Foreign Podicy

Last week, Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said that talks with the Trump administration appear to be going well.This tells host Cliff May that from an American perspective, the talks are going badly.President Trump has said that America’s goal is the “full dismantlement” of the regime’s nuclear weapons program, including its capacity to produce missiles that could deliver nuclear warheads to targets anywhere in the world.Mr. Araghchi’s goal is to prevent President Trump from achieving his goal. Who are you betting on?Cliff asks Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh, who just wrote a piece together in Politico arguing that sanctions and maximum pressure have never made the clerical regime abandon its nuclear ambitions.Which raises the question: What will?

According to host Cliff May, "Mark Montgomery is an admirable admiral. Another adjective I’d use to describe him: peripatetic. Which is a fancy way of saying he’s on the road more than Willie Nelson—whom he does not otherwise resemble."Most recently the retired flag officer has been in Lithuania, which on the east shares a border with the Russian vassal state of Belarus, and on the southwest has a border with the Russian oblast of Kaliningrad, which was called Königsberg until Russia took it from Germany following World War II.You start a war and lose that war, you may lose territory. Which is a good segue to Israel, another country Mark has recently visited. Also on the list is Taiwan.And, perhaps most mysteriously, he very recently spent time in an elaborate private wine cellar in California. Which is odd because he’s not much of a drinker. It had something to do with a cyber security conference and... The Godfather?So many mysteries, so little time. 

If you were to visit Turkey years ago, it might’ve felt both Middle Eastern and European. It was Muslim and secular. It was, more or less, free and democratic.  Host Cliff May says the food was great, too. Now? Well, he’s told the food is still great.  To explain what has happened and what is happening in Turkey, Cliff is joined by his FDD colleague Sinan Ciddi. About SinanSinan is also an Associate Professor of National Security Studies at the Marine Corps University in Quantico. Earlier, Sinan was Executive Director of the Institute of Turkish Studies, based at Georgetown University. He continues to serve as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. He received his doctorate from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. He’s the author of Kemalism in Turkish Politics: The Republican People’s Party: Secularism and Nationalism.

Filling in for host Cliff May is FDD CEO and host of The Iran Breakdown, Mark Dubowitz, joined by former Israeli national security advisor Jacob Nagel, now a senior fellow at FDD.Following President Trump’s recent signaling that he's open to nuclear negotiations with the Islamic Republic, Mark and Jacob revisit the flaws of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the  general complexities of Iran's nuclear program. They discuss Iran's current nuclear capabilities and the implications of the program for regional security—and explain why addressing weaponization and delivery systems in any potential deal is of utmost importance.

Lord Andrew Roberts has written or edited 20 books which have been translated into 28 languages and have redefined our understanding of leaders and leadership, of empires and nations, of the forces that have shaped—and in some cases misshaped—the modern world.He’s won many awards, including the Bradley Prize for which he was nominated by host Cliff May.In 2022, he was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Roberts of Belgravia.His most recent work: Chairing the 7 October Parliamentary Commission report, the first publication aimed at establishing and preserving an accurate record of the barbaric pogrom carried out by Hamas and Hamas-adjacent Gazans against Israelis.He joins Cliff to discuss.

The Indo-Pacific is one of the most consequential regions in the world. It’s home to economies, trade routes, and allies vital to American prosperity and security.It is also a region where the Chinese Communist Party, building on decades of defense sector cooperation with Russia, has expanded its military capabilities at a breathtaking pace. The more capable the Chinese military has become, the more aggressively Beijing has acted to coerce its neighbors and undermine American interests.Someone who grapples daily with this reality is General Ronald Clark, the Commander of U.S. Army Pacific, or USARPAC.For those who are not denizens of the Department of Defense, USARPAC is the Army service component command within U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. In other words, you can think of him as the top American soldier in the Pacific. A combat leader with decades of experience, General Clark has led American soldiers in Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific. He’s a veteran of Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Iraqi F

