About this episode

The episode discusses recent geopolitical events in the Middle East, including military actions and the ongoing situation in Iran.

Today's headlines: The regime in Tehran somehow managed to shoot down an American F-15 fighter jet over the weekend. The aviators from that downed F-15 are both ok. Donald Trump’s Truth Social post yesterday seems to suggest that the April 6 deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz has been extended until tomorrow night. The internet blackout continues inside Iran. The war in Lebanon continues. Tough day in Israel yesterday, with a building in Haifa absorbing a direct hit from a ballistic missile, while cluster munitions also hit dozens of locations across central Israel. Turkey is somehow getting its oil tankers out of the Strait of Hormuz. Featured FDD piece: " Islamist Turkey: A Base for Muslim Brotherhood Jihadism " - FDD Memo, Sinan Ciddi and William Doran FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Freedom House's Yana Gorokhovskaia. Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Topics covered

• Iran
• Middle East conflict
• Israel
• Freedom
• Geopolitics
• Military action

Keywords

• Iran
• F-15
• Strait of Hormuz
• Israel
• Lebanon
• Freedom House
• Yana Gorokhovskaia
• Jon Schanzer
• geopolitics
• military conflict

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• Israel on trial | feat. Roy K. Altman · April 27, 2026 · 29 min
• Can Lebanon break free from Hezbollah? | feat. Hussain Abdul-Hussain · April 24, 2026 · 26 min
• The Gulf's crude awakening | feat. Bernard Haykel · April 22, 2026 · 28 min
• Iran's dirty hand in Sudan | feat. Ambassador Fernandez, guest hosted by Mariam Wahba · April 20, 2026 · 22 min
• China's MidEast reckoning | feat. Gen. H.R. McMaster · April 17, 2026 · 29 min
• The unsettled score in Iran | feat. David Adesnik · April 15, 2026 · 22 min

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