Long War Journal Archives - FDD's Long War Journal

Analysis: Russian security assistance is creating problems on the Korean Peninsula

Logan Rolleigh & Ryan Brobst — Thu, 07 May 2026 17:21:22 +0000

North Korea has launched dozens of missiles since the start of 2026. The regime is displaying increasingly lethal long-range fires capabilities that have been enabled, in no small part, by Russian security assistance.

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Generation Jihad | Gridlock at the Strait

Bill Roggio — Wed, 06 May 2026 15:57:08 +0000

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.

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Iran targets Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in northern Iraq

Seth Frantzman — Wed, 06 May 2026 15:53:56 +0000

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.

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Israeli forces face challenges as Hezbollah ramps up use of FPV drones

David Daoud — Wed, 06 May 2026 13:42:06 +0000

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.

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Syria reports neutralizing Hezbollah plot to assassinate senior officials

Ahmad Sharawi & Ron Nuriely Kimel — Tue, 05 May 2026 22:16:36 +0000

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.

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Talks over Hamas disarmament stall, IDF reports 19 Gaza ceasefire violations April 21–May 5

Samuel Ben-Ur & Aaron Goren — Tue, 05 May 2026 17:01:35 +0000

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.

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Generation Jihad | Strait Strategy

Bill Roggio & Behnam Ben Taleblu — Tue, 05 May 2026 12:25:02 +0000

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.

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Russian Aerospace Forces reportedly get new commander

John Hardie — Mon, 04 May 2026 23:44:42 +0000

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.

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Iran claims strike on US warship as US attempts to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Bill Roggio — Mon, 04 May 2026 14:05:10 +0000

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.”

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US offers rewards for 3 Iraqi militia leaders

Seth Frantzman — Fri, 01 May 2026 18:33:49 +0000

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.

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Generation Jihad | Can Fortress Bamako Hold?

Bill Roggio & Caleb Weiss — Fri, 01 May 2026 15:31:22 +0000

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.

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2 Jewish men stabbed in London, Ashab al Yamin claims attack

Joe Truzman — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:00:03 +0000

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.

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Charity founded by Hamas member raising funds on US-based platform

Joe Truzman — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:12:33 +0000

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.

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Venezuelan president to end amnesty, hundreds of political prisoners still unreleased

Samuel Ben-Ur — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:50:16 +0000

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.

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Iraq nominates little-known businessman to be next prime minister

Bridget Toomey — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:41:11 +0000

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.

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Kosovo military team evaluates Gaza deployment amid continuing ceasefire violations

Seth Frantzman — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:31:18 +0000

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.

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JNIM and allied rebels surge across Mali, take several cities, pressure capital

Caleb Weiss — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 14:16:51 +0000

Al Qaeda’s Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and its allies in the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) conducted a massive, widespread offensive in Mali, from Bamako to Kidal, on Saturday. Several cities fell under the complete or partial control of the militant alliance, while others, including Mali’s capital, remain under intense pressure.

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Russian Shahed drone maker recruiting for new unmanned systems brigade

John Hardie — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 20:17:17 +0000

As part of Moscow’s efforts to expand its Unmanned Systems Forces, a vocational training center affiliated with Russia’s main Shahed drone producer is recruiting for a new unmanned systems brigade. Its recruitment messaging highlights fulfilling mandatory military service requirements while earning the pay of enlisted troops serving under contract but without the associated danger.

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Houthis portray steadfast support for Iran, reportedly consider Red Sea toll

Bridget Toomey — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 17:06:56 +0000

The Houthis have reiterated support for Iran despite their limited involvement in the Islamic Republic’s recent war with Israel and the United States. The Yemeni terrorist group is also reportedly weighing a toll for the safe transit of ships in the Red Sea, a move it has implemented before.

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Generation Jihad | Iran’s Choke Point

Miad Maleki & Bill Roggio — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:06:48 +0000

Iran says it’s not in a rush to negotiate, but reality signals something else. Bill Roggio is joined by FDD Senior Fellow Miad Maleki — a former US Treasury sanctions architect — to break down why Tehran walked away from talks, what the Strait of Hormuz blockade is really doing, and why the regime may be under more pressure than at any point since 1979.

