2026 Iran war

April 28, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

Iraq nominates little-known businessman to be next prime minister

The Coordination Framework (CF), a coalition of Iraqi Shiite parties that is the largest bloc in the country’s parliament, announced on April 27 that it is nominating Ali al Zaidi for prime...

April 26, 2026 | Mark Dubowitz, Miad Maleki

Tick-tock, Tehran — the regime’s escape routes are closing fast

The clock is ticking in Washington and Tehran. With midterm elections approaching, pressure is building on President Donald Trump — from the left and the isolationist right — to wind down...

April 23, 2026 | Elaine K. Dezenski, Daniel Swift

Evaluating the Economic Damage to Iran From Operation Epic Fury: An Initial Estimate

With the conflict still unfolding, FDD estimates economic damage to Iran at approximately 40 percent of its pre-war GDP — a first accounting that speaks to the breadth and depth of Iran’s losses. Specifically,...

April 23, 2026 | Elaine K. Dezenski, Daniel Swift, Miad Maleki, Joe Dougherty

Iran’s economic damage from Operation Epic Fury

April 21, 2026 | Peter Doran, RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery

The Iran War’s Five Lessons for Europe

Some European NATO members haven’t done themselves many favors by withholding support for the US during the Iran War.

April 17, 2026 | Jonathan Schanzer |

What Victory Looks Like When Your Foe Won’t Surrender

The U.S. can win without Iran acknowledging it lost

April 10, 2026 | Cameron McMillan, Ryan Brobst, Bradley Bowman

How to assess America’s 40 days of war against Iran

Washington and Tehran are both arguing that they were victorious after 40 days of fighting. A detailed analysis, however, suggests a more nuanced picture in which American forces degraded Iran’s core...

April 3, 2026 | Joe Truzman, Bill Roggio

Iran downs US fighter jet, 1 crew member recovered, rescue operation ongoing for second

Iran reportedly shot down a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle on April 3, marking the first confirmed loss of a manned American fighter jet inside Iranian territory since the start of Operation Epic Fury...

April 2, 2026 | Mark Dubowitz, Simone Rodan-Benzaquen

The War in Iran Is Painful for Poland. It May Also Be in Poland’s Interest.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 12-14 percent of Europe's liquefied natural gas flows, puts Poland's energy diversification strategy to a serious test. However, this is nothing compared to the risk posed by a nuclear-armed Iran supplying Russia with advanced missiles and drones.

March 30, 2026 | Shannon Walsh, Sean Calabria

Contra Pope Leo, Catholic Just War Doctrine Supports Iran Strikes

Over the weekend, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Palm Sunday Mass at the Vatican by condemning those who “wage war” and insisting that God unequivocally rejects war and the prayers of those who...

March 20, 2026 | Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, David May

Defying Trump, Swiping at Israel: Pedro Sanchez’s Brilliant, Empty Foreign Policy

Spain formally withdrew its ambassador from Israel on March 11. The announcement, published in the Boletin Oficial del Estado, terminated the appointment of Ana Maria Salomon Perez, downgrading Madrid’s...

March 19, 2026 | Mark Dubowitz |

Operation Roaring Lion Is Rewriting the Rules of War Against Iran

Operation Roaring Lion, Israel’s ongoing military campaign against the clerical regime in Iran, should not be understood as a short-duration punitive campaign. It is rather a sustained military operation...

March 19, 2026 | Cameron McMillan, Bradley Bowman

Operational gains against Iran continue, but threats to US forces persist

The United States, along with its Israeli partners, continues to make considerable progress toward its military objectives of removing Iran’s primary military means to threaten the region in the third...

March 19, 2026 | Edmund Fitton-Brown, Bridget Toomey

Yemen, the unfinished business America ignores at its peril

As thousands of drones and missiles fly through the skies of the Middle East targeting the United States and its allies, one group’s weapons are notably absent — the Islamic Republic of Iran’s...

March 18, 2026 | Janatan Sayeh |

US and Israel strike more military targets, plus Iran’s leadership, repression units, and energy sites (March 17-18 updates)

The US campaign against Iran has continued to degrade the Islamic Republic’s military capacity, with thousands of targets struck, including missile infrastructure, air defenses, drone systems, and naval...

March 18, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

10 major Iranian naval targets struck in Operation Epic Fury

Head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper said on March 16 that the United States has destroyed over 100 Iranian naval vessels. President Trump identified crippling the...

March 16, 2026 | David May, Aaron Goren

Still Too Early To Silence the Lions Roaring Above Iran

The Iran war is full of surprises. The United Nations Security Council, often a hostile arena for Israel, condemned Tehran — not Washington and Jerusalem — on March 11 for Iran’s war conduct,...

March 16, 2026 | Max Lesser, Kellie McSween

Pro-Iranian X Accounts Posing as Chinese, Russian, and North Korean

Iran has some imaginary friends. The United States and Israel are grinding down Iran’s war machine while Tehran’s fellow travelers, China, Russia, and North Korea, have largely limited their support...

March 11, 2026 | Mark Dubowitz |

Hezbollah Tests Israel’s Patience as Northern Front Escalates

Hezbollah sharply escalated its attacks on March 11, launching scores of rockets into northern Israel in one of its largest barrages since joining the war on Iran’s side on March 1. The salvo was timed...

March 8, 2026 | Mark Dubowitz |

Israel didn’t drag the US into war with Iran — they enabled us to fight it smarter and faster

A dangerous lie has taken hold in Washington: that Israel somehow pressured the United Statesinto war with Iran. It’s wrong. And both President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubiohave said so directly. ...