Jonathan Lord

As they say, some professional news to share. It’s my honor to return to government service in this period of sobering consequence for our nation. Many thanks to all in my network who supported and counseled me through this decision.
tinyurl.com/yc9mu4kt

My huckleberry, forever.

U.S. Airstrikes Alone Can’t Dislodge the Houthis The Yemeni militants are deeply entangled in great-power politics.

@cnas.bsky.social senior adjunct fellow Eitan Danon has written a piece for @foreignpolicy.com on the challenge of Yemen and the Houthis that could not be more timely:
U.S. Airstrikes Alone Can’t Dislodge the Houthis

foreignpolicy.com/2025/03/25/y...

Breaking News: Leopard’s Spots Remain Unchanged

Don’t Trust Russia to Mediate the Iran Nuclear Deal Moscow’s interests go directly against Washington’s in the Middle East.

I argue in @foreignpolicy.com: Don’t Trust Russia to Mediate the Iran Nuclear Deal

foreignpolicy.com/2025/03/12/r...

Convene the E3 to Address the Iranian Nuclear Threat In its first 100 days, the Trump administration should convene the the E3 to coordinate a strategy for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program.

…to reconstitute a multilateral maximum pressure campaign to negotiate a deal from a position of strength. I wrote about it here:

www.cnas.org/publications...

Long an arsonist in the Middle East, Russia now offers to play firefighter in mediating a nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Iran. Russia has done more than most to undermine Maximum Pressure and support Iran and its proxies. Better for POTUS to work with E3 allies…

Examination of Israel’s Intelligence and Policy Failures in the Yom Kippur War and Hamas Attack YouTube video by Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

The IDF report about 10/7 suggests some intel failures very reminiscent of the failures that enabled Egyptian success in October 1973. Please revisit this event CNAS held in Jan 2024, in which our expert panel examined this very issue:

www.youtube.com/live/D0sqTLe...

“I heard that one myself, Bob. Hell, I even thought I was dead. ‘Till I found out that it was just that I was in Nebraska.”
Requiescat.

The Middle East Security program at @cnas.bsky.social is proud to welcome @adham-sahloul.bsky.social, a rising star in MidEast policy with a broad breadth of experience in the U.S. interagency and military!

www.cnas.org/press/press-...

For years, my friend and colleague @schneidermandm.bsky.social has shared great insights and analysis with me on MidEast policy. I’m thrilled we could finally make the relationship official- welcome to @cnas.bsky.social!

Gaza After Hamas Without a reformed Palestinian Authority presence in Gaza, Hamas will continue to rule the Strip.

In this timely piece for National Interest, @cnas.bsky.social MidEast Security Research Assistant Delaney Soliday offers a critical assessment of President Trump’s Gaza plan, and sensible recommendations for the way forward. nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-...

Israel and Hamas Are Teetering Toward War The combatants have backed each other into a corner, while President Trump has added a volatile new variable by laying down an ultimatum of his own.

I spoke with Anat Peled of The Wall Street Journal about the impact of President Trump's Gaza comments on the ceasefire/hostage-release agreement.
www.wsj.com/world/middle...

John McCain returns to the Senate for health-care vote (full speech) YouTube video by Washington Post

Senator McCain's plea for bipartisan compromise rings even more essential today than when he made it 7.5 years ago. 2/2 www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ4Y...

"Let's see if we can pass something imperfect, full of compromises, and not very pleasing to implacable partisans on either side--but that might provide workable solutions to problems Americans are struggling with today." 1/2

Washington Needs a New Syria Policy Right Now Assad’s fall offers a chance to reverse years of indecision.

The fall of Assad presents Washington an opportunity to build a new Syria strategy guided by U.S. global and regional interests. I wrote about it for @foreignpolicy.com:
Washington Needs a New Syria Policy Right Now
foreignpolicy.com/2024/12/09/a...

Syria could allow Russia to keep its bases, new defense minister says In an interview, Murhaf Abu Qasra, a onetime leader in Syria’s insurgency, discussed moves by authorities in Damascus to build new alliances.

