Eye on Extremism: August 12, 2026
Top Stories
Andrei Grozin, head of the Central Asia department at the CIS Institute, said the risk of militant and international terrorist groups infiltrating from Afghanistan remains the main reason for annual military exercises in the region. According to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, Grozin said in an assessment of the latest Russia-Kyrgyzstan drills that security threats in Central Asia remain high.
Reuters: New attacks on shipping as Iran war talks hit fresh impasse
The U.S. and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis reported separate attacks on shipping on Tuesday as prospects for ending the Iran war appeared to dim, with Tehran saying the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless Washington accepts its conditions. The attacks, in the Gulf of Oman leading to the strait and at the entrance to the Red Sea — both vital chokepoints for global oil supplies — come as the war shows no signs of ending despite repeated assertions from U.S. President Donald Trump of a deal being imminent.
CEP Mentions
SRF: Could Iran have killed Donald Trump with a missile?
Trump boarded Air Force One in Ankara in front of rolling cameras. He then transferred through a back door to a catering vehicle that took him to another US aircraft. The White House did this to prevent the possibility of the US president being assassinated by Iran. Security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler says that Iran’s threats are quite real.
ZDFheute: More powers for the domestic and foreign intelligence agencies
What changes lie ahead for Germany’s intelligence agencies? Can the domestic intelligence service (BfV) and the foreign intelligence service (BND) really make our country safer? What do critics say? Philip Wortmann discusses these questions on *ZDFheute live* with ZDF capital correspondent Jan Henrich, legal scholar Prof. Mark Zöller (specializing in intelligence agencies), and security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler.
Analysis
JNS: Qatar as an enemy state: From recognition to strategy
Israel has gradually awakened to the danger posed by Qatar, and that understanding has now gained broad public acceptance. Turning that recognition into policy will require careful planning, a deeper understanding of the Qatari threat, and a coherent strategy for countering it.
United States
Fox News: Iran-backed Houthi threat in Red Sea could lead to major US policy shift, analysts say
As the Iran-backed Houthis step up their threat to Red Sea shipping, analysts say the U.S. could consider a major change in strategy. Houthi attacks on ships passing through a vital chokepoint may lead Washington to cement relations with more reliable partners along Africa’s coastline.
Even as student-driven protests against Israel and the war in Gaza have quieted down on college campuses, two new Anti-Defamation League reports reveal rising levels of antisemitism and anti-Zionism in university classrooms nationwide driven by faculty, noting that some instructors are still presenting one-sided views on Israel as fact, assigning readings by terrorist groups and offering extra credit for attending anti-Israel protests.
The co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) group is receiving sharp backlash for saying on Friday that the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre in Israel was mostly “inevitable.” During an interview with The New Yorker’s David Remnick, DSA co-chair Megan Romer was questioned about democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier, who attended an anti-Israel, pro-Hamas rally the day after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in 2023, and was pressed on whether she would have attended if she were in her position.
CNN: Trump tries new line of attack on Democrats, calling them ‘jihadists’
President Donald Trump said Monday that “jihadists” are being elected “all over the place” — trying a new, incendiary line of attack against Democrats with the midterm election just three months away.
Ynet: Conspiracy theories may link antisemitism to hostility toward Israel, study finds
Conspiracy theories may serve as a bridge between antisemitism and hostility toward Israel, according to a new U.S. study that found a strong and consistent relationship between anti-Jewish attitudes, conspiratorial beliefs and anti-Israel sentiment.
Forward: After settling antisemitism claims, Columbia now faces lawsuit from Palestinian students
A group of current and former Palestinian students and faculty at Columbia University filed a lawsuit this week, alleging that the university discriminated against them because of their Palestinian identity and treated them less favorably than other students engaged in political advocacy.
WFLA: Venice man planned mass shooting at church, wanted to attack mosque: FDLE
A Venice man was arrested after he was accused of planning a mass shooting at a local church. A news release from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said the FBI pointed the agency toward Giovanni Pimienta, 19, who was “communicating with other users online about obtaining weapons and conducting a mass shooting and glorifying other mass shootings.”
A 58-year-old man is being held without bail after allegedly threatening to kill Cache County School Board officials during a Truth-in-Taxation hearing last week.
CBS 12 News: Fortify tip leads deputies to Florida teens, homemade arsenal, white supremacy material
Two Florida middle school students are facing felony charges after investigators say they found homemade guns, explosives and evidence of an alleged armed robbery plot. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said a FortifyFL tip on April 27 reported two juveniles using Telegram to discuss homemade weapons and devices and conspire to commit an armed robbery.
