Eye on Extremism: August 28, 2026
Top Stories
IranWire: CENTCOM: Strait of Hormuz Shipping Lanes Cleared of IRGC Mines
Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), announced that no oil has been exported from Iranian shores since the resumption of the U.S. naval blockade against the Islamic Republic. He further stated that no vessels have entered or departed Iranian ports without authorization from U.S. forces, with passage granted strictly to ships operating for humanitarian purposes.
United States Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa received the green light to meet with Hezbollah, according to a Lebanese report published Thursday evening, but a US official denied the report. Issa himself denied on Wednesday that he is currently holding any talks with Hezbollah, but said he would be willing to speak with the organization if it had something to offer.
Analysis
Reuters: After six months, the Iran war has reached its endgame — a costly stalemate
The Iran war has reached its endgame: a costly stalemate. Six months after U.S. and Israeli forces attacked Iran, killing its supreme leader and maiming his son and successor, the Iranian government is under economic siege, but it still holds power and believes it has time on its side.
United States
A highly radioactive material used to treat cancer is back on U.S. soil after American officials removed it from Guatemala over concerns it could be stolen and used to create a “dirty bomb.” The cobalt-60 source had been housed inside a disused medical radiation device before U.S. and Guatemalan teams removed the radioactive component and transported it to secure storage in the United States.
Fox News: Former Gitmo prosecutor likens 9/11 trial delay to ‘Frankenstein’s zombie court’
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and three alleged co-conspirators will finally stand trial in 2028, as the case against them has languished amid lengthy delays and a protracted process that one expert has likened to “Frankenstein's zombie court.”
A former staffer for Rep. Mike Collins (R-Georgia) shared images in June and July on his X account of a swastika and one that depicts himself in Ku Klux Klan robes. The images — found in a search by The Washington Post — follow other controversial actions and rhetoric from former Collins staffers and other Collins associates that have dogged his Senate campaign.
Sen. Jon Ossoff renewed calls Thursday for his Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, to publicly reckon with racist and antisemitic speech by people in his orbit. Ossoff’s comments at a press conference in Macon came on the heels of a new story from the Washington Post which surfaced social media images of Preston Parra, a 24-year-old former intern and contractor for Collins’ Overhaul political action committee.
Fox News: Biden-honored Iraqi official lands on US terror watchlist as Trump State Dept revokes visa
Four years ago, Taif Sami Mohammed was being celebrated by the United States as one of the world’s most courageous women. Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised the senior Iraqi official as the country’s “Iron Woman,” crediting her with stopping bribes, uncovering schemes that enriched corrupt officials and fighting corruption despite threats against her.
New York Times: Trump Administration Will Appeal Harvard Antisemitism Case
The Justice Department moved Thursday to appeal a federal judge’s dismissal of a Trump administration lawsuit that accused Harvard University of illegally tolerating antisemitism. The department filed a terse notice that did not detail the argument it will make to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. But it signaled the government was continuing its pressure campaign against the nation’s oldest university.
JNS: Passenger finds anti-Israel curse in checked luggage after Seattle-Tel Aviv trip
A passenger who flew from Seattle to Tel Aviv found a handwritten note inside her checked luggage reading “F*** Israel.” Los Angeles native Noa Sabar Dvoskin, 48, who traveled last weekend with her three children on Alaska Airlines from Seattle to Los Angeles and then connected to an El Al flight to Tel Aviv, discovered the note inside her suitcase while unpacking on Monday.
Police are warning parents and guardians about “concerning online activity” tied to a nihilistic violent extremist network that may be trying to target or influence young people in the community.
Springfield News-Leader: Group behind Whites-only community sues Arkansas, federal agencies
The founders of a Whites-only community in northeast Arkansas have filed a lawsuit against several state and federal agencies claiming their constitutional rights are being violated by investigations into the housing development.
Jewish Insider: The moderate Michigan Democrat holding the line against Hasan Piker
Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) has emerged in recent weeks as one of the Democratic Party’s most outspoken voices against antisemitic influencer Hasan Piker — including standing as one of the few Michigan Democratic holdouts in endorsing Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed in light of his relationship with Piker.
Byron Sigcho-Lopez, a Chicago alderman who represents parts of the neighborhood of Pilsen, went “Jew-hunting” when he said that AIPAC was at fault for releasing his divorce records. And in fact, the Jewish lawyer whom he blamed had no ties to the pro-Israel lobby, according to a lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
A Jewish family in Farmington Hills is demanding action from school district officials after an act of antisemitism at Warner Middle School. They say their daughter’s classmate drew swastikas in class and accuse the school district of falling flat on the issue.
Canada
CKTB: West Lincoln says it will not host Hamilton-based white nationalist group event
West Lincoln says it is aware of a Hamilton-based white nationalist group seeking to relocate its anti-immigration conference to a nearby municipality, including the Niagara west township. The municipality says West Lincoln is not the right place for the event.