U.S. presence still under negotiation, while Russia may be keep its bases? Engagement w/ Damascus must address U.S. global interests, too. That means pressing for the expulsion of Russia’s air and naval bases. USG has a window of opportunity it should not miss. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Eyal Zamir (the front-runner candidate, by all accounts), announced as the new IDF chief of staff, replacing outgoing LTG Herzi Halevi, who resigned effective March 6.

www.kan.org.il/content/kan-...

How the Massacre of Ignored Female Soldiers Came to Symbolize Oct. 7 Failures The women stationed at Nahal Oz warned authorities for months about increasingly suspicious Hamas activity, but no one acted.

The four young women slated for release this weekend were part of an IDF unit near the Gaza border tasked with monitoring Hamas. Their warnings of increased Hamas military activity went unheeded for months. Their story, as told by Anat Peled in @wsj.com:
www.wsj.com/world/middle...

Convene the E3 to Address the Iranian Nuclear Threat In its first 100 days, the Trump administration should convene the the E3 to coordinate a strategy for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program.

"Iran is closer than ever to having the capability to produce a nuclear weapon; the Trump administration should ensure that the regime does not make the decision to pursue it."

Read more from @jonathanlorddc.bsky.social: www.cnas.org/publications...

Ships carrying missile propellant ingredients set to sail from China to Iran, say officials Intelligence suggests vessels will be laden with sodium perchlorate used in critical weapons

In its defensive responsive to Iran’s October missile attack, Israel severely damaged Iran’s ability to make rocket fuel. China is attempting to resupply Iran with enough sodium perchlorate to fuel hundreds of missiles. The Axis of Upheaval at work. on.ft.com/4hsTop7

Convene the E3 to Address the Iranian Nuclear Threat In its first 100 days, the Trump administration should convene the the E3 to coordinate a strategy for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program.

From @jonathanlorddc.bsky.social: "Convene the E3 to Address the Iranian Nuclear Threat" www.cnas.org/publications...

Dig into the full volume here: www.cnas.org/publications...

Featuring insightful contributions from @rhfontaine.bsky.social, @klkuzminski.bsky.social, @beccawasser.bsky.social, @vivekchil.bsky.social, and @jacobstokes.bsky.social, along with many other colleagues.

Convene the E3 to Address the Iranian Nuclear Threat In its first 100 days, the Trump administration should convene the the E3 to coordinate a strategy for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program.

In a just-released volume, my @cnas.bsky.social colleagues and I make a series of recommendations for President Trump's first 100 days of his second administration.

In it, I recommend President Trump coordinate an Iran engagement and negotiations strategy with the E3: www.cnas.org/publications...

How two feuding presidents combined to get a Gaza deal Trump's intervention "was the 10 cents missing for the dollar," one U.S. official told Axios.

Here’s the real lesson: The Biden and Trump teams worked hand in glove, proving that when America’s leaders identify bipartisan goals and work together to achieve them, nothing is out of reach for the United States. 🇺🇸 h/t @barakravid.bsky.social
www.axios.com/2025/01/16/b...

In honor of Lebanon breaking its political deadlock to elect President Aoun, please enjoy this image of a delicious General Aoun cake generously served to us by the LAF during STAFFDEL Lord in Feb 2020.

Tehran’s proxies are on the back foot. An Iran-Russia defense pact could revive them. In this op-ed, Delaney Soliday and Shivane Anand of the Middle East Security Program at CNAS lay out what an Iran-Russia defense agreement could mean for Iran's proxies.

A good read in @breakingdefense.com today from @cnas.bsky.social Middle East Security Program’s Delaney Soliday and Shivane Anand, warning of the burgeoning Iran-Russia security relationship, which threatens U.S. partners in both Europe and the Middle East.
breakingdefense.com/2025/01/tehr...

17.5 years ago I moved to DC from upstate NY, thinking I’d escaped the snow. On days like today, I think a lot about this exchange.

I’m picturing a deer hanging up in some carriage house-style garage in DC and all I just keep coming back to…

Also featuring brilliant OSD and Slotkin alum Rachel Brandenburg!