respond to South Africa’s genocide claims against it for its conduct in Gaza by six months – from the original July 28 deadline to January 12, 2026, of this year instead – was published by the International Court of Justice on Thursday. – Jerusalem Post
Israeli tech companies in the US will likely be spared the worst of the Trump administration’s tariffs, although the broader economic impact of the policies indirectly affects the companies, several experts said. – Times of Israel
The IDF announced Thursday that a new pre-alert protocol will be implemented ahead of potential missile attacks from Yemen toward Israeli territory. – Ynet
Editorial: With Iran, the threat is not theoretical. It is real, persistent, and nearing the point of no return. Tehran has openly called for Israel’s destruction and continues to enrich uranium well beyond civilian levels. Should it cross the threshold, there may be no turning back. Israel has every right to coordinate with its allies – but it must not outsource its sovereignty. No American president – past, present, or future – will bear the consequences of a nuclear Iran. Only Israel will. ” – Jerusalem Post
Iran
President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was in no hurry to launch an attack on Iran over its nuclear program, a day ahead of U.S.-Iran talks in Rome. – Reuters
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei sent his foreign minister to Moscow on Thursday with a letter for President Vladimir Putin to brief the Kremlin about nuclear negotiations with the U.S., which has threatened to bomb the Islamic Republic. – Reuters
The UN nuclear watchdog should play a role in nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said on Thursday, ahead of a second round of talks between the U.S. and Iran. – Reuters
Iran proposed a three-stage plan to the US delegation during talks in Oman on Saturday envisioning a cap on their uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions, three diplomatic sources in Tehran told Iran International. – Iran International
Smadar Perry writes: Jordanian officials finger Iran as the mastermind behind the scheme, saying Tehran recruited, funded and armed the cells. Interrogators learned that one suspect traveled abroad to collect tens of thousands of dollars sent from Iran for weapons purchases. Jordan’s spymasters have warned their Western counterparts that Iran is bent on destabilizing the kingdom, overthrowing King Abdullah II and targeting senior officials and ordinary citizens alike. – Ynet
Farzin Nadimi writes: Washington can deny Tehran the advantages of opacity and delay by insisting on direct and timely negotiations, engaging in proactive public diplomacy, enhancing coordination with allies, and ensuring that the Iranian people have access to accurate information regarding decisions being made on their behalf. […] Such an approach would maximize pressure on Iran to prioritize national interests and negotiate in good faith—or, at the very least, ensure that if Iran’s leaders choose intransigence and dishonesty, they do so under the full glare of international and domestic scrutiny. – Washington Institute
Alex Vatanka writes: In the long game, Russia does not have the entrenched partnerships, financial muscle, or global reach to displace the US in the Middle East. But if it can help contain Iran just enough to avoid a war — and do so on Trump’s terms — it might be worth letting Putin play the middleman. In the world of realpolitik, you take your wins where you can get them. And if Putin can get Iran to back off Israel, and Israel to lower the temperature in return, then maybe — just maybe — Trump should let him try. – Middle East Institute
Russia and Ukraine
Talks between the U.S. and Russia over the war in Ukraine are zeroing in on five regions of Ukraine that Moscow claims as its own but that Kyiv isn’t prepared to give up. – Wall Street Journal
Ukraine and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding late on Thursday as a “step toward a joint economic partnership agreement,” according to Ukraine’s economy minister, bringing both sides closer to a minerals deal that has gone through multiple, contentious rounds of negotiations. – New York Times
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday China was supplying weapons and gunpowder to Russia, the first time he has openly accused Beijing of direct military assistance for Moscow. – Reuters
Plans are afoot for an American-owned company seized by the Kremlin and placed under state control to be used to supply food to the Russian army, a document seen by Reuters showed, potentially threatening Moscow’s warming relations with the U.S. – Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that Russia has reduced the number of its strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, but is attacking civilian infrastructure instead. – Reuters
Russian forces are trying out a new tactic of larger-scale assaults involving several hundred troops, according to Ukraine’s military, as Kyiv girds for a new offensive push from its bigger adversary more than three years into a full-scale war. – Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff was extremely productive but various countries are trying to disrupt dialogue between Moscow and Washington, Putin’s investment envoy said. – Reuters
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Estonia’s adoption of legal amendments allowing the country’s navy to use force against foreign vessels was a provocative action that poses risks to shipping and security in the Baltic Sea. – Reuters
