Houthis

August 6, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

Houthis escalate attacks in Red Sea and on Saudi Arabia, Riyadh evaluates options

After Yemen’s Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20, the Iran-backed terror group has attacked Saudi Arabia directly and claimed attacks on eight Saudi-linked...

August 5, 2026 | Clifford D. May |

The Axis of Aggressors vs. America

During the Cold War, the U.S. had only one major enemy – now we have four

August 3, 2026 | Jonathan Schanzer |

Saudis gravitate toward Middle East basket cases when it should join US’ fight against Iran

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly called President Trump on Saturday and implored him to hold off on striking the Islamic Republic of Iran. Trump acquiesced and punted...

July 31, 2026 | Mariam Wahba |

Drone Strike on Egypt Spotlights Iran’s Expanding Pressure Campaign

For months, Cairo watched Iran’s regional campaign from the sidelines. Now, the war appears to have reached Egypt. On July 29, a drone struck the Egyptian port city of Damietta, damaging a U.S. gas...

July 30, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

Saudi Participation in U.S. Airstrikes on Iraq Signals Impatience With Baghdad’s Inability To Control Armed Factions

Baghdad’s failure to address drone attacks from Iran-backed Iraqi militias is forcing other countries to act. American and Saudi forces, in a first for the ongoing war with Iran, launched joint...

July 29, 2026 | Seth J. Frantzman |

US, Saudi Arabia strike Iranian-backed militias in Iraq after militia attacks

US Central Command (CENTCOM) and Saudi Arabia’s Armed Forces carried out strikes on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq on the evening of July 28 after several days of escalating attacks by...

July 29, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

The Houthis Are Hitting Saudi Arabia’s Energy Pipeline — and Here’s Why That Matters

Saudi Arabia has weathered Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz by relying on its east-west pipeline to send crude from the kingdom’s energy-rich eastern province to the Red Sea terminal...

July 29, 2026 | Clifford D. May |

How to break Iran’s terrorist regime

“Gradually, then suddenly” could work

July 28, 2026 | Janatan Sayeh, Behnam Ben Taleblu

Treasury Moves Against Tehran’s Recycled Sanctions Evader

As U.S. bombs struck Iran’s military, Treasury targeted the financier who helped keep it funded.  The U.S. Treasury Department on July 24 sanctioned four individuals and nine entities sustaining...

July 27, 2026 | Bridget Toomey, Behnam Ben Taleblu

The Middle East Moves Toward a Multifront Maritime War

Yemen’s Houthis have brought the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait into the conflict between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran — blocking millions more barrels of oil from easily...

July 24, 2026 | Clifford D. May, Edmund Fitton-Brown

Britain’s New PM and Yemen’s Old Houthis

July 24, 2026 | Dr. Iftah Burman |

Hezbollah’s Financing Strategies: Recovering From War With Israel

Iran has spent more than four decades building Hezbollah into a force capable of making war against Israel in hopes of one day destroying the Jewish state. Israeli forces have inflicted tremendous damage on Hezbollah’s leadership, arsenal, and manpower, yet the terror group is rebuilding, thanks in no small part to its globe-spanning illicit finance network. To shed greater light on this crucial subject, FDD has invited Israeli expert Dr. Iftah Burman to provide a robust overview of the transnational web of enterprises, stretching across the Middle East — and from Latin America to West Africa and into cyberspace — that sustains Hezbollah’s aggression. This work provides information essential to intelligence and law enforcement agencies in every country, including the United States, that recognizes the severity of Hezbollah’s threat to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Middle East.

July 22, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

Houthis announce blockade of Saudi Arabia, ships reroute to avoid Bab al Mandeb Strait

The Houthis announced a complete maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20. In response, a growing number of vessels are rerouting to avoid the Bab al Mandeb Strait, the southern...

July 22, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

Why the Houthis Declared a Blockade on Saudi Arabia

The Yemeni militant group is poised to disrupt another key chokepoint in the global energy supply.

July 17, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

Iran reportedly tells Houthis to close Bab al Mandeb Strait if US strikes power grid

Three sources told Reuters on July 16 that Iran has instructed Yemen’s Houthis to close the Red Sea to shipping if the US attacks Iran’s power network, which President Donald Trump threatened to...

July 16, 2026 | David Daoud, Bridget Toomey

Iraq sanctions individuals and entities tied to Lebanese Hezbollah

On July 15, Iraq’s Ministry of Finance circulated a banking directive instructing ministries, state entities, and financial institutions to implement recent US Treasury Department sanctions...

July 15, 2026 | Bridget Toomey, Edmund Fitton-Brown

Riyadh Strikes Houthi-Controlled Airport To Block Flight From Iran

The Houthis and Saudi Arabia broke a four-year truce after Iran and its Yemeni proxy attempted to establish a direct flight path between Tehran and the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa. The flight openly...

July 15, 2026 | Clifford D. May |

What would Joe Biden do?

Vis-à-vis Moscow and Tehran, Trump should do the opposite

July 14, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

Saudi Arabia and Houthis trade attacks over restarting direct flights between Yemen and Iran

Saudi Arabia struck Sanaa International Airport in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital on July 13 to stop the landing of a plane carrying the Houthi delegation to slain Iranian Supreme Leader...

July 9, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

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...