The Abraham Accords offer peace and prosperity, an era of repose from some of the constant warfare that plagues the Middle East.The UAE, a signatory of the Accords, houses the Abrahamic Family House—a synagogue side-by-side with a mosque and side-by-side with a church. It’s a beautiful symbol of tolerance and peace between the world’s Christians, Jews, and Muslims.But if Jihad against unbelievers is what Islam demands of the faithful, is it a paradox? On the contrary, say Amjad Taha and Ed Husain.They tell Cliff May that warm relations between Muslims and Jews shouldn’t be considered breaking the norms of Islam, and recall when the Prophet saw a funeral procession go by in Medina and stood up. When his friends asked him, “Why are you standing up for a Jewish funeral?” The Prophet responds, “Is this not a human soul?”“We are friends. We are cousins. We are brothers. We have the same father in Abraham. It’s not that we’re apostates—if anything, we’re family,” Ed says.But given the mosaic of diversity that is th

About this exclusive sneak peekIn this special edition of Foreign Podicy, we're excited to introduce FDD's new podcast series hosted by Mark Dubowitz: The Iran Breakdown. Episodes 1-3 drop on Wednesday, March 19, but Foreign Podicy followers can enjoy the below exclusive preview of The Iran Breakdown, Episode II. In this sneak peek, Mark gets a masterclass on the Iran nuclear file from his FDD colleague Rich Goldberg, who previously served as the White House National Security Council's director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction. Rich helped coordinate key elements of President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against Tehran, aimed at denying the regime pathways to nuclear weapons. Like Mark, Rich is sanctioned by the Islamic Republic of Iran.About The Iran BreakdownTehran’s fingerprints are on some of the most critical challenges that the world grapples with today. Because its illicit activity spans the globe, the Islamic Republic dominates international headlines. From exporting terrorism a

Back when host Cliff May was an exchange student at Leningrad State University in 1972, he believed that if the Soviet Union ever collapsed that Russia would become a free country. Well, that’s not how things turned out. Peter Pomerantsev has a book on Russian propaganda: “Nothing is True and Everything is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia.”He joins Cliff along with Ivana Stradner, a research fellow with FDD’s Barish Center for Media Integrity, to discuss.

Some might think of veterans issues and national security issues separately, but they are intricately intertwined. There's a moral imperative to care for those who have risked their lives to defend freedom. There's also a national security imperative to do so.This fact raises several questions: How are America’s veterans doing? How well are we taking care of those who have served our country in uniform? How can we do better?To discuss these questions and more, as well as some new research, guest host Bradley Bowman is joined by Marcus Ruzek and retired Navy Captain Dan Goldenberg. Marcus RuzekMarcus is Senior Program Director at The Marcus Foundation. The Marcus Foundation is a leader in philanthropy, specifically in the areas of military and veterans’ support. He has worked at The Marcus Foundation for over 10 years, supporting its Free Enterprise initiatives, National Security/Foreign Policy, and Free Market Ideals programs. An infantryman and combat veteran, Marcus deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq. He

A two-state solution was first offered to Palestinian leaders as early as 1937. Israel offered two-state solutions again in 1947, 1967, 1978, 2000, 2001, and 2008. Palestinian leaders declined each and every such offer. They have proposed no alternatives. Their grievance, it should by now be clear, is not the absence of a nation-state called Palestine but rather the existence of a nation-state called Israel: the resurrected homeland of the Jewish people, a tiny island in an ocean of Arab and Muslim states. Yet within the foreign policy establishment in the U.S. and Europe, there has for generations been an unshakeable belief that there must be a two-state solution. President Trump has shaken that belief, changed the debate, and widened what’s known as the Overton Window, the range of policy proposals considered acceptable. To discuss, host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleagues Jonathan Conricus and Rich Goldberg. 

In 2019 after serving as deputy national security advisor to President Donald Trump, Victoria Coates was promoted to Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for the Middle East and North Africa, overseeing the Maximum Pressure campaign against Tehran and initiating the negotiations for the Abraham Accords. She joins Cliff to discuss her new book: “The Battle for the Jewish State: How Israel—And America—Can Win.”

The war that Yahya Sinwar launched on Oct. 7, 2023 was meant to profoundly restructure the Middle East. And that is happening – although not in the way the late Hamas leader envisioned.It’s not easy to discern the emerging new realities; to understand the rivalries among the many jihadi groups and leaders, Sunni and Shia; the shifting threats to Israelis, Kurds, Druze, Christians, and those Arabs who are not eager to sacrifice their children to the cause of Islamic supremacy. David Wurmser is attempting to comprehend and explain these realignments and to suggest responses that would further American interests. He joins host Cliff May to discuss these issues as well as his recent essay for The Editors: “Prepare for Disintegration of Syria and Rise of Imperial Turkey​​​​​​​.”

