Axis of Resistance
As the Shia Crescent Wanes, Aoun Stakes Lebanon’s Future on Washington
As Iran’s once-expanding “Shia Crescent” of influence across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen wanes, a new American-led regional order is emerging. Ahead of his first visit to the White House, Lebanese...
Op-eds
Lebanon: More Than “a Small Piece of the Puzzle”
The Iran Breakdown
U.S. Quietly Shelves Proposed Hezbollah ‘Deconfliction Mechanism’
The new U.S.-brokered Israel-Lebanon framework has its strengths and weaknesses. But one immediate and unequivocal benefit is that it buries the misguided idea that Hezbollah should have a seat at the...
Policy Briefs
Houthis attack Israel and announce ban on Israeli vessels in the Red Sea
On June 8, Yemen’s Houthis fired missiles at central Israel as the Jewish state and Iran exchanged fire for the first time since the April 7 ceasefire between the US, Israel, and...
Op-eds
VIPs This Way Please: FDD Exposes New Stage in Persistent Iranian Recruitment Operation
While Iran hasn’t enjoyed much success on the battlefield against Israel, its covert efforts to degrade Israel’s resilience have been unrelenting. Since October7, 2023, Iran’s intelligence agencies...
Insights
Houthis emphasize solidarity and coordination with Iran-led Axis of Resistance
In recent speeches, Abdulmalik al Houthi, the leader of the eponymous Yemeni terror group, reiterated his group’s support for its regional partners in the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance” and held out...
Op-eds
Israeli forces face challenges as Hezbollah ramps up use of FPV drones
Hezbollah’s Al Ahed newspaper stated on April 29 that the group had “amassed a massive arsenal of” precision diving/attack drones, which it said had been modified “during the...
Op-eds
Think we’re losing the war in Iran? Consider where things really stand
From nuclear setbacks to proxy collapse, the Islamic Republic faces its most severe strategic crisis in 47 years
Op-eds
Iran-linked group Ashab al Yamin surges attacks in European cities, claims 15 since March
The Iran-linked front group Ashab al Yamin said it was responsible for conducting a recent string of attacks in the UK, Germany, Macedonia, and the Netherlands in April, with most of the incidents...
Op-eds
How the UAE Is Cracking Down on Illicit Iranian Finance
Iran’s attacks on the Gulf state have created an opportunity to starve Iran’s proxy network of funds.
Op-eds
Iraqi fundraising drives linked to militias channel support to Iran and Hezbollah
Efforts that Iran-backed Iraqi militias describe as humanitarian campaigns increasingly show signs of serving as a parallel financial pipeline that also fuels Iran’s current war effort and its regional...
Op-eds
Iraq’s bake sale for the Islamic Republic
Iran, under financial isolation, is turning to an old friend: Iraqi cash. Through informal financial channels and networks, currency-filled envelopes are moving across Iraq into Iran under...
Op-eds
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.
Op-eds
Lebanon declares Iranian ambassador-designate ‘persona non grata’ before Iranian missile explodes over Lebanese airspace
On March 24, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi announced that he had instructed his ministry’s secretary-general “to summon the Iranian Charge d’Affaires in Lebanon,”...
Op-eds
Iran-linked group claims arson attacks in Antwerp and London
On March 23, a shadowy Iran-linked organization called Ashab al Yamin claimed responsibility for setting a vehicle ablaze in Antwerp’s Jewish Quarter. The day before, the group said it was behind an...
Op-eds
Israel eliminates 3 Hamas members operating in Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on March 22 that it killed Walid Muhammad Dib, a Hamas financial official, in Lebanon. Two other Hamas operatives in Lebanon were killed by the IDF over the past...
Op-eds
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...
Policy Briefs
Rockets target US Embassy in Baghdad after Iraqi Shiite militia group issues threat over war in Lebanon
On March 6, the Coordination Committee of the Iraqi Resistance (CCIR) issued an ultimatum over recent Israeli attacks in Lebanon: Stop bombing the southern Dahiyeh suburbs of Beirut (a known...
Op-eds
Who Is Mojtaba Khamenei?
If chosen to succeed his father as Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei will seal the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ dominance over the Islamic Republic.