US officials indicated at a meeting with Europeans in Paris that they want to secure a full ceasefire in Ukraine within weeks, part of a renewed push to halt hostilities in Russia’s three-year war, according to people familiar with the matter. – Bloomberg
Syria
The Trump administration is threatening to take a hard line with Syria’s new Islamist-led government, issuing demands that include cracking down on extremists and expelling Palestinian militants in return for a limited easing of sanctions, U.S. officials said. – Wall Street Journal
As his administration begins to draw down U.S. troops based in Syria and has stopped some humanitarian aid programs to the war-battered country, President Donald Trump is increasingly at odds with allies in Europe and the Middle East that have moved to shore up the new Syrian government. – Washington Post
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met on Thursday in Qatar with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the first encounter between the two leaders, Iraqi and Syrian state news agencies reported. – Reuters
Syria’s flag carrier Syrian Air will resume direct flights to Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates starting on Sunday, the airline said in a Facebook post. – Reuters
Grant Rumley and Aaron Y. Zelin write: To close any potential opening that Beijing might have with Damascus, Washington should formulate a proper engagement plan that focuses on working with Sharaa’s interim government, easing sanctions, and extending the waivers granted under General License 24 to facilitate broader economic opportunities. Doing so would not only incentivize the new government to move closer to the West’s orbit, but also prevent China from making potentially destabilizing inroads in an important Middle Eastern country. – Washington Institute
Lebanon
Lebanese authorities said they arrested several people who launched rockets toward Israel last month, as the government tries to assert its authority and keep a fragile cease-fire alive. – Wall Street Journal
Lebanon reported Thursday that one person was killed by an Israeli air strike in the country’s south, hours after Israel said it had attacked sites there belonging to Hezbollah. – Agence Press-France
Eric Bordenkircher writes: France’s historic relationship with Lebanon and role in monitoring the Israeli-Lebanese ceasefire make it a logical partner in facilitating stability in Lebanon. Unlike the US, it speaks with Hezbollah members. It is long overdue for the US involvement and attention to Syria and Lebanon to be dramatically reduced. The two countries are European priorities. The burdens of monitoring and engaging Syria and Lebanon must shift to Europe. – Algemeiner
Yemen
The U.S. State Department on Thursday accused a Chinese firm, Chang Guang Satellite Technology, of directly supporting attacks on U.S. interests by Iran-backed Houthi fighters and called this “unacceptable”. – Reuters
The World Food Program has halted food shipments to Houthi-held areas of Yemen and suspended food distribution there after the rebels looted one of its warehouses in the north, its deputy director said Thursday. – Associated Press
U.S. airstrikes targeting the Ras Isa oil port held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed 20 people and wounded 50 others, the group said early Friday. – Associated Press
Middle East & North Africa
Four weeks after the arrest of Turkey’s leading opposition figure — Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — a rare wave of unity has swept through the streets as protesters from across much of the political spectrum demand early elections to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. – Washington Post
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani told Russian President Vladimir Putin at talks in the Kremlin on Thursday that Syria’s new leader was keen to build ties with Moscow. – Reuters
Russia and Qatar signed an agreement on Thursday under which each country will pay an extra 1 billion euros ($1.14 billion)into a joint investment fund, a Russian official said. – Reuters
Qatari deputy prime minister and defense affairs minister Sa’oud bin Abd Al-Rahman Al Thani this week posted and quickly deleted a Twitter/X post in support of Hamas: “We Are all Hamas… Oh Al-Quds, revolt and commemorate Al-Qassam!” – Jerusalem Post
Robert Pearson writes: Militarily, economically, and politically, Turkey has a long-term plan to move into position to exert its own national influence regionally and beyond without reliance on Europe or the United States. Indeed, it has been seeking its own independent place in the sun since the beginning of Erdoğan’s rise. Over the coming weeks and months, the outcome of discussions between Ankara and Washington could have far-reaching consequences for the bilateral relationship as well as the broader Middle East. Just handling the Israeli, Syrian, and Turkish interests in Syria will be a major challenge for the US. Doing Turkey favors to win support is not a good choice. Whatever “transformational” means for this administration, it should consist of practical, realizable goals for regional stability and progress. – Middle East Institute
Korean Peninsula
The tens of thousands of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and Japan appear set to be part of President Donald Trump’s tariff negotiations, despite efforts by both countries to separate security talks from trade. – Reuters