Venice Gondolier: Cops: Man talked about ‘shooting up a mosque’
A Venice-area man is being held in the Sarasota County Jail pending a determination whether he should remain there until he’s tried on charges he was plotting to “shoot up a mosque.” He was arrested as he was trying to enter the campus of Venice High School.
Arkansas Times: Far-right influences condemn the whites-only Return to the Land compound
Angry white nationalists are coming forward on social media channels with claims that the founders of a new all-white community in rural Sharp County are frauds. The 160-acre, members-only gated settlement called Return to the Land accepts only white men, women and children with proven European ancestry.
The Media Line: Yoseph Haddad Says Far-Right Activist Attacked Him Following Heated LA Debate
Israeli-Arab pro-Israel activist Yoseph Haddad said he was attacked from behind after a filmed debate in Los Angeles by far-right activist Dennis Faitosa, whom Haddad described as a neo-Nazi, following a heated exchange over Israel and Haddad’s service in Israel’s military.
New York Times: With El-Sayed’s Victory Comes a Wave of Islamophobia
In the days since Dr. El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, Republican leaders have embraced Islamophobic attacks and falsehoods like those three comments to portray him as an anti-American extremist. The onslaught is being fueled in part by Republican Party officials and has quickly become a central aspect of the strategy to beat Dr. El-Sayed in the fall. Few officials in the Republican Party have publicly tried to tamp down such messaging, though Dr. El-Sayed has not hesitated to parry the attacks.
The Islamic Center of Nashville is strengthening its security after a box truck bearing anti-Muslim messages parked outside the mosque last week, prompting concerns from community leaders about a rise in Islamophobic rhetoric across Tennessee.
WFAA: Hate messages spray-painted along Mesquite interstate draw condemnation
Hate speech and white supremacist messages and symbols were spray-painted along the center of a frontage road near Interstate 635 in Mesquite, prompting city officials to respond and condemn the vandalism. The messages, including racist wording and historically hateful symbols, were discovered along the northbound I-635 East frontage road after an anonymous caller alerted the WFAA newsroom.
An investigation is underway after members of a UC San Diego Jewish fraternity found antisemitic graffiti spray-painted on the walls of their home in University City over the weekend, San Diego police said.
Four alleged members of a Mexican cartel designated as a foreign terrorist organization are facing narco-terrorism charges after federal officials said they attempted to trade fentanyl and methamphetamine for military-grade weapons in a scheme that spanned three countries.
Canada
Hamilton’s mayor has sent letters to local businesses, asking them to be aware of an anti-immigration group advertising a conference in the area. “It is important for local venues to have clear information about the organization and the purpose of the event when considering whether to host it,” Andrea Horwath wrote.
CBC: Montreal’s former anti-racism commissioner sues Jewish advocacy group
Montreal’s former anti-racism commissioner is accusing a prominent Jewish advocacy organization of defamation and suing for $125,000. Bochra Manaï alleges the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) published material comparing her to Adolf Hitler. The organization also promoted the message that she was failing in her duties and incapable of fulfilling her mandate, the lawsuit claims.
Europe
New York Times: Was a champion powerlifter’s world-record attempt sabotaged by a racist ‘spotter’?
Muluh told The Athletic that on her third attempt at lifting 334.5kg, Kusinas rested the weights on his knee. She was consequently disqualified and not allowed to attempt the lift again by the judges. However, Kusinas later confirmed that his actions were deliberate, writing on Instagram: “I am racist, and I did it intentionally because I hate you pieces of s**t.” Kusinas subsequently deleted the account.
France
Ynet: ‘Sorry Hitler didn’t finish the job’: Irish tourist threatens Jewish couple in France
A casual encounter at a supermarket in France turned into an antisemitic confrontation after an Irish tourist allegedly told a Jewish couple that he was sorry Hitler had not “finished the job” and later threatened to shoot them.
Italy
JNS: Algerian arrested in connection with assault on Jew in Rome
Italian police have arrested a 31-year-old Algerian man following two assaults by several men on a 22-year-old French tourist in central Rome over the weekend, according to the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI).
United Kingdom
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has ruled out entering talks with Restore leader Rupert Lowe unless the latter removes his “antisemitic” co-founder from the party. Reform and Restore compete for a similar voter base on the British right, though relations between their leadership are strained.
