Eye on Extremism: July 23, 2026
Top Stories
Iran International: US will hold Iran responsible for Houthi attacks on ships, Trump says
US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened Iran with major military action if Yemen’s Houthis carried out further attacks on commercial shipping. Trump said the Houthis had resumed attacks amid the US conflict with Iran, accusing the group of firing at two Saudi ships overnight.
Reuters: Iran flew IRGC commanders, missile gear to Yemen's Houthis, sources say
Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, military advisers and missile- and drone-related equipment into Yemen this month, according to four sources, in a move that suggests Tehran is seeking to strengthen the ability of its Houthi allies to threaten Red Sea shipping.
CEP Mentions
Is another October 7th possible on European soil? Dr. Hans Jacob Schindler, a specialist in counter-terrorism in Europe, answers the “Question of the Day”. He is speaking to Lise Benkemoun.
Analysis
Reuters: Houthi Red Sea threat would challenge a stretched US military
A Houthi threat to impose a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea could significantly widen the Iran war and strain a U.S. military already focused on stopping Tehran's attacks across the region, current and former U.S. officials said.
United States
Bloomberg: DOJ’s ‘Alien Terrorist’ Court Tactic Set for Lengthy Legal Fight
The Trump administration faces an arduous legal path and due process questions as it activates a never-before-used court for suspected noncitizen terrorists. The Justice Department’s National Security Division launched the case last week in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, or ATRC, and is set to further detail its application in a sealed brief Wednesday. It’s the first case to go before the court since its creation in 1996.
ABC 7 News: NYPD investigating 2 separate hate crimes; victims allegedly targeted over religion
The NYPD is investigating two separate hate crimes on Wednesday, in which victims were targeted over religion. Police say video shows the aftermath of an antisemitic attack that happened Tuesday in Midwood, Brooklyn.
Jewish Insider: ‘Shame on you’: Mamdani’s viral anti-Netanyahu video sparks fear among Jewish groups
A video New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released late Tuesday night — in which the democratic socialist railed at length against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but confessed he couldn’t honor his campaign pledge to arrest him — triggered a wave of warnings from mainstream Jewish organizations that his singular focus on excoriating Israel from his official platforms places New Yorkers at risk.
KOMO News: Kent man pleads guilty to conspiring to support ISIS, planned travel to Syria
A 21-year-old Kent man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Seattle to conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, after investigators say he planned to travel to Syria to fight for the group.
JTA: Reed College agrees to sweeping reforms as part of Title VI antisemitism settlement
Reed College has agreed to a host of far-reaching institutional changes, including asserting that targeting Jewish Zionists will be considered discriminatory, in order to settle multiple federal antisemitism investigations, parties to the complaint announced Wednesday.
KUTV: Valley Fair Mall stabbing renews focus on hate crimes, extremist rhetoric in Utah
The stabbing of a Muslim man at Valley Fair Mall has renewed questions about the prevalence of hate crimes in Utah and how law enforcement identifies people who may be moving from extremist rhetoric toward violence.
Canada
Bay Today: Human rights group warns of 'Bigotfest' event in North Bay
B’nai Brith Canada is warning that a gathering billed as “BIGOTFEST” and scheduled for July 24 to 26 in North Bay could be used to sell hate propaganda and attract white supremacists to the region. In a news release, the group says that white supremacists are trying to monetize hatred at the gathering.
Global News: Four extremist plots to attack Jewish targets disrupted in Canada, report says
Canadian authorities have disrupted four “violent extremist attack plots against Jewish targets” since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023, says an intelligence report obtained by Global News that warns of continued threats to the community.
Global News: Toronto pro-Palestinian protester charged with terrorism over alleged Hamas links
A pro-Palestinian demonstrator has been charged with terrorism over his alleged actions in association with Hamas, Toronto police said Wednesday. Ahmad Hassan Hajahmad, 33, was arrested following a joint investigation by the Toronto police hate crime unit and the RCMP national security team.
A 33-year-old Toronto man is facing a terrorism charge for "public statements that advocated for the detestation and harm against members of the Israeli and Jewish communities," police say. Ahmad Hassan Hajahmad attended pro-Palestinian rallies in the Bay Street and Front Street W. area on May 25 and Sept. 7, 2024, where he used "amplification devices" to make the statements, Toronto police said in a news release Wednesday.
Europe
Euronews: Far-right activists to sue European Commission over 'remigration' rejection
The European Commission has rejected a European Citizens' Initiative seeking to suspend asylum and family reunification and return "unintegrated" non-European migrants to their countries of origin. Its organisers are preparing a legal challenge.
