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FDD Morning Brief

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

The Middle East never stops moving. Neither does the FDD Morning Brief.

Three mornings a week, FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer cuts through the noise with the experts who have spent their careers studying, shaping, and living the region’s most consequential moments. All before your morning coffee gets cold.

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Latest Episodes

Headlines:

• Qatar continues to try and prevent a return to fighting between the U.S. and Iran. 

• British police arrested 139 people over the weekend as hundreds of protestors gathered outside the US embassy in support of a group called Palestine A... more

Headlines:

• Qatar is reportedly hard at work trying to avert renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran after the midterm elections next week. 

• The Houthis may be lacing their munitions with illegal chemical substances. 

• Australia wants to bui... more

Headlines:

• Russia is reportedly helping the Houthis and Iran-backed militias in Iraq target Saudi Arabia’s military and energy infrastructure.

• Last week, Libya and Turkey finalized a maritime border agreement that gives Ankara a larger than leg... more

Headlines:

• The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is reeling from an attack on a Greek Orthodox church on Friday afternoon. 

• Hamas appears to be issuing threats that it likely cant back up. 

• Leaders of Hezbollah have reportedly informed parliament sp... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Samuel Ben-Ur
FDD research analyst focused on Middle East issues
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Episode: Rewriting the U.S.-Israel MOU | feat. Samuel Ben-Ur
Lahav Harkov
Senior political correspondent at Jewish Insider covering Israeli politics
Jewish Insider
Episode: Israel goes to the polls | feat. Lahav Harkov
Steven Cook
Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies and director of the Middle East Program
Council on Foreign Relations
Episode: The battle for the Eastern Med | feat. Steven Cook
Ryan Brobst
Deputy director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Episode: The new rules of warfare | feat. Ryan Brobst
Eitan Fischberger
Middle East analyst and independent researcher based in Israel.
Episode: Doha's duplicitous game | feat. Eitan Fischberger
Simone Rodan-Benzaquen
FDD Senior Envoy for Europe and former American Jewish Committee leader who advised European governments
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Episode: France under fire | feat. Simone Rodan-Benzaquen
Jacob Breach
Senior Advisor at FDD; former intelligence community analyst
Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)
Episode: Tehran's AI-powered propaganda | feat. Jacob Breach
Andrew Tabler
Senior fellow at The Washington Institute focused on Syria, the Levant and US Middle East foreign policy
The Washington Institute
Episode: Al-Sharaa's Syria | feat. Andrew Tabler
Ahmad Sharawi
Middle East analyst
FDD
Episode: Turkey helps Iran fly under the radar | feat. Ahmad Sharawi

Host

Jonathan Schanzer
Host of FDD Morning Brief; policy analyst and commentator on Middle East affairs

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 175 ratings
  • Airline?

    Would love to know why you think El Al is so bad. Safety couldn’t be the issue, could it?

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Hope 4 Future
    United Statesa month ago
  • Endless wars

    How many goys have to die ?

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Tomcruise675
    United States2 months ago
  • 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 Statesa year ago
  • Audio

    Audio is terrible!

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Not Murphy!
    United Statesa year 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 Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests are consistently credible experts bringing topical policy insights.
Critiques mention inconsistent sound quality but high-quality content and guests.
Listeners praise the host's clarity and depth on complex security issues.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The battle for the Eastern Med | feat. Steven Cook
Q: He's just made a new maritime deal with the government in Eastern Libya. So what does this mean for Turkey in the East Med? This is bad, right?
Cook says the deal could give Turkey a maritime boundary cutting across the Mediterranean and forms part of a broader effort to isolate Israel, Greece, and Cyprus.
The battle for the Eastern Med | feat. Steven Cook
Q: Is the war coming back? Do we think it's like imminent? Maybe more importantly, does the United States, does Israel have a better strategy than the one we had before?
Cook says Israeli contacts expect a major U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran after the U.S. midterms, but he doubts a few days of bombing economic infrastructure would force the regime to capitulate.
Israel goes to the polls | feat. Lahav Harkov
Q: What happens if they are able to build a coalition? What does a coalition look like on either side? What does it look like if they can't?
Netanyahu could try to recruit right-leaning members of the opposing bloc, approach individual lawmakers or pursue a unity coalition with Eisenkot. If negotiations fail, there may be another election, with Netanyahu continuing as caretaker prime minister in the meantime.
Israel goes to the polls | feat. Lahav Harkov
Q: How did the two largest parties make out? How did Likud and Yashar do in yesterday's election in Israel?
Likud won 27 seats and Yashar won 21. Neither bloc had enough seats for a majority, while the Arab parties held a potentially decisive number of seats.
Rewriting the U.S.-Israel MOU | feat. Samuel Ben-Ur
Q: What should the objective of the next MOU be?
Ben-Ur argues for a gradual transition centered on joint development, using Israeli research and development and faster technology development to create defense systems that benefit both countries.

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 centers on Middle East policy analysis and global security, regularly pairing a seasoned U.S. policy host with top think-tank and policy experts. Episodes routinely dissect Iran, Israel, Gaza, Syria, and regional alignments, often linking on-the-ground developments to broader strategic dynamics such as deterrence, sanctions, and diplomacy. A standout trait is the guest roster: high-caliber researchers, former policymakers, and regionally focused scholars who offer actionable insights for decision-makers, sponsors, and PR teams targeting a policy-forward audience. The show frequently surfaces timely debates—from disarming militant groups to realignment among Gulf and regional powers—making it valuable for listeners seeking rigoro... more

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Which podcasts are similar to FDD Morning Brief?

These podcasts share a similar audience with FDD Morning Brief:

1. Ark News Daily
2. The Iran Breakdown with Mark Dubowitz
3. Call Me Back - with Dan Senor
4. Ask Haviv Anything
5. Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas

How many episodes of FDD Morning Brief are there?

FDD Morning Brief launched 3 years ago and published 432 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. Samuel Ben-Ur
2. Lahav Harkov
3. Steven Cook
4. Ryan Brobst
5. Eitan Fischberger
6. Simone Rodan-Benzaquen
7. Jacob Breach
8. Andrew Tabler

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