Eye on Extremism: August 10, 2026
Top Stories
Reuters: Iran ties Hormuz reopening to US concessions on several demands
Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions, including compensation and an end to sanctions and military threats, before the strategic waterway is reopened.
Deutsche Welle: Hamas says US must pressure Netanyahu to accept Gaza deal — AFP
After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the US-backed Gaza peace plan, a Hamas official told the AFP news agency that the United States must pressure Israel to accept the next phase of the plan.
CEP Mentions
New York Sun: By Welcoming a Taliban Delegation, the EU Throws Shade on Its Own Afghan Policy
A Taliban delegation of five men who answer to a national leadership that is wanted by an international court walked into Brussels on June 23 and sat down with European Union officials. “It does at minimum reflect a normalization in the approach to the Taliban regime,” even if it does not amount technically or legally to formal recognition, a senior director at the Counter Extremism Center, Hans-Jakob Schindler, tells the Sun.
CEP Senior Director Hans-Jakob Schindler gives a live interview to ZDF Heute Journal on August 9, 2026, on Russian hybrid warfare in Germany and Europe.
CEP Senior Director Hans-Jakob Schindler speaks with German television news program Newstime on August 9, 2026, regarding the Iran-Oman negotiations and war against Iran.
Web.de: Why IS lures terrorists to Africa
How can it happen that young people, some of whom have lived in Germany for years, become so radicalized? Two experts attempt to explain. Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler says the case of Abdul B. is a prime example of how ISIS recruits people. “You can almost describe the entire situation of ISIS based on this one person. He started online and then tried to join in person.”
WTOP: The Hunt: Suspected Russian attacks in Europe indicate Ukraine war is spreading
This week, Russia launched one of its deadliest attacks on Kyiv in months using missiles and drones. On this episode of “The Hunt with WTOP National Security Correspondent J.J. Green,” Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project, discusses what happened.
Deutschlandfunk Kultur: Hybrid warfare – Where did the explosive drone come from?
CEP Senior Director Hans-Jakob Schindler speaks with Studio 9 on the drone attack at Leipzig Airport.
The Iranian regime is trying to quell public discontent by relaxing the headscarf mandate. But the hardship is growing ever greater. Experts, however, see the new relaxation of the dress code not as a liberal opening of the regime, but as a calculated move. “After the protests of 2022, the checks in the country's major cities were suspended for tactical reasons, to defuse tensions,” Hans-Jakob Schindler, head of the Berlin-based think tank Counter Extremism Project.
Leicester Gazette: Why have far-right stickers been seen across Leicester?
Stickers for an international white supremacist combat training network have appeared throughout Leicester over the past few months. Active Club Midlands is one of 187 chapters of white supremacist fight clubs with ties to neo-Nazi movements across the globe. Alexander Ritzmann, senior advisor at the Counter Extremism Project, said he has “never seen a network in right wing extremism grow so fast.”
Kurz und Knapp: The new right-wing extremism: inconspicuous, young, and digital
Shaved heads, combat boots, and bomber jackets – is this image of right-wing extremists still accurate? In this episode, Alexander Ritzmann from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) dispels old clichés and shows how the scene has changed.
Analysis
Homeland Security Today: Study Examines Link Between Childhood Adversity and Violent Extremism
A new open-access study examines the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and violent extremism, analyzing how childhood trauma and adversity may contribute to radicalization processes. Researchers conducted a scoping review of 23 studies involving 4,946 individuals associated with a range of extremist movements, including right-wing, left-wing, Islamist, white supremacist, and other extremist groups.
United States
A Houston man is facing a felony charge in Travis County after state investigators say he threatened to stab staff at the Texas Governor’s Office over online content restrictions blocking his access to anime. Joseph Roy Ozment, 35, was charged with third-degree felony terroristic threat to influence government, according to court documents filed in Travis County. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The United States pledged $1 billion in security assistance to Colombia after its new right-wing president took office. “As a cornerstone of this renewed partnership, the United States, working with Congress, intends to announce $1 billion in assistance as part of a security package to support President (Abelardo) de la Espriella's administration in achieving our shared goals,” the statement said.
The Straits Times: Senators offer Lebanon aid Bill tied to countering Hezbollah
US senators introduced legislation that would authorise US$200 million (S$255.7 million) a year in security assistance to Lebanon’s armed forces and impose sanctions on foreign people who back Hezbollah, a bipartisan effort to help secure peace in the country. The measure would tie the security aid to progress by the Lebanese government in countering Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed group deemed a terrorist organisation by the US, with a path to boosting that assistance to US$300 million annually.
WUSF: St. Johns teens charged with cache of homemade guns and explosives
Deputies arrested a 14-year-old and 13-year-old in April after receiving an anonymous tip that the two Switzerland Point Middle School students were planning an armed robbery. The Sheriff’s Office says evidence found at the 14-year-old’s northwest St. Johns County home included makeshift firearms made from items that could be purchased at a hardware store, copies of materials espousing the racist Great Replacement Theory and information about how to build explosives and homemade ammunition. The teenager also possessed a tactical vest with White Supremacist and Neo-Nazi slogans and imagery, including references to Adolf Hitler and previous mass shootings.
