Fog of the Deal
President Donald Trump said that a two-page memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed between the US and the Islamic Republic of Iran that will end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. But will this deal bring about a lasting peace in the region, or has peace just become another five-letter word? FDD Senior Fellow David Daoud and Bill Roggio speculate on what will become of the Middle East and America’s influence in the region as this very thin MOU moves forward.
Gaza: Smoldering Battlefield?
Despite multiple attempts by Israel to quell the fighting in Gaza and decapitate their leadership, Hamas continues a guerilla-style resistance. The IDF now fights on three active fronts, Lebanon, Iran, and Gaza. But it’s perhaps the forgotten war in Gaza that could resume major hostilities if left unchecked. Bill speaks with FDD Research Analyst Samuel Ben-Ur about next steps in Gaza. Was Trump’s Board of Peace a false window for both combatants to regroup? And, what may trigger a flare up in this long battle spurred by October 7th?
The Next Caliphate Battleground
While attention remains fixed elsewhere, jihadist groups are expanding across Africa. Bill and Caleb revisit the growing threats in Mali, Nigeria, and Somalia—and why the continent remains one of the most consequential battlegrounds in the war against Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Everybody Wants a McWar
Iran's military has been shattered. The Strait of Hormuz remains contested. Three months in, Bill and FDD's Jon Schanzer examine why quick victories are rare, patience is scarce, and this war is entering its most consequential phase yet.
Dune: The Brotherhood Jihad
Before Hamas. Before Al-Qaeda. Before the Islamic State. There was... (🥁)The Muslim Brotherhood. And for nearly a century, it has played the long game by building influence across the Middle East and even deep inside the West.But what exactly is it — a political movement? A terrorist organization? The ideological engine behind modern Islamism? Some combination?Bill is joined again by longtime friend of the show Edmund Fitton-Brown, now his colleague at FDD, to discuss.