Americas

Iran’s Foothold Reaches Into North Africa

In the early days of the Israel-Hamas war, Iran issued a baffling threat: if Israel did not relent in Gaza, Tehran would close the Strait of Gibraltar, the narrow maritime passage separating Africa from...

U.S. at Risk of Falling Behind China in Biotechnology  

The United States increasingly risks falling behind in the technological race for the future. On April 9, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology released its final report on the American...

Iran’s ties to Western organized crime networks

The US has long labeled Iran as “the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism,” yet Tehran’s ambitions extend beyond backing Shia and Sunni Islamist groups in the Middle East.

Trump Takes Aim: Executive Order Targets China’s Role in the Fentanyl Epidemic

Frustrated by Beijing’s failure to curb fentanyl precursor production and transshipment, the Trump administration issued a sweeping executive order outlining China’s role in facilitating synthetic...

Unpacking Iran’s counterintelligence apparatus

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently issued “seeking information” posters for two operatives of the Islamic Republic’s intelligence services implicated in the 2007 abduction...

Memo to Trump: Beware the ‘Reverse Teddy’

I was proud to serve the president in his first term. But Trump’s strength in the Western Hemisphere could portend weakness in Europe and Asia in his second, writes Matt Pottinger.

The Curious Case of Iran’s Destroyed Nuclear Site

On October 26 2024, the day after Israel conducted a massive counterstrike against Iranian missile and military sites, open-source sleuths noticed something strange: A building was unexpectedly missing...

Donald Trump Must Hold Turkey Accountable for Its Actions

Turkey’s authoritarian leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan was premature in his optimism at the re-election of Donald Trump. Erdogan is convinced that his existing relationship with Trump, will...

Russia Provides Targeting Support to Houthi Attacks on Commercial Shipping

Latest Developments Houthi rebels in Yemen are receiving intelligence from Russia, assisting the Iran-backed terrorist group in targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea, The Wall Street Journal...

Biden Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: August

Welcome back to the Biden Administration Foreign Policy Tracker. Once a month, we ask FDD’s experts and scholars to assess the administration’s foreign policy...

Germany Closes Islamic Center Due to Iran and Hezbollah Ties

Berlin shut down the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) due to its ties with Iran and Hezbollah and its promotion of radical Islamism, the German Interior Ministry said on July 24. Acting...

Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba Exploit the U.S. Border Crisis

Latin America’s authoritarians are cooperating to increase illegal immigration to the United States.

What Is Hamas Hiding in Rafah, and Why Doesn’t Biden Want the IDF to Find It?

In the lead up to the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) operation to destroy Hamas and secure the release of over 100 hostages – including 8 Americas – believed to be in and around Rafah, leaders around...

The US is failing to quickly field hypersonic missile defense

The Pentagon warned in its annual report to Congress last year that China already possesses “the world’s leading hypersonic arsenal” and is sprinting to field even more advanced offensive...

Israel’s Tech Advantage Created Complacency

Hamas’ incursion into Israel shows that technology on its own is no guarantee of victory.

Iran Exports Crimes Against Humanity to Israel

Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad told the BBC on October 7 that his organization is receiving direct backing from Iran. The statement comes one day after Palestinian terrorists infiltrated...

Washington Needs a New Economic Security Framework for the Americas

Washington must bring powerful answers to pressing issues in the region: populism, political unrest, and disinformation; water and food insecurity; extreme weather; mass migration; the evolving drug trade; money laundering and corruption; and weakened democratic institutions.

Countering Threats Posed by Nation-State Actors in Latin America to U.S. Homeland Security

Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence

Preserving U.S. Interests in the Indo-Pacific

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The United States and Saudi Arabia: A Possible Path Forward