Canada
An organization calling for the deportation of immigrants says it’s hosting a conference in the Hamilton area on Aug. 29, prompting local anti-racism groups to take action. In an open letter, several organizations, including the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre (HARRC) and Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion (HCCI), are urging businesses and institutions not to rent space to Dominion Society of Canada and other such groups. The letter also shares tips to help venues avoid unwittingly letting extremist groups book their events.
United Kingdom
Three Al-Qaeda terrorists who were part of the infamous plot to blow up airliners with liquid explosives could be released back on the streets within weeks. Their 2006 al-Qaeda-inspired plan to hide liquid explosives in drinks bottles changed air travel around the world. All three, who are British citizens of Pakistani descent, are now eligible to ask the Parole Board to decide whether the danger they once represented can safely be managed outside prison.
It has been claimed the 74-year-old Mahmoud Al-Abyari is a senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, the global extremist group the US banned as a terrorist entity in January. Al-Abyari has been secretly living a double life as a terror financier, accused by the US of funnelling cash to Hamas through two sham charities.
BBC News: Nigel Farage says incident at his home ‘directly linked’ to Ann Widdecombe murder
Nigel Farage said an incident at his London home last year was “directly linked” to the murder of Ann Widdecombe, after counter-terror police reopened an inquiry into it last week. It relates to what Farage described as a “lit incendiary device” being pushed through his letterbox in April 2025, the BBC understands.
Germany
Reuters: German far-right influencer applies for US funding for new media network
A German far-right influencer whose online posts have been amplified by Elon Musk has applied for funding from the U.S. State Department to launch a media network for political content.
The self-professed libertarian and supporter of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) told Handelsblatt that she had applied under a U.S. State Department program intended to back European organisations focused on issues including free speech, national sovereignty and the impact of migration.
Reuters: AfD on pre-election roll in east Germany, despite economists’ scepticism
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is polling at around 41% in Saxony-Anhalt, which votes on September 6, and 36% in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, voting on September 20. While in western Germany much AfD support stems from opposition to immigration, experts say that in eastern Germany, the issue matters less. More significant is the states’ shared east German legacy of shrinking populations, shortages of skilled labour, and higher unemployment and lower incomes than in western Germany.
France
A 28-year-old man holding refugee status in France is suspected of traveling to Afghanistan for military training and returning with jihadist intentions. Arrested in Lourdes, he was placed in pretrial detention on July 3.
Italy
Jerusalem Post: Italian teenager arrested for ISIS association, antisemitic and neo-Nazi propaganda
A 16-year-old Italian boy has been arrested for association with ISIS and for possessing “neo-Nazi and antisemitic content,” Italian Police announced. The teenager, from the province of Como, was arrested in Grosseto, where he was on vacation with his family, on charges of participation in an association with the aim of international terrorism, as well as propaganda and incitement to commit crimes motivated by racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination.
Spain
Fox News: Spain’s migrant surge reignites debate over Europe’s Islamist terror threat
The estimated 72,000 Moroccan migrants who flooded into the Spanish city of Ceuta within 24 hours is shining a spotlight on Europe’s massive problem of illegal and legal migration and the threat of growing Islamic terrorism. Mideast and European commentators who closely follow Islamic extremism across the continent say Europe’s political class needs to tackle the origins of radical Islamism to prevent terrorism.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Taliban Provides No Data On Abuse By Its Forces, Says UN
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has issued a new report on accountability for Taliban security forces and officials accused of misconduct and ill-treatment. UNAMA said none of the Taliban’s security institutions had provided statistics on the number of complaints received about misconduct by their forces or how many of those complaints had been investigated.
Reporters Without Borders says the Taliban has turned Afghanistan into a prison for information over the past five years, with each new directive further restricting journalists and independent media.
Israel
Deutsche Welle: Middle East: Netanyahu says Israel rejects Trump’s Gaza plan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel has rejected US President Donald Trump's 15-point plan for Gaza. The prime minister stressed that the Israeli military will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed.
Times of Israel: Israeli pause on strikes in Gaza suspends deadly hunt for October 7 terrorists
Confirmed on Saturday night, the IDF and Shin Bet have devoted significant time and resources to eliminating the terrorists who took part in the October 7 atrocities, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Officers of a special joint IDF-Shin Bet unit, dubbed Nili, have painstakingly worked over the last three years to identify, find and eliminate the thousands of Gazans allegedly involved in the atrocities.
IDF Central Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth signed a notice of intent to demolish the home of terrorist Duas Hasson, who killed 18-year-old Yehuda Sherman and injured another Israeli in a car ramming attack in the West Bank in March, the military confirmed on Sunday.
West Bank/Gaza Strip
Times of Israel: Settler terror attacks in West Bank said to surge by 63% in first half of 2026
The number of serious incidents of “nationalistic crime” committed by extremist Jewish settlers in the West Bank surged by 63 percent during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, the Kan public broadcaster reported Monday, citing security establishment figures.