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Syria thwarts Hezbollah plot, vows at UN to fight terrorist groups

Seth Frantzman — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:53:31 +0000

Syria says it disrupted a Hezbollah-linked plot and uncovered rockets near the Quneitra area of the Golan Heights. Officials also reported arrests tied to another terrorist cell, plus the seizure of 500,000 Captagon pills in a joint anti-smuggling operation with Iraq. At the United Nations, Syria pledged to continue counterterrorism operations, while criticizing Israeli actions in southern Syria.

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Iran attacks vessels in Hormuz, avoids concrete stance on ceasefire extension

Janatan Sayeh — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:16:42 +0000

Tehran has refused to take an official position after US President Donald Trump’s announcement of an extension of the US ceasefire with Iran, while conditioning further negotiations on the lifting of the US naval blockade. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also threatened regional oil and digital infrastructure and attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Hamas says it may give up some weapons, IDF reports 5 ceasefire violations April 17-21

Samuel Ben-Ur & Aaron Goren — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:06:26 +0000

Hamas has reportedly indicated a readiness to give up thousands of rifles belonging to its police and internal security forces. The weapons conceded would still fail to meet the total disarmament required by President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan. The Israel Defense Forces also tracked five ceasefire violations between April 17 and 21.

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Iraq aims to select new PM as US warns of Iran-backed threats, IRGC-QF head visits

Seth Frantzman — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:54:17 +0000

Iraq faces mounting political pressure as Shiite parties in the Coordination Framework (CF) seek to select a new prime minister amid tensions between the US and Iran. On the evening of April 20, the CF delayed its decision to nominate a candidate for the office until April 22. The US has reportedly paused some coordination with Baghdad pending investigations into attacks on US interests, and Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force commander Esmail Qaani visited Iraq on April 19.

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US Treasury designates 7 Iran-backed Iraqi militia commanders as terrorists

Bridget Toomey — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:48:23 +0000

The US Treasury Department announced the designation of seven high-level members of Iran-backed Iraqi militias as Specially Designated Global Terrorists on April 17. Their organizations are previously US-designated terror groups that, operating under front groups, have conducted numerous attacks on the US presence in Iraq since the start of the war with Iran on February 28.

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Iran’s war against regional states: UAE bore the brunt, Iraqi Kurdistan still under fire

Ahmad Sharawi — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 22:45:19 +0000

The ceasefire between the US and Iran has largely held since April 8, and large-scale Iranian barrages targeting predominantly Arab states have ended. However, some attacks, particularly against Iraqi Kurdistan, have continued.

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Iran-linked group Ashab al Yamin surges attacks in European cities, claims 15 since March

Joe Truzman — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:51:01 +0000

The Iran-linked front organization Ashab al Yamin claimed eight attacks on what it describes as “American and Zionist interests” in European countries in April. The most recent statements by the group took responsibility for targeting multiple locations in London, including the Israeli embassy.

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Analysis: The road to the latest Lebanon ceasefire

David Daoud — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:12:06 +0000

Iran has consistently sought to link its ceasefire with the United States to a concurrent cessation of hostilities in Lebanon. Tehran’s goal is to save Hezbollah, regardless of its stated aim of sparing Lebanon additional suffering. Iran, therefore, pressed the matter again as Hezbollah was on the cusp of losing the critical town of Bint Jbeil. A ceasefire in Lebanon went into effect on April 16.

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Hamas rejects disarmament clause of Gaza peace plan, IDF reports 14 ceasefire violations April 8–16

Samuel Ben-Ur & Aaron Goren — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:05:06 +0000

Kinetic events and military actions continue in Gaza, including 14 violations of the fragile ceasefire by Palestinian terrorists, according to the Israeli military. The Israel Defense Forces has documented an uptick in planned attacks against Israeli soldiers in the enclave.

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Syrian president meets Syrian Democratic Forces leader to discuss next phase of integration

Seth Frantzman — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:22:03 +0000

On April 16, Syrian President Ahmad al Sharaa met with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi in Damascus to discuss advancing the integration of the SDF into state institutions, following a January agreement. The talks come amid shifting control in eastern Syria, including government moves to secure key bases and border crossings after a US withdrawal.

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