As President Trump returns to the White House, he has no more important task than defense of the homeland and ensuring “peace through strength.” This is because U.S. national security is threatened by the deepening entente among the dictators in Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, Pyongyang — an Axis of Aggressors increasingly friendly a Star Wars cantina of terrorist groups.National security requires a military machine that can deter enemies who are rational, and defeat those who are not. How can this be achieved — and what exactly should be the president’s top and immediate national security priorities?Host Cliff May asks his FDD colleagues RADM (Ret) Mark Montgomery and Bradley Bowman.

A few facts central to any discussion of a deal between Israel and Hamas:On Oct. 6, 2023. Gaza was not occupied. No Israelis lived there. No Israeli soldiers patrolled there.Gaza was not an open-air prison. It had schools, malls, libraries, hospitals, restaurants, sandy beaches.Hamas initiated a war on Oct. 7, 2023 by staging the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.Hamas could have brought a halt to this war at any time by releasing the hostages and laying down their weapons. They refused to do so.Hamas deserves the blame for every death, on both sides, over the past 468 days.Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement for a ceasefire and the return of hostages – over time – in exchange for Israel halting its offensive and releasing hundreds of convicted terrorists from prison.Host Cliff May asks his FDD colleagues Jonathan Schanzer and Richard Goldberg some of the many questions that arise.

“Artificial intelligence is the future… Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world.” — Vladimir PutinThe Russian president-for-life and neo-tzar waging a terrible war of conquest against Ukraine is evil but he’s not stupid, certainly not when it comes to artificial intelligence.Americans don’t want to rule the world. But neither do most of us want the world to be ruled from Moscow, Tehran, or Beijing. So, we have to get smart. We have to run an arms race — or maybe a brains race. What will that require?Host Cliff May asks his FDD colleagues Matt Pottinger and RADM (Ret) Mark Montgomery.

Just hours into the New Year, we were reminded that the Jihad against the West is not over. It’s not even taking a winter break.A man inspired by the Islamic State drove a pickup truck into a crowd in the French Quarter of New Orleans, murdering at least 15 people and injuring dozens more. Hours later in New York City, demonstrators chanted: “There is only one solution – intifada revolution!” and “No war on Iran!”Meanwhile, Iran’s ruler, Ali Khamenei must be pondering whether Hezbollah and Hamas, two of his proxy terrorist militias that have been decimated by Israel, can be built back better.Also on his mind: What it means that Syria, once his satrapy, is now under Turkey’s influence.Host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleague Behnam Ben Taleblu to discuss these and related issues. 

What does regime change in Syria change?The overthrow of longtime, mass-murdering dictator Bashar al-Assad is a good thing. But those who did the overthrowing? Not good.The most important rebel group involved in this revolution is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, better known as HTS. It has roots in both al Qaeda and the Islamic State (also known as ISIS). Its leader’s nom de guerre is Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. He and HTS have been officially designated as terrorists by the U.S. government.The fall of Assad weakens Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both had backed Assad, and both had derived benefits from Assad in exchange.And the fall of Assad strengthens Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.To discuss all of this and more, host Cliff May is joined by Jonathan Schanzer, Reuel Marc Gerecht, and Michael Doran.NOTE: We hope you enjoy the soothing sounds of Reuel's Ring Doorbell chimes.

It seems a favorite pastime of leaders in Washington is telling us — Americans — what we believe and what we want. Such assertions by politicians are sometimes true, but they inevitably reflect the policy the politician is attempting to promulgate.   So what do Americans actually believe when it comes to key defense and foreign policy issues? We don’t have to guess, thanks to the Reagan National Defense Survey. The Washington Director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, Roger Zakheim, joins guest host Bradley Bowman to share the latest survey’s findings.

Another day, another blood libel against the Jewish state. What’s new but certainly not surprising is that Amnesty International (a lavishly well-funded organization and one that has long been viciously anti-Israel) has published a report accusing Israelis of genocide in Gaza. What evidence do they have? They don’t need evidence. Why bother when they knew from the get-go what their verdict would be.To discuss the Amnesty report, host Cliff May is joined by FDD’s David Adesnik. David is also a Syria expert. He offers his take on the fast-breaking and complicated developments unfolding there.