Big Yikes in Syria, Part XXXVII

In its latest report on the state of global jihad, the UN reveals that al-Qaeda is expanding — and one critical fact the report doesn't mention: al-Qaeda’s leader is based in Iran.Bill Roggio is joined by his FDD colleague Edmund Fitton-Brown — who previously oversaw the UN’s sanctions and monitoring team that produces these assessments — to unpack what the report gets right, what it misses, and why al-Qaeda — not ISIS — remains the most dangerous long-term jihadist threat facing the West.

In Part 37 of Big Yikes in Syria, Bill and Ahmad unpack yet another round of bad alliances and strategic failure in the war-torn country.

One month into the uprising in Iran, the regime is still killing.With the internet shut down, foreign militias unleashed on civilians, and reports of more than 30,000 dead, Tehran is waging a war on its own people.FDD's Janatan Sayeh joins Bill to share what he’s hearing directly from inside Iran, why this is no longer “just protests,” and what it will take to finally break the Islamic Republic’s grip on power.

Three weeks into the largest uprising in the Islamic Republic’s history, the country has gone dark. With the internet shut down and security forces unleashed, thousands — possibly tens of thousands — of Iranians have been massacred in an unprecedented and brutal crackdown. Behnam Ben Taleblu joins Bill to unpack what this revolution means, why defections — not protests — are the real tipping point, and why the West’s failure to act may leave permanent scars — on Iran, and on U.S. credibility.

After military defeat abroad and at home where the economy also has collapsed, the Islamic Republic is weaker than ever, and the Iranian people know it.The regime is facing a nationwide uprising unlike anything seen in decades with Iranians across class, age, and ideology back in the streets, and they’re no longer asking for reform. They’re demanding an end to the Islamic Republic itself. Meanwhile, President Trump warned that U.S. military action is on the table if the regime slaughters protesters. As we record, a brutal crackdown is underway with reports of hundreds of Iranians killed and tens of thousands arrested. Is this the moment?Bill asks FDD CEO and Iran Breakdown host Mark Dubowitz.Your top Iran protest resources:— We're tracking the Iran protests at fdd.org/iranprotests. — Mark's podcast, The Iran Breakdown, is required listening. Start here with his interview with Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.— Follow FDD's Iran experts on X, including Mark, Behnam, Saeed, Janatan

In a lightning-fast U.S. military raid, Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured in Caracas, arrested, and transported to the United States, sending shockwaves across Latin America and far beyond. Bill is joined by Sam Ben-Ur to unpack the raid and the intelligence behind it, what comes next when the dictator is gone, but the regime remains — and why Bill says "the ayatollah must be sh*tting himself."

Iran is erupting again — and this time, the protests are openly anti-regime. Strikes are spreading, nationalist slogans are surging, and the Islamic Republic’s margin for control is shrinking. Guest host Behnam Ben Taleblu is joined by Janatan Sayeh and Navid Mohebbi to discuss what’s driving the unrest and what (dwindling) options the regime still has. The Iran protest resources you need:We're tracking the Iran protests at fdd.org/iranprotests. Mark's podcast, The Iran Breakdown, is required listening. Start here with his interview with Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. Follow FDD's Iran experts on X, including Mark, Behnam, Saeed, Janatan

On Christmas Day, the United States launched airstrikes against Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria, framed as a response to jihadist violence and the persecution of Christians. But did Washington hit the right enemy? In the right place? For the right reasons? Bill and Caleb analyze the known knowns of the strike, including who was targeted and who wasn’t — and why the operation may have been more about optics than outcomes.Editorial note: The 1997 film known as "Home Alone 3" is not a legitimate addition to the Home Alone franchise, making a riff on the title fair game.

After two American soldiers are killed in Syria, Washington responds (not with hard questions). Same war. Same mistake. Same tragic — and avoidable — consequences. In a solo rant, Bill Roggio dismantles the official story behind Operation Hawkeye, exposes the jihadist reality of Syria’s “security forces,” and ponders why the U.S. is (again) covering for al Qaeda–linked entities and calling it counterterrorism.

According to the Taliban's self-assessment (what could go wrong), Afghanistan is "stable" — but according to reality, it's not. Terrorist groups still operate openly, al-Qaeda remains embedded, and the same extremists are now being trusted to “fight” other extremists.Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown break down why outsourcing counterterrorism to jihadists is a fatal mistake — and why the so-called "peace of the Taliban" comes at an unbearable price: the erasure of half the country’s population and the return of Afghanistan as a global terror hub.