Middle East
Reuters: Four crew, two rescuers killed in Red Sea attack; US strikes ship in Gulf of Oman
Four crew members were killed in an attack by Iran-backed Houthis on a cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Tuesday, Yemen’s transport ministry said, while the U.S. military said it struck a container ship attempting to sail toward an Iranian port. Two Yemeni rescuers from an anti-Houthi military group were also killed in the Bab el-Mandeb attack, Yemen's Coast Guard said.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stressed Wednesday that the Israeli army will not withdraw from the security zone in southern Lebanon. During a visit to Israeli forces in occupied southern Lebanon, he stated: “I have instructed the Israeli army to take all necessary steps for a long-term presence in the security zone encompassing Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.”
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Juma Khan Fateh Calls On His Forces & Locals To Fight The Taliban
Juma Khan Fateh, a dissident Taliban commander, confirmed on Wednesday that intense fighting was under way between his forces and the Taliban in Nusay district of Badakhshan, calling on his men and local residents to fight. In an audio message obtained by Afghanistan International on Wednesday, 12 August, Fateh told his men: “Send my greetings to the people. The people should start fighting.”
Afghanistan International: Taliban Arrests Eight Over Alleged Links To Sepahiyan-e Mihan Front
The Taliban’s Information and Culture Directorate in Nimroz said eight people had been detained on suspicion of membership in the Sepahiyan-e Mihan Front. Local sources said they had been deported from Iran about three weeks earlier.
The Diplomat: Is Badakhshan Becoming the Epicenter of Anti-Taliban Resistance?
On August 9, Taliban officials claimed to have captured 74 light and heavy weapons that were allegedly being smuggled in from Pakistan to support what they termed “subversive and destabilizing activities.” Islamabad strongly denied the claim as baseless and urged Kabul not to let Afghan soil be used against Pakistan.
Reuters: Half of Afghan women rarely leave home as Taliban restrictions deepen, UN agency says
Half of Afghan women now leave their homes only once or twice a month as Taliban-imposed restrictions curtail their freedom of movement and participation in public life, according to data released by U.N. Women on Wednesday.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
The Board of Peace denies that there is any “financial agreement” with Hamas, after the Kan public broadcaster revealed that the body agreed to cover $400 million of Hamas’s debt to outside parties.
Jerusalem Post: Hamas may receive up to $400 million in debt relief under BoP plan – report
Hamas may potentially receive up to $400 million in debt relief under the 15-point Gaza Board of Peace (BoP) plan, KAN News reported on Tuesday. The report is based on Article 5 of the agreement, which KAN described as containing vague wording that says the money will be transferred to "suppliers and contract holders," without specifically stipulating that such recipients cannot be related to the terrorist organization.
Hamas has intensified interrogations and torture against Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire came into effect in October 2025, IDF Arabic Spokesperson Lt.-Col. Ella Waweya said on Wednesday.
Times of Israel: IDF fails to remove settler extremists besieging Palestinian home in West Bank
The Israel Defense Forces made a failed bid on Wednesday to clear out an illegal settler outpost blocking the entrance to Palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Qusra, south of Nablus, after the army’s plan was apparently leaked to the media in advance, prompting dozens of settler activists to swarm to the area in support of the outpost.
Mahmoud Tubasi has not lived in his home in the village of Jalud, south of Nablus, since late July, after fleeing following weeks of settler violence. “It all escalated very quickly,” he told The Times of Israel. Tubasi built the house some seven years ago on land owned by his family on the outskirts of Jalud. The property sits in Area B, where, under the Oslo Accords, Israel maintains security control while the Palestinian Authority is responsible for civilian affairs.
Iran
The National Interest: Why Did Iran Invite Anti-Taliban Rebels to Tehran?
Iran’s invitation of the National Resistance Front to its capital last month suggests an unprecedented willingness to engage with Afghanistan’s opposition movements in public.
Reuters: Iran says no progress on reviving interim peace deal with US
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it. The comments were a further blow to hopes of a swift resolution to the crisis, following attacks on shipping in the region on Tuesday that pushed oil prices higher.
Israel
The Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday ordered the immediate release without restrictive conditions of Tal Yinon Dardik, a suspect in an attack on Palestinians in March, after he spent 38 days in custody due to administrative restraining orders against him.
The Israeli military on Tuesday denounced the “illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable” establishment of settler outposts inside Palestinian villages in the West Bank in recent days, but did not explain why it had not dismantled them or why, in a recent example, troops prayed with civilians rather than removing them from the area.