South Korea’s government proposed on Friday a supplementary 12.2 trillion won ($8.60 billion) budget to counter heightening risks to economic growth in the face of a global trade war and domestic political uncertainty. – Reuters
South Korea plans to more than double the amount of overseas bonds it can issue to fund currency market activity to $3.5 billion, with officials citing the need to respond to sharp fluctuations. – Bloomberg
China
In a rapidly collapsing U.S.-China relationship, with sky-high tariffs that threaten to wipe out most bilateral trade, spillover into the multibillion-dollar aviation sector could spell major problems for both economies. – Wall Street Journal
As a trade war with Beijing heats up, a new survey shows Americans view bilateral economic ties as less beneficial to the U.S. than China but also hold skeptical views about addressing the relationship with tariffs. – Wall Street Journal
The U.S. is moving forward with a plan to charge fees on Chinese ships calling at American ports, part of the Trump administration’s effort to counter China’s dominance in ocean shipping and revive the domestic maritime industry. – Wall Street Journal
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday that the U.S. and China both have trade grievances, but the world’s two largest economies needed to reduce uncertainty and agree on a fairer, rules-based trading system. – Reuters
Gordon G. Chang writes: The Chinese and Russian militaries regularly hold joint drills in East Asia. Therefore, the Pentagon should assume that these two powers, along with North Korea, will fight together during the next war. […] The U.S. and other countries have imposed almost no costs on China for its extensive support for the Russian war effort. We should not be surprised, therefore, that Beijing now thinks it can, with impunity, send soldiers to fight in Europe. – The Hill
Ye Myo Hein writes: The only way the junta would accept some negotiated end to the war would be if it had absolutely no other choice. […] Beijing does not want this to happen. It will continue under any future circumstance to undermine the very cooperation among the rebels that is necessary to one day form a peaceful, stable, and federal democratic Myanmar. China has no genuine interest in peace or stability in Myanmar; it wants strategic dominance. And if Beijing can best grow its influence by playing Myanmar’s factions off one another, keeping them weak, fragmented, and dependent on China, then that is what it will do. – Foreign Affairs
South Asia
Russia on Thursday suspended its ban on the Taliban, which it had designated for more than two decades as a terrorist organisation, in a move that paves the way for Moscow to normalise ties with the leadership of Afghanistan. – Reuters
India is planning to ease its nuclear liability laws to cap accident-related penalties on equipment suppliers, three government sources said, in a move mainly to attract U.S. firms that have been holding back due to the risk of unlimited exposure. – Reuters
Foreign ministry officials from Bangladesh’s interim government and Pakistan resumed talks on Thursday after a 15-year gap, as the two South Asian Muslim-majority nations attempted to ease strained relations. – Associated Press
India and China have agreed to resume an annual pilgrimage to the Tibet Autonomous Region, in another sign of improving ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. – Bloomberg
Asia
Myanmar’s junta and a key opposition group have indicated they will extend a ceasefire to support more aid efforts after a devastating earthquake in the strife-torn nation, Malaysia’s prime minister said on Friday. – Reuters
Indonesia will increase imports of U.S. food and commodities and reduce orders from countries the Southeast Asian nation currently buys the products from, chief economic minister Airlangga Hartarto told reporters in Washington. – Reuters
Malaysia’s trade minister will travel to the United States on April 24 to meet the U.S. Trade Representative and other officials for talks about the U.S. tariffs imposed on the country, state media agency Bernama reported on Thursday. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a deal between U.S. Steel (X.N), and Nippon Steel (5401.T), could be a part of tariff negotiations with Japan, but added he doubted it would be. – Reuters
Japan is “deeply concerned” about global economic fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato said on Thursday in the government’s strongest warning yet as the two nations began trade talks. – Reuters
At least 62 active-duty Taiwanese military members have been found holding Chinese residency permits, the self-ruled island’s Defense Ministry said, in the latest revelation of Chinese influence in the Taiwanese armed forces. – Associated Press
Republican and Democratic lawmakers made their first trip to Taiwan under the new Trump administration a bipartisan one, aiming to show both Taiwan and China that U.S. support for Taiwan’s defense remains broad, despite the harsh words and harsh tariffs President Donald Trump has had for the Taiwanese. – Associated Press
Myanmar’s military government said Thursday it will release nearly 5,000 prisoners in an amnesty to mark the country’s new year festivities. – Agence Presse-France