Germany
DPA: German police raid sites in 5 states targeting banned far-right group
German police carried out raids in five states targeting suspected members of a banned far-right group, a spokeswoman for the Halle Public Prosecutor's Office told dpa on Thursday. The searches were carried out as part of proceedings against 15 suspects who are accused of continuing to operate the Artgemeinschaft group despite a nationwide ban.
DPA: Hearing held for convicted German neo-Nazi who seeks early release
The Munich Higher Regional Court (OLG) has held an initial hearing on a request for early release from prison by convicted right-wing terrorist Beate Zschäpe, a court spokeswoman told dpa on Thursday.
Italy
From 3 to 6 September, according to the Telegram group dedicated to the event, ‘Return to Camelot’ – a gathering organised by the Veneto Fronte Skinheads – is set to take place. The exact location has not yet been announced and will only be revealed shortly before the event, but the indication is clear: ‘Trentino region.’ The approach of the event’s start date has sparked fierce controversy. The centre-left has called on the authorities to halt the initiative, which is accused of openly glorifying Nazi ideals.
United Kingdom
The Metropolitan Police have slapped restrictions on an anti-Islam march due to take place in central London this weekend over “serious disorder” fears.
AFP: Four plead guilty to London arson attack on Jewish community ambulances
Four young men have admitted to being behind an arson attack on London ambulances owned by a Jewish charity at a UK court hearing. British nationals Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and British-Pakistani Saif Ali, 18, all pleaded guilty to criminal damage linked to the March 23 attack.
Seven protesters accused of daubing pro-Palestinian graffiti on U.S. President Donald Trump's Turnberry golf resort, opens new tab in Scotland last year could face longer sentences if found guilty due to what prosecutors have described as a “terrorist connection.”
Iran International: British-Iranian man accused of seeking to aid IRGC Quds Force faces 2027 trial
A British-Iranian man accused of seeking to assist Iran’s IRGC Quds Force will stand trial next year after prosecutors said he offered his services to Iranian authorities and later took part in an undercover police operation involving a bag he believed contained a drone.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Two Senior NRF Commanders Killed In Northern Baghlan, Says Taliban
The Taliban police command in Baghlan says its forces killed two National Resistance Front commanders during an operation in Nahrin district. The Taliban identified the commanders as Shams and Baba. The Taliban police command in Baghlan said on Friday, 28 August, that the two senior NRF members were killed during an operation the previous night in the Char Sai area of Nahrin district.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Could Be Considered Indian Proxy, Says Pakistan
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman says the Afghan Taliban could be considered an Indian proxy if it does not act in its own interests and instead serves what Islamabad describes as India’s efforts to destabilise Pakistan. Tahir Andrabi, spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, said at a press briefing on Thursday, 27 August, that if Taliban activities were carried out at the direction of a neighbouring country to promote terrorism in Pakistan, Islamabad would be compelled to describe the Taliban administration as a proxy.
Two former prisoners from Herat Central Prison told Afghanistan International that severe overcrowding, delays in food distribution and difficulty accessing water and basic necessities are among the prison’s main problems.
Dawn: Human Rights Watch slams ‘ruthless’ Taliban govt after ban on protest
Human Rights Watch slammed on Thursday the “ruthless effort to suppress all dissent” by the Taliban government, after a new police law banned demonstrations across Afghanistan.
Afghanistan International: Two Senior NRF Commanders Killed In Northern Baghlan, Says Taliban
The Taliban police command in Baghlan says its forces killed two National Resistance Front commanders during an operation in Nahrin district. The Taliban identified the commanders as Shams and Baba.
The United Front of Afghanistan says at least 180 religious scholars from across the country have issued a fatwa calling on the group to carry out military operations against the Taliban.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Settlers are filmed driving freely through what is supposed to be a closed military zone that the IDF instituted in the Palestinian village of Qusra, purportedly to break a siege set nearly three weeks ago by the Israeli extremists.
The Israeli drone strike in the West Bank city of Jenin a short while ago targeted the leader of a Palestinian terror cell in the Jenin area, according to a military source. The source says two other terror operatives — the Jenin terror commander’s accomplices — were with him next to a car and at the entrance of a structure when the strike was carried out.
Times of Israel: IDF says it killed Hamas, Islamic Jihad operatives in Thursday Gaza strikes
A Hamas terrorist who participated in the October 7, 2023, onslaught and a commander in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad were killed in separate strikes in Gaza City yesterday, the military announces.
Iran
IranWire: IRGC Intelligence Issues Warning on Domestic Unrest
The Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement on Thursday, August 27, warning of intensifying social discontent. The statement referenced the failure of “Iran’s enemies” in “efforts to bring about regime change in Iran through military strikes,” asserting: “Opponents of the Islamic Republic are shifting their strategy.”
Reuters: Iran’s disfigured supreme leader remains invisible six months into an existential war
Six months after the airstrikes that began the war and propelled a badly wounded Mojtaba Khamenei into the role of Iran’s supreme leader, he remains entirely unseen and unheard by Iranians — a vacuum at the heart of his country's leadership.