Kuwait
Reuters: Kuwait says it foiled an Islamic State attack plot
Kuwait’s interior ministry says it foiled a terrorist scheme to attack a vital facility in the country, the state news agency reports. The ministry says one national was arrested who was identified as being affiliated with Islamic State, before he could carry out any attack.
Lebanon
Times of Israel: Lebanon’s amnesty law allows former SLA fighters who fled to Israel to return
Lebanon’s parliament passes a general amnesty law that, among other provisions, allows citizens who fought in the Israel-backed South Lebanon Army to return to the country.
Naharnet: Parliament passes general amnesty bill in session boycotted by Hezbollah and FPM
Parliament on Wednesday passed a sweeping and long-awaited amnesty law that should benefit thousands of prisoners and wanted people, in the first legislation of its kind since 1991. The office of the speaker of parliament announced the “approval of a draft law aimed at granting a general amnesty and exceptionally reducing the terms of certain sentences,” which had been a demand of various political factions and a topic of debate for years in Lebanon.
Naharnet: Report: US may form panel of int’l officers to monitor framework agreement
A preliminary agreement has been reached for a new round of negotiations to be held between Lebanon and Israel at the beginning of September, sources told Al-Arabiya television. They noted that the United States is considering forming a committee comprised of officers from several countries to monitor the framework agreement in Lebanon.
Naharnet: UNIFIL Force Commander says 1701 remains key to stability and peace in south Lebanon
UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Diodato Abagnara said principles of Security Council Resolution 1701 – adopted exactly two decades ago and which forms basis of UNIFIL’s mandate – remain the cornerstone of efforts to preserve stability in south Lebanon and support peace in the region.
Syria
NDTV: From Al-Qaeda Fighter To Syrian President: The Rise Of Ahmed al-Sharaa
He once fought American troops in Iraq and spent years behind bars at Abu Ghraib, the notorious prison that became synonymous with the US detention programme in the country. Today, Ahmad al-Sharaa is Syria’s president.
Turkey
Reuters: Turkey’s PKK peace law brings hope to mothers, anguish to veterans
Longing to be reunited with her son, Ayten Elhaman was glued to the television all day as Turkey’s parliament debated and passed a law this week enabling Kurdish militants to return home under a peace process to end their decades-old insurgency. She recalled how Bayram had left his job in a bakery one morning nine years ago to join the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in a conflict with NATO-member Turkey that has killed tens of thousands.
Africa
Africa Defense Forum: ‘The Town Is Dying’: Sahelian Civilians React to Life Under Terror Groups
Sahelian terror groups are expanding their reach and influence, conducting large-scale attacks across huge swaths of territory in the junta-led countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, while steadily encroaching on coastal West African states. In many areas, they impose strict interpretations of Islam on civilians and collect taxes to fund their operations.
Libya
Reuters: Libya’s state power company says attack on Zawiya substation causes major outage
The General Electricity Company of Libya said on Wednesday that an attack on the South Zawiya substation caused a complete outage and loss of power supply to wide areas south of the city of Zawiya. The Libyan electricity provider said U.S. company GE had halted all work at the Zawiya power station and withdrawn its technical teams following the latest attack, pending an improvement in the security conditions. More than 700 megawatts of the plant’s total 1,300 MW of generation capacity remained unavailable, it added.
Nigeria
Reuters: Nigeria police say 10 officers, 17 suspected bandits killed in clash in Kebbi state
Ten Nigerian police officers were killed and two wounded in a clash with a gang of suspected bandits in northwestern Kebbi state, police said on Tuesday.
Philippines
Marketing Interactive: PH weighs social media ban for children as lawmakers target online extremism
The Philippines is considering tighter restrictions on children’s access to social media, placing greater responsibility on platforms to verify users’ ages and remove underage accounts amid growing concerns over harmful content, online grooming and extremist recruitment.
Australia
A century-old Adelaide workers club has condemned the neo-Nazi vandalism of its premises as an act of "modern-day fascism". Semaphore Workers Club staff said the venue had been broken into sometime earlier this week by intruders who daubed Nazi symbols on two of its pool tables.
Gun clubs must be better equipped to spot the signs of radicalisation in members who may risk committing violent acts, a shooting organisation official and psychologist says. Witnesses before the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion have this week painted a picture of the tools available to disrupt someone on the path to radicalisation.
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