Greg Sheridan writes: A U.S. military presence, a respectable trade agenda and the continuation of the civic virtues with which the U.S. has traditionally inspired the world, would win Southeast Asia for Uncle Sam. Indonesia is the biggest nation about which Americans know the least, yet its influence has been substantial. For Washington to lose that influence would be tragic, unnecessary and dangerous. But it would make Russia—and China—very happy. – Wall Street Journal
Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to wedge Europe into negotiations between the U.S. and Russia over the future of Ukraine have begun to gain traction. – Wall Street Journal
The European Central Bank cut interest rates on Thursday as policymakers grappled with heightened economic uncertainty, particularly from President Trump’s chaotic trade policies. – New York Times
U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to an official visit to Rome and will consider also meeting representatives of the European Union while there, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday in the Oval Office. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni each expressed confidence on Thursday that the United States and Europe will be able to negotiate a trade deal before his 90-day pause on some tariffs ends. – Reuters
The German parliament has kept the ambassadors of Russia and Belarus off its guest list for a special sitting on May 8 marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe, a spokesperson for the legislature said on Thursday. – Reuters
Judges at the International Criminal Court want Hungary to explain why it failed to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visited Budapest earlier this month. – Associated Press
The European Union is working on a proposal to introduce restrictions on some exports to the US as a possible retaliatory tactic in the expansive trade war President Donald Trump initiated last month. – Bloomberg
Austria’s new finance minister, Markus Marterbauer, signaled support for using frozen Russian central bank assets to provide further help for Ukraine to defend itself. – Bloomberg
Italy will likely be able to increase its defense spending to reach a NATO target of 2% of gross domestic product as early as this year, Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said. – Bloomberg
Poland will soon bolster its military deployment to Latvia to beef up the defense of frontline states in NATO’s east, said the country’s defense chief. – Bloomberg
The main contractors for the Main Ground Combat System have formed a joint project company to represent industry in upcoming contract negotiations with client nations Germany and France. – Defense News
Nathan Decety writes: Europe’s geopolitical positioning and defense strategy is undergoing a historic change. Allocating the money to start rearming (which it has agreed) is just the start. A continent-wide standardized procurement approach to rearmament would be a major contributor to a continent-wide security policy. Pooling resources is the most efficient approach to scale. Just as its founders foresaw, by banding together, European countries can achieve lasting peace and promote the common good. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Africa
The International Monetary Fund will not decide before May whether Senegal must repay money disbursed under a now-frozen programme, it said on Thursday, meaning the West African nation will likely miss its goal of having a new programme in place by June. – Reuters
The International Monetary Fund on Thursday said it had reached staff-level agreement with Tanzanian authorities that, once approved, would give the East African nation access to some $441 million in financing. – Reuters
Nigeria and South Africa have signed an accord to boost cooperation in mining, Nigeria’s mines minister said on Thursday, highlighting Abuja’s push to diversify its economy away from oil. – Reuters
The United States expects a minerals deal being negotiated with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will involve a range of private sector partners, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Thursday. – Reuters
Prominent Trump supporter Erik Prince has agreed to help Democratic Republic of Congo secure and tax its vast mineral wealth, according to two sources close to the private security executive, a Congolese government official and two diplomats. – Reuters
Two joint Somali-U.S. airstrikes killed 12 al Shabaab militants in central Somalia and destroyed a ship carrying weapons for the al Qaeda-linked group, the Somali government said on Thursday, following recent advances by the Islamists. – Reuters
Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Somaliland suspended its participation in Turkey-backed talks aimed at reconciling differences between their governments, a setback to efforts to stabilize the volatile region. – Bloomberg
Since Sudan’s army retook Khartoum last month, Red Crescent volunteers have been working to collect and clear the bodies littering the streets of the war-ravaged capital. – Agence Presse-France
Emilia Columbo and Mike Brodo write: The United States has generally upheld its commitment to democratic development and good governance in Mozambique. However, U.S. criticism of irregularities following both the 2023 municipal elections and 2024 national elections has been insufficient to give most Mozambicans greater access to political power. The increased relevance of Mozambique’s natural resources to Western interests led to a more pronounced focus on securing access to these assets while relegating the critical underpinnings of democracy and good governance to the margins, despite the linkage between political stability and reliable resource extraction. – War on the Rocks
