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FDD Morning Brief

FDD
Iran
Israel
Hamas
Gaza
United States
Hezbollah
Middle East
Turkey
Qatar
Syria
China
Saudi Arabia
Donald Trump
Middle East Conflict
Lebanon
United Nations
Trump Administration
Abraham Accords
Muslim Brotherhood
Russia

The FDD Morning Brief provides timely situational updates on contemporary events. Start your Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 8:30am (ET) with digestible analysis and the headlines our experts are watching. The FDD Morning Brief can be streamed on YouTube, X, and is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

PublishesDailyEpisodes370Founded3 years ago
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Latest Episodes

Headlines:

• US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israel and Hezbollah agreed to stop shooting — basically, a sort-of ceasefire under which Israel would stop striking Beirut and Hezbollah would stop attacking Israel. However, to no one’s su... more

Headlines:

• The Israeli military is on the move in Lebanon. The IDF is set to move further north to do more damage to Hezbollah.

• We’ll keep with Lebanon and note here that the Europeans are nudging their way into this theater. The Brits are sayin... more

Headlines:

• The Sultanate of Oman committed to increase trade and economic relations with Iran.

• The Treasury Department slapped sanctions on the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which is the body that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard stood up to ... more

Headlines:

• Israeli media reported that Shin Bet chief David Zini met with former Palestinian Authority security official Mohammad Dahlan in the United Arab Emirates.

• The regime in Iran executed a man accused of spying on behalf of the Mossad.

... more

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Recent Guests

Jacki Alexander
CEO of HonestReporting, US and Israel-based nonprofit
HonestReporting
Episode: The anti-Israel propaganda pipeline feeding mainstream media | feat. Jacki Alexander
Dan Swift
Senior Research Analyst at the Center on Economic and Financial Power, FDD
Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)
Episode: Hezbollah's West Africa money trail | feat. Daniel Swift
Norman Roule
Former CIA official; senior Iran analyst, Office of Director of National Intelligence; consultant on Gulf security and energy
Former CIA; ODNI; consultant; associated with FDD
Episode: A broke and belligerent Iran | feat. Norman Roule
Richard A. Goldberg
FDD Senior Advisor, expert on Iran, the Gulf, and energy policy
FDD
Episode: From Epic Fury to Economic Fury | feat. Rich Goldberg
Roy Altman
Federal judge and author of Israel on Trial
Episode: Israel on trial | feat. Roy K. Altman
Bernard Haykel
Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University; senior fellow with FDD
Princeton University; FDD
Episode: The Gulf's crude awakening | feat. Bernard Haykel
Ambassador Alberto Fernandez
Ambassador MEMRI; former US Chargé d'Affaires in Khartoum; former US Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea
MEMRI
Episode: Iran's dirty hand in Sudan | feat. Ambassador Fernandez, guest hosted by Mariam Wahba
H. R. McMaster
Former National Security Advisor to the President of the United States; retired three-star general; chairman of FDD's Center on Military and Political Power
FDD Center on Military and Political Power
Episode: China's MidEast reckoning | feat. Gen. H.R. McMaster
Miad Maleki
Iranian-American senior advisor at FDD; former associate director for OFAC and Treasury sanctions programs
Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)
Episode: Can Iran bypass the blockade? | feat. Miad Maleki

Host

Jonathan Schanzer
Host of FDD Morning Brief

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 163 ratings
  • Clarity

    FDD is by far the most important foreign policy think tank in DC. They are unapologetically honest and fair. Listening to one of their podcasts is like taking an hour long master class on the issues. None of the dog whistle antisemitism at the Heritage Foundation. None of the whitewashing of Qatari and Turkish meddling in American politics. Love this group.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dr, L
    United States7 months ago
  • Audio

    Audio is terrible!

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Not Murphy!
    United States7 months ago
  • Great content, but…

    You’ve gotta work on the sound quality. It sounds like you’re and your mother‘s basement. Sorry, but it’s really hard to listen to.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    tipzipzee
    United States7 months ago
  • May

    Love Cliff May and thank him for creating the FDD.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Gnome chopper
    United States8 months ago
  • Awesome interview

    Great insight into UN disfunction across the world.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    wellgaveitatry
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Fans appreciate grounded, data-backed analysis and direct, insightful interviews with policy experts.
Listeners praise the show for clear, crisp foreign policy insights and credible guest experts.
Sound quality is a recurring complaint from a subset of listeners.

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Can the IDF stop Hezbollah's FPV drones? | feat. Ryan Brobst
Q: What makes FPV drones so challenging to counter at the frontline?
Their small size, low altitude, fast maneuvering, and tethered fiber-optic guidance make them hard to detect with traditional radars and to intercept with high-cost systems; effective countermeasures rely on a mix of simple, inexpensive interceptors and better situational awareness.
The anti-Israel propaganda pipeline feeding mainstream media | feat. Jacki Alexander
Q: What is HonestReporting and what do you do?
HonestReporting started as a pro-Israel media watchdog and has evolved into an information watchdog that tracks and debunks dishonest or misrepresented reporting about Israel, aiming to stop viral narratives by providing clarifications and context.
Hezbollah's West Africa money trail | feat. Daniel Swift
Q: Tell us about the economic damages model you built for Iran.
They built the first systematic, model-based estimate of Iran's economic damages, highlighting that the conflict has shifted from kinetic to economic leverage, while noting the uncertainties due to Iran's large informal economy and data gaps.
Groundhog Day in Gaza | feat. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
Q: It seems like if I'm looking at this the right way, and I think I am from the perspective of just hard power, we don't have one Palestinian entity. We don't have two Palestinian entities. We've got three, right?
Ahmed described a fragmented reality with the West Bank, the red zone, and the yellow zone, each governed by different authorities and possessing separate military and political realities, making a unified Palestinian governance framework unlikely in the near term.
Groundhog Day in Gaza | feat. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
Q: All right, let's do this. Let's start with something that nobody seems to be able to explain, maybe you can. What is happening inside the 47% of Gaza that is controlled by Hamas?
Ahmed explained that a large majority of Gazans live in displacement accommodations, face severe infrastructural challenges, and that Hamas imposes heavy taxation on goods, while the financial sector is in free fall, compounding hardship on ordinary residents.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About FDD Morning Brief

What is FDD Morning Brief about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The program delivers timely foreign policy and security updates with crisp, data-driven analysis anchored in US–Israel and broader Middle East dynamics. Episodes consistently tackle multi-front conflicts, regional alignments, and the interplay between Iran, Israel, and their partners, often featuring policy experts and on-the-ground reporters. Notable strengths include live briefings with evidence-backed assessments, a clear emphasis on defense planning, and a willingness to tackle controversial topics with direct, informed perspectives. The format tends to blend strategic overview with concrete examples and real-world implications for policymakers, defense professionals, and industry listeners seeking credible viewpoints on geopolitics and... more

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Which podcasts are similar to FDD Morning Brief?

These podcasts share a similar audience with FDD Morning Brief:

1. Ask Haviv Anything
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How many episodes of FDD Morning Brief are there?

FDD Morning Brief launched 3 years ago and published 370 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on FDD Morning Brief?

Recent guests on FDD Morning Brief include:

1. Jacki Alexander
2. Dan Swift
3. Norman Roule
4. Richard A. Goldberg
5. Roy Altman
6. Bernard Haykel
7. Ambassador Alberto Fernandez
8. H. R. McMaster

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