The world’s most vital trade artery is under siege. As the US launches "Project Freedom" to break the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, global shipping remains in a chokehold. This week, Bill Roggio sits down with shipping expert Sal Mercogliano to break down the stalemate, the dual blockade, and the massive economic ripple effects threatening the global supply chain. Read more →
Iran has intensified attacks on Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in northern Iraq, targeting camps linked to the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran and Komala with drones in early May. The strikes are part of a broader campaign by Iran and its allied militias against Kurdish groups operating in the Kurdistan Region. Read more →
During the renewed conflict with Israel, Hezbollah has increasingly relied on an arsenal of first-person view (FPV) drones that it amassed and developed over the 15 months of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. These drones, which are guided by fiber-optic cables instead of radio, are proving effective against Israeli forces because they are hard to intercept and detect, and the IDF was unprepared to deal with this threat. Read more →
On May 5, Syrian authorities said that security forces dismantled a Hezbollah-linked militant network operating across multiple governorates, arresting 11 operatives, seizing weapons, and foiling planned assassinations. Read more →
Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists continued to violate the Gaza ceasefire toward the end of April and beginning of May, according to Israeli military reports. Hamas remains adamant that it will not even begin to discuss disarmament before a complete IDF withdrawal from the territory. Read more →
Tehran is shifting the battlefield from missiles to markets, turning the Strait of Hormuz into leverage and testing whether Washington will trade long-term strategy for short-term relief. Bill Roggio and Behnam Ben Taleblu discuss. Read more →
Colonel-General Aleksandr Chaiko reportedly has been appointed commander of Russia’s Aerospace Forces. He is an unusual choice for the position, given his army background and unimpressive record in Ukraine. Read more →
CENTCOM denied Iranian claims that a US warship was struck on the same day the US announced “Project Freedom,” an effort to “restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.” Read more →
The United States has intensified pressure on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, offering multimillion-dollar rewards for information on additional key leaders linked to attacks on US personnel and facilities. The latest rewards target figures from three groups: Kataib Hezbollah, Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada, and Harakat Ansar Allah al Awfiya. Read more →
Across Mali, jihadis are seizing territory, encircling the capital, and pushing a fragile regime toward collapse. Backed by a sprawling network and in an effort years in the making, Al Qaeda’s Sahel affiliate has launched its most ambitious offensive yet—one that could redraw the map of West Africa. Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss unpack what's going on. Read more →
The Iran-linked front group Ashab al Yamin claimed credit for a stabbing attack in London that wounded two Jewish men. The group has claimed more than a dozen attacks in Europe, most of them targeting Jewish institutions. Read more →
A Hamas operative who was killed during the recent war with Israel founded a Gaza-based charity that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars online. The charity continues to solicit donations, including through a New York-headquartered platform. Read more →
Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez Delcy Rodríguez said the country’s recent amnesty is ending as the NGO Foro Penal reports that 473 political prisoners remain in custody. In addition, Caracas is fast-tracking investment laws, opposition leader María Corina Machado plans to return to the country this year, and US Southern Command launched new a combat unit covering the Caribbean and Latin America. Read more →
After months of political deadlock, the Shiite parties that comprise Iraq’s largest parliamentary bloc named Ali al Zaidi as the country’s prime minister-designate. Zaidi, a businessman who has not previously held a government position or been publicly affiliated with a specific party, now has 30 days to form a government. Read more →
Kosovo has moved toward contributing forces for the International Stabilization Force (ISF) mission in Gaza, sending a military team to assess a future deployment area and coordinate with local and multinational officials. The security situation in Gaza remains tense despite a ceasefire, with uncertainty over Hamas’s disarmament. Read more →