Council for a Secure America

The CSA’s 1 Month Update of the Iran War Primer provides a structured assessment of the conflict’s first month and the evolving regional balance following direct confrontation between the United States, Israel, and Iran. The conflict has unfolded in defined phases and now reflects a high-intensity, multi-front war spanning Iran, Israel, the Gulf, and key maritime corridors. Iran’s leadership structure has been significantly disrupted but remains intact, while the regime continues to operate under sustained pressure. Despite heavy damage to military infrastructure, Iran continues large-scale retaliation across multiple theaters, though at a reduced tempo. At the same time, the war is disrupting global energy markets and maritime shipping, particularly through instability in the Strait of Hormuz. As the war moved beyond its opening phase, the report traces the coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes, Iran’s expanding regional retaliation, the sustained degradation of Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, and the broader geopolitical and energy implications of the conflict. Inside: ⚡ Opening Strike: The war began with a coordinated campaign targeting Iran’s senior military leadership, command structures, air defenses, missile systems, and naval assets, setting the conditions for the phases that followed. 🌍 Regional Battlefield: Iranian retaliation expanded across the Gulf, including 🇦🇪UAE 🇧🇭 Bahrain 🇶🇦Qatar 🇰🇼 Kuwait 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia, alongside continued attacks targeting Israel and U.S. military infrastructure, underscoring the conflict’s regional scope. 🛰️ Sustained Campaign: Over the first month, U.S. and Israeli operations continued to degrade Iran’s military capacity through strikes on missile sites, military headquarters, intelligence infrastructure, and nuclear-related facilities, including Natanz. 🏛️ Regime Pressure: Following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Tehran moved to establish a three-person interim leadership structure, revealing the scale of internal disruption within the regime. 🛢️ Hormuz Dependence: Roughly 20% of global petroleum flows through the Strait of Hormuz, yet U.S. exposure remains limited, with only about 2% of total U.S. petroleum consumption tied to Hormuz shipments. 📉 Strategic Balance: One month in, the conflict is reshaping deterrence, regional security dynamics, and global energy risk, raising critical questions about escalation thresholds, regime durability, and long-term pressure on Iran and its partners. For those seeking clear strategic context amid fast-moving developments, this primer is essential reading. 🔗councilforsecureamerica.org/2026-iran-war-…

From the terror of October 7 to every North Dakotan and American injured or killed overseas, the threat hits close to home. There’s no security without energy security. I’d much rather use the productive development of energy security than the weapons of war to bring about peace and freedom. Thank you to @councilsecure and @yechielleiter for your work in facilitating the unbreakable bond between our two nations!

@GovDunleavy Keep reading from Alaska's governor and @councilsecure's executive director: washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/…

Governor Mike Dunleavy (@GovDunleavy) and CSA Executive Director Jennifer Sutton make the case that Alaska remains one of America’s most important strategic assets. From the legacy of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to the long-term potential of the North Slope and Alaska LNG, expanding domestic energy capacity is essential to American resilience, strategic flexibility, and support for our allies. Energy security is national security.

America didn’t stumble into energy dominance. We built it, painstakingly, from hard lessons learned in 1973. Alaska is ready to make that happen. go.shr.lc/4851cex - @washtimesoped

Deeply honored to join the distinguished group of #USA🇺🇲 patriots serving on @councilsecure’s advisory board, including friends & colleagues from the first @realDonaldTrump administration like @VictoriaCoates, @Bonnie_Glick & @mikepompeo.

Council for a Secure America Highlights Alaska’s Pivotal Role in U.S. Energy Dominance and National Security mustreadalaska.com/council-for-a-…

🇺🇸 🇮🇱 🇮🇷 The CSA’s 100-Hour Iran War Update Primer provides a structured assessment of the first four days of direct confrontation between the United States, Israel, and Iran. As the conflict moved rapidly through multiple phases of escalation, the report traces the initial coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes, Iran’s missile and drone retaliation, and the shifting regional balance in real time. Inside: ⚡ Decapitation Strike: Iran’s Supreme Leader and multiple senior military leaders were eliminated in the opening phase of the war. 🌍 Regional Battlefield: Iranian retaliation struck across the Gulf. 🇦🇪 UAE 🇧🇭 Bahrain 🇶🇦 Qatar 🇰🇼 Kuwait 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia alongside attacks targeting Israel and U.S. military infrastructure. 🛢️ Hormuz Dependence: Roughly 20% of global oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, but Americans depend far less on it. Only about 2% of U.S. petroleum consumption is tied to Hormuz shipments. ⚔️ Escalation: Hezbollah entered the conflict, expanding the war to Israel’s northern front. 🟨 Internal Pressure: Kurdish groups inside and outside Iran are beginning to organize politically and militarily as the regime faces unprecedented pressure. For those seeking clear strategic context amid fast-moving developments, this primer is essential reading. 🔗 councilforsecureamerica.org/100-hours-of-w…

