Category Archives: Long War Journal

David Daoud and Ahmad Sharawi delve into the complexities of Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s religious identity, its relationship with Iran, how Iran uses segments within a society to infiltrate them, and the implications of this for Jordanian and other Sunni societies.

Bill and Benham unpack the dynamic landscape of American foreign policy towards Iran, specifically how the region’s latest turmoil might challenge the incoming Trump administration. They also discuss the challenges of domestic politics muddying foreign policy decisions, the future of American military presence in Iraq and Syria, and the need for a coherent strategy to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Bill and Will unpack the implications of Trump’s win on the foreign and national security policies, particularly as they related to Ukraine, Israel, and Iran. They also analyze the second Trump administration’s potential strategies for addressing burden sharing amongst NATO members, the ongoing jihadist threat, and the challenges posed by China and North Korea. 

Bill and Joe unpack the latest unfolding in the evolving conflict between Iran and Israel, particularly in light of recent retaliatory strikes by Israel and the anticipated Iranian response. They also discuss the current situation in the West Bank, Hezbollah’s operational status, and implications of tomorrow’s U.S. elections on regional stability and military strategies.

Last week, the New York Times ran an article(?) called “Is Afghanistan’s Most-Wanted Militant Now Its Best Hope for Change?” (spoiler: no) and with the subtitle: “Sirajuddin Haqqani has tried to remake himself from blood-soaked jihadist to pragmatic Taliban statesman. Western diplomats are shocked — and enticed.” Yes, really.

Bill, Joe, and Behnam unpack Israel’s retaliatory strikes on military targets in Iran, including the implications of Israeli strikes;  the complexities of the Islamic Republic’s military strategies and challenges of disrupting its proxy networks; the broader geopolitical dynamics blanketing the Middle East — particularly the complexities of any regional military operations amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran; and the potential for Iran to accelerate its nuclear ambitions.