Reuters: Iran’s security chief denies report about a potential plot against Trump's son
Iran’s Security Chief Mohsen Rezaei said a report about a potential plot to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son is a lie, in an interview broadcast by Lebanon's Al Manar TV on Thursday.
Israel
Ynet: 16-year-old, 19-year-old to be indicted for pledging allegiance to ISIS and planning attacks
A 16-year-old from the Galilee and 19-year-old Haifa resident Ibrahim Kaabia will be indicted after allegedly pledging allegiance to ISIS and planning attacks on Jewish security forces at the Temple Mount and an IDF base. Indictments will be filed Friday morning against two northern residents who pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned to attack security forces on the Temple Mount and at an IDF base in northern Israel.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Report: US, Israel talking to Iran, Hezbollah over Ali al-Taher evacuation
A settlement is being negotiated behind the scenes concerning the Ali al-Taher hill, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Friday. “This settlement, involving the Americans and Israelis on one side, and the Iranians and Hezbollah on the other, stipulates the withdrawal of Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard fighters from the hill and the entry of Lebanese Army units,” the daily said.
Jerusalem Post: Lebanese army failing to curb Hezbollah activity in south, Israeli officials tell US
Israel has conveyed a message to the United States through security channels that a pilot program in southern Lebanon, which began being implemented following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Beirut and Jerusalem, has failed, Walla reported Thursday.
JNS: UN Security Council to talk post-UNIFIL Lebanon on Friday
The United Nations Security Council is set on Friday to discuss a post-UNIFIL landscape for Lebanon; both Washington and Jerusalem are clear: The time for international peacekeepers north of Israel’s border is closing. UNIFIL—the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon—has been anything but interim. Formed in 1978, ostensibly to help keep the peace between Jerusalem and Beirut, the mission has come under withering criticism from Israel and the United States for allowing the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group to operate under its nose with little to no pushback, giving it significant ground from which to launch attacks on the Galilee.
Syria
Reuters: Syrian president names former commander of Kurdish-led force as adviser
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed the former commander of a now-dissolved Kurdish-led fighting force as a presidential adviser on Friday, reflecting a rapprochement between the two long-time civil war adversaries.
Pakistan
Dawn: Peace committee member killed, 8 injured in IED blast in Upper South Waziristan market
One peace committee member was killed while eight others were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in Makeen Bazaar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Upper South Waziristan district on Friday, police said.
Nigeria
Reuters: Nigerian gunmen raise over $5 million from mass kidnappings, study finds
Nigerian kidnappers have collected nearly $5.8 million in ransom payments in the last year from civilian abductions, crime that is crippling education and eroding public trust in the government, a security consultancy said on Wednesday. Nigeria's SBM Intelligence said 7,825 people were kidnapped between July 2025 and June 2026, up 66% from the year before. At least 1,142 people were killed, and total confirmed ransom payments more than tripled to 7.78 billion naira ($5.79 million), it said.
New York Times: U.S. to Withdraw 200 Troops Sent to Nigeria Under Trump
The Pentagon is preparing to withdraw about 200 troops from Nigeria who were deployed this year to help fight Islamist militants, wrapping up a mission that American officials say could serve as a model for future operations in Africa.
Rwanda
Reuters: Rwandan genocide suspect jailed for life in the Netherlands
A Dutch court on Friday sentenced a 67-year-old man to life in prison for war crimes and genocide committed in Rwanda in 1994, where it said he had been involved in the killing of around 3,000 Tutsis who had sought refuge from Hutu attacks at a stadium. The defendant, identified only as Eugene N., had fled to the Netherlands in 1998 and later obtained the Dutch nationality. Dutch prosecutors opened an investigation into him in 2020, which led to his arrest in the Netherlands in 2024.
South Sudan
Reuters: At least 49 people killed in armed cattle raid in South Sudan
At least 49 people were killed and 33 wounded in South Sudan after armed cattle raiders from Unity State in the country's north attacked a community of herders in neighbouring Warrap State at dawn on Thursday, officials said.
Philippines
Tempo: Meta commits to aid PH gov’t against online violence
Tech giant Meta has pledged to cooperate with Philippine authorities by sharing user data in cases of imminent threats of violence, Senator Risa Hontiveros announced on Aug. 28. The commitment was secured during a roundtable meeting at Meta’s Asia‑Pacific headquarters in Singapore, where Philippine officials pressed the company to take responsibility for the spread of nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) on its platforms, particularly Facebook.
Australia
Australian Jewish News: Calls mount for Royal Commission extension as hearings end
Former prime ministers, serving MPs, senior former defence and intelligence officials, Holocaust survivors and families of Bondi victims have all called for the Royal Commission to have more time, arguing the inquiry has not examined how antisemitism was allowed to grow or held anyone to account for it.
A so-called ‘ISIS bride’ developed an opposition to extremist ideology following the birth of her daughter in a refugee camp, a court has been told. Zeinab Ahmad was arrested and charged with slavery offences upon her return to Australia with other family members of former Islamic State fighters in May after years of languishing in a Syrian refugee camp.
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