BBC News: Israel accused of weaponising archaeology at ancient West Bank sites
Last week, Israel allocated roughly 113 million shekels (£27.8m) to expanding its control over archaeological sites in the West Bank. Some projects involve sites in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority.
Reuters: Israeli military closes Palestinian Christian village Taybeh, citing settler attacks
Israel's military on Sunday closed the West Bank village of Taybeh to non-residents, saying it aimed to prevent growing attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers across the West Bank.
The order, the military said, only applies to Israelis and not to Palestinians. A spokesperson said turning Taybeh into a closed military zone was “due to some violent attacks by Israelis in the region.”
Iran
Dawn: US used advanced military technology and AI against Iran but failed: IRGC spokesman
The spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the United States deployed its most advanced military technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), in the war against Iran, but ultimately failed to overcome the country’s institutional resilience, ideological cohesion, unity and national resolve, according to Press TV.
New York Times: Iran’s Old Guard May Be Entrenching Power With Promotion of Commander
Iran is replacing its top national security adviser with a longtime military commander whose appointment could represent a further consolidation of power by the country’s old-guard security establishment.
New York Times: Iran Insists Strait Will Stay Closed Until U.S. Agrees to Demands
Iran said on Monday that any deal with Oman on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would not lead to the waterway being fully reopened and that the route would remain closed until the United States agreed to demands including lifting a naval blockade.
Syria
Syrian security forces arrested a nine-member ISIS cell in Khan Arnabah, Quneitra Province, the Syrian Interior Ministry confirmed on Sunday. Khan Arnabah is located adjacent to the demilitarized zone that runs along the Israel-Syria border. The cell carried out tasks for ISIS, including collecting weapons and transporting explosive devices and other related materials, as well as other terror activities intended to support ISIS's operations, the Interior Ministry said.
Yemen
Deutsche Welle: Houthis attack government-controlled port of Mocha in Yemen
A Yemeni government official said the Houthis attacked the crucial Red Sea port of Mocha. Fayed al-Noman, the assistant undersecretary of the Information Ministry, said the Houthis launched missiles and drones at Mocha. At least seven people were killed and 20 others injured in an attack, a Yemeni government military source told dpa. According to the source, the fatalities included three civilians and four military personnel who were present at the port.
Africa
Fox News: Nigeria’s largest rescue operation frees 308 hostages held by militants in Kwara State
Nigerian forces rescued at least 308 victims from captivity in the past week, with the bulk of the victims coming from two distinct groups. One hundred and sixty-three of the victims were taken from the Woro community in Nigeria's Kwara State in a Feb. 3 raid that saw their jihadi kidnappers kill an additional 160 people in the Woro village.
AIM News (Mozambique): Terrorists demand ransom after kidnapping loggers in Quissanga
A group of islamist [sic] terrorists raided over the last week Namaluco village, in Bilibiza Administrative Post, Quissanga district, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, forcing the loggers to halt operations. “When the ransom was not paid, the terrorists burned some of the work equipment, including a tractor, and forced the loggers to leave the area,” a source said.
ABC News: IS-linked group kills at least 13 in Congo village
Militants affiliated with the Islamic State group attacked a village in Congo near the border with Uganda early Saturday, killing at least 13 people and burning and looting homes, a local civil society group said. The attacks occurred in the village of Banana École, a suburb of the territorial capital of Mambasa.
Australia
Deutsche Welle: Australia sues Telegram for not removing ‘terrorist content’
Australia says videos of terrorist executions and mass shootings weren't removed from Telegram after they were reported. The move comes a day after Russia charged founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activity.
Nearly 300 people are being managed through Australia’s national countering violent extremism programs. Security agencies confront a threat that increasingly involves young people, mixed ideologies, and rapid online radicalisation. Department of Home Affairs figures reported on Monday show 298 people were participating in national countering violent extremism interventions as of June 30. This is up from 253 at the end of December 2025, an almost 18 per cent rise in six months.
Independent Australia: Gaza war fuels hatred and division at home in Australia
In Australia, the rise in hate speech has led to the establishment of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, following the tragic terror attack at Bondi Beach.
The Commission's interim report, released in April 2026, highlighted the severe impact of antisemitism and the need for stronger counter-terrorism and social cohesion measures.
At the same time, a surge in Islamophobic incidents has been recorded in Australia since the war began.
Wellington Times: Incels and online manosphere driving youth into Nazism
Incels, “terror-gram” and the manosphere are helping shape a decentralised form of Nazism among young Australians. The aesthetics, language and grievances of the radical right are capable of dragging youth to the far right without espousing a traditional political ideology, counter-terrorism expert Julian Droogan has told the Royal Commission into Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion.
Daily Telegraph: Bedroom terror shrine: Nazi fan accused of plotting mass murder
A vulnerable young man was groomed and radicalised by international neo-Nazi terrorist groups before he allegedly attempted to “recruit and instruct others” to commit mass murder – all from inside his parents’ north coast home. In a case that illustrates the terrifying new wave of online recruitment, Sam Bolton was charged following a major terrorism investigation that allegedly revealed the reclusive 20-year-old had been brainwashed by US and UK-based white supremacist organisations via online forums and video games.
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