February 21, 2025

Welcome to FDD Action's Weekly Natsec Roundup.

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🚨 NEED-TO-KNOW THIS WEEK

Secretary Rubio Holds a Meeting with Saudi Arabia and Russia at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 18, 2025. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)

1. U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday in the highest-level talks between the two sides since Moscow invaded Ukraine three years ago. President Trump has made clear he wants a peace deal, and this meeting follows calls Trump made to Zelensky and Putin last week.

At the table in Riyadh: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Putin Aide Yuri Ushakov. Back in Ukraine, Zelensky received Special Envoy Keith Kellogg yesterday.
Bad news first? Zelensky’s public airing of frustrations that Riyadh talks excluded Kyiv and his reported rejection of President Trump's proposed mineral rights deal led to public sparring between the two leaders. Trump called Zelensky a dictator with a 4% approval rating as well as a 'modestly' successful comedian (ouch!). Zelensky actually has high approval ratings.
Looking on the bright side, Kellogg spoke well of Zelensky following his engagements in Kyiv, calling the President an “embattled and courageous leader.” U.S. and Ukrainian officials seem to be on damage control.
Mineral rights deal? A senior U.S. official has reportedly come back to Zelensky with a revised mineral rights offer to address concerns that it lacked sufficient security guarantees. Sen. Lindsey Graham noted such a deal would mean Trump “can go to the American people and say, ‘Ukraine is not a burden, it is a benefit.’”
Here's the bottom line: Russia started this war when it invaded Ukraine. It bears responsibility for the subsequent bloodshed and chaos. A sovereign and independent Ukraine remains in the U.S. national security interest. The United States should maintain support to Ukraine’s military, while increasing costs on Putin for prolonging this conflict. FDD Founder & President Cliff May recently unpacked negotiation dynamics in his weekly column.

"What Steps Must Iran Take To Construct Nuclear Weapons?" By Andrea Stricker & FDD's Visual Intel Team. Based on original research and assessments of David Albright and Olli Heinonen.

2. Fox News highlighted a new FDD report, “Detecting and Halting an Iranian Weaponization Effort,” which calls on the White House to muster the full weight of our national security apparatus to confront the emerging threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.

What’s the big deal? "A nuclear-armed Iran would fundamentally upend security in the region and hinder the ability of the United States, Israel, and their partners to counter Tehran's aggression out of fear of nuclear escalation," the report’s author Andrea Stricker told Fox News.
As we highlighted last week, Iran is looking for a shortcut to nuclear weapons. Now that these efforts are being exposed, Tehran may try to preempt added pressure by seeking a new deal with temporary, limited constraints on its nuclear activities. As Stricker warns, such a deal could allow Iran to maintain and lock in its nuclear weapons capabilities.
To deter Iran from breaking out, the Trump administration and our allies can start by reestablishing the threat of credible military force. Demonstrate both the willingness and capability to target Iran's nuclear sites. Washington must also resist negotiating a bad deal that repeats the mistakes of the past by safeguarding Iran's nuclear threshold status.
New FDD Visual: Andrea Stricker and FDD’s Visual team lay out in plain language what steps remain for Iran to construct nuclear weapons. Bottom line: Iran is as close as ever. If you’re looking to get up to speed, this webpage is a perfect primer: What to know about Iran's Nuclear Program.

3. Hamas’s hostage parade in Gaza Square last month was reportedly masterminded by an Al Jazeera employee.

Senior Al Jazeera producer and investigative reporter Tamer Almisshal reportedly conceived and directed the vile “ceremony” for Hamas from his office in Qatar—planning every detail of the staging, including the backdrop of Hamas slogans glorifying the October 7 massacre, according to an expose by Israel’s i24 News. Almisshal may have played the same role for subsequent hostage release faux “ceremonies.”
If reports prove true, then Al Jazeera crossed the line from biased reporting to an active participant in the war on Israel, including by providing material support for Hamas, a U.S.-designated Terrorist Organization.
It would be a serious violation of U.S. law with serious implications. For one, the Government of Qatar funds and controls Al Jazeera “despite assertions of editorial independence and freedom of expression,” explained the U.S. Department of Justice in 2020. This behavior is not consistent with a country that positions itself as a staunch ally of the United States.
What to do about it? “[The United States] should begin by holding both the Qatari government and its media property Al Jazeera accountable for any material support of a terrorist entity,” write FDD Action’s Toby Dershowitz and independent researcher Eitan Fischberger.

🏛️ AT THE WHITE HOUSE

The Trump Administration designated eight drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) for their role in smuggling drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States.

The eight cartels, including six from Mexico: Tren de Aragua, MS-13, Cartel de Sinaloa; Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Carteles Unidos, Cartel del Noreste, Cartel del Golfo, and La Nueva Familia Michoacana.
The designations come as the Administration cracks down on illicit drug smuggling and human trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border.
FDD’s Elaine Dezenski explained last week how these designations will allow U.S. authorities to “unleash financial warfare” against fentanyl traffickers by targeting their global network of enablers, especially in China.
What's an FTO and SDGT? FDD Action’s Matt Zweig breaks down the distinctions and authorities each designation offers policymakers.