The Americas
Van Hollen, a Democrat, shared a photo of himself with Abrego Garcia on X on Thursday. He flew to El Salvador earlier this week to seek a meeting with Abrego Garcia, an El Salvador native who was living in Maryland since entering the U.S. illegally. – Wall Street Journal
A group of lawyers on Thursday filed suit against Costa Rica, claiming it has violated the rights of dozens of minors deported from the United States by detaining them for nearly two months and by holding them in conditions “that could cause irreparable harm.” – New York Times
President Emmanuel Macron of France said on Thursday that it was time to “recognize the truth of history,” 200 years after King Charles X recognized the independence of Haiti but demanded that its former French colonists be paid an enormous sum for that freedom. – New York Times
Four of Canada’s political leaders gathered on Thursday for a debate in an election campaign during which President Trump’s potentially crippling tariffs and his calls for Canada’s annexation have loomed above all other issues. – New York Times
The Colombian government will suspend a ceasefire with a faction of what was once the armed Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group, it said on Thursday, though it said the decision did not imply the end of peace talks with the group. – Reuters
Ecuador’s leftist presidential challenger Luisa Gonzalez plans to formally challenge the result of Sunday’s election, claiming widespread fraud, although she has lost the support of a key allied party in disputing her defeat. – Reuters
A U.S. citizen hijacked a small Tropic Air plane in Belize on Thursday at knifepoint, injuring three others before being shot and killed, police said. – Reuters
More than half of Haiti’s population is expected to experience severe hunger through June, and another 8,400 people living in makeshift shelters are projected to starve, according to a new report released this week. – Associated Press
United States
The Supreme Court announced on Thursday that it would hear arguments in a few weeks over President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. – New York Times
The Trump administration on Thursday ordered a social media vetting for all U.S. visa applicants who have been to the Gaza Strip on or after January 1, 2007, an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters showed, in the latest push to tighten screening of foreign travelers. – Reuters
Eli Lake writes: Caldwell’s exit from the Pentagon is a minor victory for the more hawkish wing of the Trump coalition. Caldwell was a lobbyist between 2017 and 2020 for the Charles Koch–funded Americans for Prosperity. He was also a public policy adviser at Defense Priorities, a new Washington think tank that advocates against American interventionism. That said, the leak investigation does not appear to be cover for an ideological purge. Carroll is not part of this restrainer coalition inside the Trump administration. – The Free Press
Cybersecurity
The Trump administration’s new restrictions on sales of artificial-intelligence chips to China come with a familiar feeling for Nvidia. The chip maker has spent years finding new ways to continue doing business with a huge market while staying on the correct side of U.S. regulations. – Wall Street Journal
A House panel has concluded that the U.S. government should double down on export controls and other tools to slow down the progress of Chinese AI companies like DeepSeek, while also preparing for a future where those efforts fail. – Cyberscoop
U.S. allies are among the 35 countries where mobile providers employ China-based networks for transporting user traffic, opening travelers and residents in those nations to potential surveillance, an analysis published Thursday concludes. – Cyberscoop
Defense
Former Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot was asked to resign this week, a senior defense official told The Associated Press on Thursday, in the latest shakeup for the Defense Department following firings and other changes under President Donald Trump. – Associated Press
A sweeping Space Force acquisition review geared toward finding avenues for more commercial integration appears to have given the service a head start in aligning with several Trump administration directives aimed at reforming defense acquisition and pulling more private sector capabilities into the federal government. – Defense News
The Space Force has been upping its rhetoric around the need for weapons in space — and on Thursday it issued a framework meant to provide a “warfighting” lens for planners, operators and weapons buyers on how the service views the use of military power in a domain long viewed as benign. – Defense News
The Pentagon’s conduit agency to Silicon Valley is seeking a commercially available unmanned undersea vehicles capable of “deploying large payloads” across ranges further than 1,000 nautical miles. – Breaking Defense
Henry Sokolski and Thomas D. Grant write: These steps wouldn’t weaken America’s nuclear umbrella — they’d reinforce it. They would also position the US as a more credible steward of the NPT ahead of the 2026 Review Conference. Vice President Vance is right that sending more nuclear weapons abroad should give us pause. What shouldn’t is leveraging Russia’s and China’s fears of their possible redeployment. That we need to get on with. – Breaking Defense