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March 12, 2026
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EVENT: Between Ally and Adversary: Turkey’s Strategic Calculus in the Iran War
As the war involving Iran reshapes the strategic landscape of the Middle East, Turkey finds itself navigating one of the most complex geopolitical dilemmas in its modern history. Sharing a long border with Iran and balancing its role as a NATO member with its regional ambitions, Ankara is attempting to manage the fallout of a conflict that could dramatically alter the balance of power across the region. Turkish leaders have condemned U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran while simultaneously warning Tehran against expanding the conflict, reflecting a delicate strategy of hedging between competing interests.
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Mark Dubowitz
Chief Executive
- Iran Sanctions
- Iran Human Rights
- Syria
- Iran Missiles
- Iran
- Iran Global Threat Network
- Hezbollah
- Iran-backed Terrorism
- Sanctions and Illicit Finance
- Cyber
- Iran Nuclear
Jonathan Schanzer
Executive Director
- Palestinian Politics
- Iran
- Iran Sanctions
- Iran Global Threat Network
- Hezbollah
- Iran-backed Terrorism
- Turkey
- Jihadism
- Sanctions and Illicit Finance
Craig Singleton
China Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow
Behnam Ben Taleblu
Iran Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow
- Iran
- Iran Sanctions
- Iran Missiles
- Iran Human Rights
- Iran Politics and Economy
- Iran Global Threat Network
- Sanctions and Illicit Finance
RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery
CCTI Senior Director and Senior Fellow
Andrea Stricker
Nonproliferation Program Deputy Director and Research Fellow
Elaine K. Dezenski
CEFP Senior Director and Head
Edmund Fitton-Brown
Senior Fellow
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Marco Rubio
U.S. Secretary of State and Acting National Security Advisor
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Lai Ching-te
President of Taiwan
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Tsai Ing-wen
Former President of Taiwan
“Thank you for all of FDD’s work… it is so critical to our fight in the United States against terror and against those who seek to do us harm” … “[FDD has always] held Iran accountable for their continued nuclear activity and for their continued terror activity….which is key to America’s national security and our fight globally against terror, against Iran and its proxies, and against Hezbollah and Hamas and Palestinian Jihad.”
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Mike Waltz
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Jessica Lewis
Former Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State
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Amb. Nikki R. Haley
Former US Ambassador to the United Nations
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Weekend Interview
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Civilian Deputy and Foreign Policy Advisor, U.S. European Command
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Iran's Former Foreign Minister
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former Acting and Deputy Director, Central Intelligence Agency
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Former President
Overnight Brief: May 20, 2026
Read Full BriefToday In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
- Today at 8:30am (ET): "FDD Morning Brief," FDD Event
- "Distrust and verify," The Washington Times
- "Is a ‘New Middle East’ Still Possible?" The National Interest
- "Why Hezbollah’s Use of FPV Drones Against Israel Will Backfire," This Is Beirut
- "Post-Assad Syria Is Mending Fences With Russia," FDD Policy Brief
- "Iraq Forms a New Government Without Resolving Cabinet Role of Iran-Backed Militias," FDD Policy Brief
- "UAE sanctions Hezbollah-linked financial network, reflecting US designations," FDD's Long War Journal
The Must-Reads
- IDF says strike in southern Gaza killed Hamas operative who invaded Israel on Oct. 7
- Gaza flotilla leader linked to Hamas sanctioned by US Treasury
- AEI’s Daniel J. Samet: The pro-Israel case against military aid
- U.S. seized Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean
- Mediators see little progress in U.S.-Iran talks
- US sanctions 50 Tehran-linked entities in Iran, UAE and China
- WINEP’s Zohar Palti: Shifting from diplomatic urgency to strategic patience on Iran
- Exclusive: Russians covertly trained by China return to fight in Ukraine, sources say
- UAE says drone that hit near its nuclear plant was launched from Iraq
- Middle East Forum’s Amine Ayoub: Turkey’s strategy for long-term dominance in the Middle East
- China's Xi, Russia's Putin praise ties but see no energy headway at Beijing talks
- Top NATO official says 5,000 US troops to leave Europe