France
Iran International: France urges Iran-backed Houthis to halt attacks on Saudi tankers
France on Thursday urged Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen to stop attacking Saudi oil tankers, calling the strikes irresponsible and a serious escalation.
Politico: France’s far left faces accusations of antisemitism from Olympics DJ
Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s far-left France Unbowed party has come under renewed scrutiny over accusations of antisemitism after LGBT+ activist and feminist DJ Barbara Butch was forced to cut short a concert in Grenoble over the weekend.
Germany
Reuters: Germany vows support for Nigeria on security, seeks expanded economic ties
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul reaffirmed Berlin's commitment on Wednesday to supporting Nigeria on security as it battles militant groups, and said violence in the Sahel threatened all coastal states in the region. He also said Germany would provide 10 million euros ($11.4 million) this year to support the return and reintegration of people displaced from communities once controlled by Boko Haram and Islamic State-linked militants.
Ireland
Breaking News IE: Mosque arson suspect asks gardaí for family numbers from seized phone
A self-styled anti-Islam activist charged over a Dublin mosque arson has pleaded with gardaí to retrieve family contact numbers from his phone so he can call them from prison.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg Times: How nihilistic violent extremists target children and signs to look out for
Luxembourg’s chief public prosecutor, David Lentz, has warned parents to look out for signs their children might have fallen prey to nihilistic violent extremism, an international network of digital communities in which predators manipulate young people and push them into increasingly extreme acts.
Norway
Caliber.Az: Norwegian police warn of rising youth interest in terrorist Breivik
Norway's Police Security Service (PST) has warned of a growing trend of young people being drawn into far-right ideology, with the image of terrorist Anders Behring Breivik increasingly used in extremist propaganda.
United Kingdom
The Guardian: One UK mosque attacked ‘every five days’, says British Muslim Trust
One mosque is attacked in Britain every five days, according to new data released by the government’s partner for monitoring anti-Muslim hatred. More than 70 attacks on mosques in the UK have been recorded over the past year, which include acts of intimidation, violence, property damage, harassment, anti-Muslim hate speech, online abuse and vandalism.
BBC: Friend of Manchester synagogue attacker jailed for plot on military base
A man who planned an attack on a military base with the Manchester synagogue attacker has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years. Mohammad Bashir, 31, drove his friend Jihad Al-Shamie on a 10-hour round trip to conduct hostile reconnaissance at the UK's Defence Academy in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, on 14 August 2025.
The United Kingdom’s Scouts Association is investigating the UK Muslim Scout Fellowship (MSF) following allegations of antisemitic conduct, The Scouts Association confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
Middle East
Iran is refraining from striking Israel partially due to fears of Hezbollah's collapse in Lebanon if fighting resumes with Israel, according to retired military Lt.-Col. (res.) Or Horowitz, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) and former head of the military intelligence Hezbollah desk.
IranWire: CENTCOM Refutes IRGC Claims of Control Over the Strait of Hormuz
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a “fact-checking” statement rejecting claims made by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) regarding control over the Strait of Hormuz and mandatory routing for international shipping.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have struck and damaged US military equipment stores, drones, helicopters, and a Patriot missile system at bases in Kuwait on Thursday, according to Iranian semi-official state news outlet Fars News Agency.
Afghanistan
Amu TV: UN reports 50% rise in Taliban restrictions on humanitarian activities
The UN agency for coordination of humanitarian affairs, OCHA, has reported a 50 percent rise in Taliban restrictions on access to humanitarian activities in June, saying they have forced temporary closure of 21 humanitarian activities during this period.
Afghanistan International: Six Staff Of Women’s & Children’s Rights Group Detained By Taliban
Sources in Kabul told Afghanistan International on Wednesday that Taliban agents raided the office of the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation (WCLRF) earlier this week and detained six staff members. The agents also seized the organisation’s equipment, documents and work materials. There is still no information about where the six employees are being held or what has happened to them.
Kabul Now: Taliban Supreme Leader Urges Religious Scholars to Promote ‘Obedience’ Among People
Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has called on religious scholars in Kandahar to work toward strengthening a culture of “obedience” among themselves and the public.