President Trump welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House late last week to discuss and strengthen the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

Modi and Trump worked toward a trade deal that would see the U.S. supply India advanced weapons, including F-35s, in return for increased Indian purchases of American energy and reduced tariffs on U.S. exports.
Big Name for a Big Idea: The “U.S.-India COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century” will deepen military ties, expand trade and investment, and accelerate cooperation on emerging tech like AI.
Designed to counter Chinese economic influence, President Trump announced the U.S.-India trade route will run through Israel and unify U.S. allies in Asia through trade and infrastructure investment.
Background: FDD Nonresident Senior Fellow Cleo Paskal explains the importance of the U.S.-India relationship in countering China's malign ambitions across the Indo-Pacific.

Over at the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered Pentagon officials to draw up plans to trim defense spending.

Hidden in the details were exceptions given to 17 national security priorities, which one senior official told the New York Times is likely to shift spending toward programs the Trump Administration favors.
Secretary Hegseth’s memo comes days after he told European partners that “stark strategic realities” are forcing the U.S. to prioritize the Indo-Pacific and called on NATO members to “take ownership” of their security.
Number to Know: $883 billion was appropriated to the Department of Defense by Congress for FY2025, a $40 billion increase from 2024. Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle have expressed support for even greater defense spending this year.
Is now the right time for defense cuts? Short answer: No. Senior Director of FDD’s military center, Bradley Bowman, explains that U.S. defense spending must match what is essentially “the most dangerous geo-strategic environment we have seen since World War II.”
Trump should increase defense spending by 3-5% above inflation each year. Congress, for its part, should embrace Article I to ensure we have the resources necessary to defend our country: “A failure to devote sufficient resources to defense will be measured in wars that could have prevented and service members who do not return home to their families.”
Read into it: Trump Can — and Should — Fully Fund Our Military, write Bowman & RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery in the National Review.

📆 COMING DOWN THE PIKE

Monday, February 24 –
This day marks three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

FDD Founder & President on what talks between the U.S. and Russia mean for the future of our alliances – Trump Can Halt Russia’s War Against Ukraine, Just Don’t Expect Peace and Concord (Clifford D. May | The Washington Times | February 19, 2025)

France’s President Macron is likely to visit the White House to discuss peace talks on Ukraine and U.S. security assistance to Europe and NATO. It follows a ‘frank,’ but ‘friendly’ phone conversation between the two presidents earlier this week on war in Ukraine and talks with Russia.

Tuesday, February 25 –
The HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE holds a hearing, Examining Policies to Counter China, to discuss the malign economic threats posed by China and how the U.S. and allies can outcompete. The committee will hear from a private witness panel of experts on defense, China, and tech and consider over a dozen bills on issues from Chinese foreign investment in U.S. agriculture to Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Bank and IMF.

General Background – FDD experts explain the need for a higher-level strategic approach to meeting the challenge of CCP economic coercion over the narrow application of export controls, investment screening, and trade restrictions. Read about it: Economic Security is National Security (Elaine Dezenski and David Rader | The National Interest | April 24, 2024)
On Taiwan – FDD China Program Senior Director Craig Singleton and Cyber Center Senior Director RADM (Ret.) Montgomery dove deep into the CCP’s economic and cyber playbook for targeting Taiwan and assembled a trove of recommendations for policymakers in Washington.
We could go on, but we’ll end with FDD Senior Fellow Emily de La Bruyère’s congressional testimony that unpacks how the CCP uses industrial influence to shape government policies.

The HOUSE OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE holds a subcommittee hearing, Emerging Global Threats: Putting America’s National Security First, with a private witness panel.

The SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE holds a nomination hearing to consider billionaire investor Stephen A. Feinberg for Deputy Secretary of Defense, the No. 2 job at the Pentagon. Feinberg also served on an intelligence advisory board during Trump’s first term.

The SENATE HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE holds a nomination hearing for Troy Edgar to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, as well as an OMB nom, to be followed by a committee vote on the two Thursday.

Wednesday, February 26 –
The HOUSE OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE holds a subcommittee hearing, How Foreign Aid Lost Its Way, with a private witness panel to find ways to reform U.S. foreign aid programs.

The SENATE COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE convenes a hearing, Interdicting Illicit Drug Trafficking: A View from the Front Lines, with U.S. government officials and victims' family.

Thursday, February 27 –
British PM Keir Starmer visits the White House to meet with Trump and present his peacekeeping plan that would see a ‘reassurance force’ of nearly 30,000 British and French troops deploy to Ukraine. Starmer will also push for U.S. fighter jets and missiles to remain in Europe to deter further Russian aggression.

The SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE holds an executive business meeting to pick up consideration of S. 331, the HALT Fentanyl Act. This bipartisan bill would permanently classify fentanyl as a Schedule I controlled substance and impose mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl trafficking. The House companion passed by wide margins last week.

🔍 LEGISLATION WE'RE TRACKING

✔ Endorsed Bills Headed for HFSC Hearing: House Financial Services Committee Hearing (Feb. 25) – The committee will look at three FDD Action-endorsed bills, among several others. The Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act of 2025 requires Treasury to report financial institutions servicing senior PRC officials and allow the Secretary to prohibit such services. The Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act of 2025 combats illicit fentanyl trafficking by imposing sanctions on Chinese producers of opioid precursors. The Financial Technology Protection Act of 2025 establishes a new government working group to combat terrorism and illicit financing.

✔ Endorsed: The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act (S.556/H.R.1422) – Led by Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in the Senate and Reps. Michael Lawler (R-NY) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) in the House of Representatives. This piece of critical legislation supports the return to maximum pressure on Iran by expanding sanctions to encompass the full logistical chain of Iran’s energy exports, while also creating an interagency task force to track and counteract Iran’s evolving sanctions evasion tactics. This bill is also endorsed by AIPAC. (Press Release)

✔ Endorsed: Ricketts-Tenney Resolution Pushing European Allies to Snapback U.N. Sanctions on Iran (S.Res.81/H.Res.139) – Led by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) in the House of Representatives and Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and in the Senate. This resolution calls on the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (E3) to initiate the snapback of sanctions on Iran under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. The resolution is a vital element of renewed maximum pressure on the regime in Tehran. The deadline to trigger snapback is October 18, 2025. (Press Release)

💡 HERE'S AN IDEA

A National Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan (NCIRP). An effective national response framework is critical for mitigating the consequences of cyber incidents threatening U.S. critical infrastructure. The trio of RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Annie Fixler, and Jiwon Ma at FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation provided comment on CISA’s response plan framework:

Further Recognition of Space: Space assets like satellites provide essential services to infrastructure we rely on every day for transportation, emergency response, energy, and more. More acknowledgment of space infrastructure in the NCIRP as a critical domain in cybersecurity would improve incident response for a swath of other critical infrastructure.
Highlight the Role of the Office of the National Cyber Director: The NCIRP should recognize the role of the National Cyber Director as the principal advisor to the president on cybersecurity matters as well as its ability to ensure improved coordination with federal agencies to prepare for and respond to cyber incidents.

📣 WINNING MESSAGES

📘 KEEPING UP W/ FDD

On Iran

Don't Misread Weakness as Restraint – Tehran’s Trump Trap (Behnam Ben Taleblu | The National Interest | February 18, 2025)

Nuclear Monitor – Steps Must Iran Take to Construct Nuclear Weapons? (Andrea Stricker | FDD Visual | February 19, 2025)

On Israel

Al Jazeera-Hamas Ties – Is Al Jazeera Providing Material Support to Hamas? (Toby Dershowitz | RealClearWorld | February 18, 2025)

Dear Lebanon's New President – Lebanon’s Neutrality Must Include Arabs vs. Israel (Hussain Abdul-Hussain | This is Beirut | February 18, 2025)

On China

China and the Rogue States – An Axis of Autocracy?: China’s Relations with Russia, Iran, and North Korea (Anthony Ruggiero | Congressional Testimony | February 20, 2025)

On Russia

Russia-Ukraine Deal – Trump Can Halt Russia’s War Against Ukraine, Just Don’t Expect Peace and Concord (Clifford D. May | The Washington Times | February 19, 2025)

U.S. Positioning – Kremlin Retains Maximalist Goals in Ukraine, U.S. Pressure Needed (John Hardie | FDD Policy Brief | February 19, 2025)

In Other News

Trump is Right to Prioritize Homeland Missile Defense (Bradley Bowman and RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery | The Cipher Brief | February 10, 2025)

Turkey Marginalized? How Trump’s Middle East Strategy is Rewriting Alliances (Sinan Ciddi | 1945 | February 19, 2025)

Cybersecurity: A Bipartisan Imperative in a Dangerous World (RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery | The Cipher Brief | February 19, 2025)

💖 ON A LIGHTER NOTE…

American-Israeli hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen reunited with his family Saturday after some 500 days in captivity. The morning of October 7, he had put his pregnant wife and two daughters into the safe room of their home. He then went out to confront the terrorists, was taken captive, and didn't know if his family was alive or dead until days before his release.

🌞 While his wife was pregnant, Dekel-Chen had jokingly called the baby Mazal ("luck" in Hebrew). When they reunited, his wife told him she named their daughter Shachar, the Hebrew word for "dawn." She kept Mazal as the girl's middle name.

💕The heartwarming video shows the emotional reunion and his reaction to the baby name: “Wow, perfect,” he whispered. “What a name.” He met his one-year-old baby Shachar later Saturday in a Tel Aviv hospital, where he also reunited with his other two daughters.

👋 Thanks for sticking with us! Until next week.

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