Afghanistan International: CSTO & SCO Hold Joint Security Meeting In Pakistan
The 12th security and border meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was held in Pakistan with a delegation from the Collective Security Treaty Organisation in attendance.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
The Israeli military provided details Wednesday on 12 soccer players killed in the Gaza Strip during the war between Israel and Hamas who it said have been identified as terror operatives, slamming their international portrayal as innocent athletes. Seven of the 12, including one who was a FIFA referee, have been acknowledged as members by Gaza terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Jerusalem Post: Israeli strike in Gaza kills three Hamas terrorists, including October 7 attacker
The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) killed three Hamas terrorists on Tuesday, including one who invaded Israel on October 7, in a targeted strike in the northern Gaza Strip.
Jerusalem Post: IDF kills terrorist who attempted second West Bank stabbing attack in hours
IDF soldiers killed a terrorist after he carried out a stabbing attack in the Ganim area of the West Bank, the military said on Thursday. Israeli media reported that the terrorist had stabbed a man in the leg. The man has been taken to the hospital with minor to moderate injuries, fully conscious.
An Israeli man was seriously wounded on Thursday in a stabbing attack near the West Bank settlement of Elon Moreh while trying to extinguish a fire, medics and the military said.
Iraq
Caliber.Az: Baghdad abolishes anti-ISIS coordination body, shifts powers to PM
Iraq has decided to abolish its Joint Operations Command, a central body established to coordinate the fight against militant groups including al-Qaeda and Islamic State, according to Shafaq News. Citing security sources, the outlet reported that “in its current form, the Joint Operations Command is being abolished, and its functions will be transferred and reorganised within the command structure of the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces,” a role held by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
Israel
Reuters: Western powers press Israel to rein in settlers, halt expansion
Israel must halt the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and curb growing settler violence, seven major Western nations said on Friday, accusing the Israeli government of aggravating tensions in the West Bank.
Lebanon
AFP: Hezbollah calls Lebanon president’s US visit ‘submission’ to foreign power
The Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group brands Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s recent visit to Washington a failure and says it showed the government’s submission to a foreign power.
MP Hassan Fadlallah of Hezbollah noted Thursday that Israel “has not withdrawn from any meter it has occupied in south Lebanon,” despite the declared start of the pilot zones process. "What happened was the Lebanese Army strengthening its deployment in liberated villages and towns that the enemy failed to occupy thanks to the blood of our martyrs and the sacrifices of our resistance fighters. The Lebanese Army can deploy among its people and community and reinforce its presence; no one is preventing it from doing so," Fadlallah added.
Yemen
Reuters: Houthis say they attacked two Saudi tankers; Saudi Arabia says one ablaze in Red Sea
Yemen's Houthi militia attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in a military operation, the group said on Thursday, and a Saudi news agency later confirmed one of the two vessels was ablaze after an assault while sailing in the Red Sea.
Mali
Washington Post: Trump administration weighing military options in Mali, officials say
The Trump administration is weighing military action in the West African country of Mali to target an al-Qaeda-affiliated group known as JNIM, said current and former U.S. officials familiar with the deliberations.
Nigeria
Reuters: At least 24 killed in bandit attack in northwest Nigeria, residents say
Armed bandits riding motorcycles killed at least 24 farmers and wounded several others in an attack on remote farming villages in northwest Nigeria's Zamfara state, residents told Reuters on Thursday.
Fox News: Nigerian pastor highlighted by Trump says he’s next after militia kills his relatives
A Nigerian Pastor highlighted by President Trump on social media, says that nine members of his family have been killed. The minister is an outspoken critic of the killing of Christians by radicalized Muslim members of the Fulani militia.
Somalia
Long War Journal: Somalia claims it killed senior Shabaab leader
Somalia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced yesterday that its forces, alongside “international partners,” killed Maalin Jinow Ibrahim, a reported co-founder of Shabaab and a member of its central shura council, in a targeted strike earlier this month. Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch for East Africa, has yet to comment on the leader’s reported death.
Sudan
Reuters: International Criminal Court drops case against Darfur militia leader
Judges at the International Criminal Court terminated proceedings against the former leader of an armed group in Darfur on Thursday after prosecutors withdrew the charges against Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain.
Australia
A recent wave of antisemitism has been far-reaching, even targeting Jewish people who are critical of the Israeli government, a royal commission probing the phenomenon has heard. The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has been hearing from religious leaders, police and security groups as it probes safety settings during a round of hearings in Melbourne.
A man who wore a T-shirt with a banned Nazi symbol outside the antisemitism royal commission in Sydney has been convicted and fined $1,500. Ian Minus, 68, was moved on by police in May after officers saw him wearing the T-shirt, which was printed with a swastika and the slogan, "Antisemitism. Proud to be accused. Speak up!" on May 6.
Stay up to date on our latest news.
Get the latest news on extremism and counter-extremism delivered to your inbox.