.⁦@NewYorkSun⁩ my Monday long form column: oil markets het the jitters, but China might be the biggest energy loser from the war nysun.com/article/war-in…

A majority of Syrians now express favorable views toward US forces in Syria and believe peace with Israel is possible, according to a poll commissioned by the Council for a Secure America. jpost.com/middle-east/ar…

A survey by @councilsecure dispels myths peddled by Qatar-sponsored polls (Arab Center DC) and Michael Young. One third of Lebanese support peace with Israel, one third oppose it, and one third don’t care. How’s that “Arab Street” myth working? councilforsecureamerica.org/wp-content/upl…

The data show a majority of Lebanese 🇱🇧 approve of President Auon and support efforts to disarm 🟨 Hezbollah, with most viewing its military presence as harmful to the country’s security. However, there is no clear majority seeking peace with 🇮🇱 Israel, and views of the 🇺🇸 U.S. role remain divided. 🔗 Survey of Lebanese Public Opinion (January 2026): councilforsecureamerica.org/csa-lebanon-pu…

The data show a majority of Syrians 🇸🇾 approve of President Al-Sharaa, view the 🇺🇸 U.S. role in the country positively, believe peace with 🇮🇱 Israel is likely, and support a potential security agreement with Israel. At the same time, 🟨 Hezbollah’s involvement is widely viewed as having a negative impact. 🔗 Survey of Syrian Public Opinion (January 2026): councilforsecureamerica.org/csa-syria-publ…

🧵 The Council for a Secure America’s latest polling reveals shifting public opinion in Syria and Lebanon on U.S. engagement, Hezbollah, and prospects for peace with Israel. A majority of Syrians view the U.S. role positively and believe peace with Israel is likely. In both Syria and Lebanon, majorities view Hezbollah negatively. The findings were cited at the 2026 Munich Security Conference and featured in a New York Post exclusive. Full coverage below. Thread includes links to the complete survey reports. nypost.com/2026/02/15/wor…

The CSA’s 850-day Final Report offers a clear-eyed snapshot of a transformed Middle East. With the return of Ran Gvili and the formal removal of “Israel at War” counters, the war concludes, militarily if not ideologically. Inside: 🛡️ Israel & U.S: Deterrence reasserted through calibrated force projection 🟨 Lebanon: Hezbollah degraded; Lebanese Armed Forces gain ground 🇸🇾🟩 Syria: New leadership opens diplomatic channels with Israel 🇮🇷 Iran: Regime strained; internal cohesion eroding 🟥 Houthis: Assertive regional posture despite naval containment 🟩 Gaza: Hamas survives, armed and defiant; Gaza left structurally devastated 🇮🇱 Israel: Resolute but weary; maintains ties with Egypt, Jordan, and Abraham Accord partners CSA will continue monthly assessments as Phase 2 of the ceasefire unfolds. 🔗 councilforsecureamerica.org/israel-hamas-w…

The CSA’s 825-day Israel–Hamas War update offers a clear-eyed snapshot of the current conflict landscape. Inside: 🟨 Hezbollah: Ongoing violations of the Israel–Lebanon (2024) ceasefire 🟩 Hamas: Ahead of the U.S. announcement of Phase 2 of the Israel–Hamas ceasefire, CSA tracked near-daily Hamas violations ⬛ Southern Syria: ISIS operative interdicted; weapons cache seized during counterterror operations 🔗 councilforsecureamerica.org/israel-hamas-w…

🧵 The Council for a Secure America’s latest research primer examines Venezuela, Iran, and oil through a national security lens. It details how Venezuela’s energy sector has become a financial and logistical pipeline for Iran, how sanctions evasion is sustained through oil, gold, and shadow fleets, and how Hezbollah and Iranian networks are embedded in Venezuela’s illicit economy. The New York Post covers CSA’s new polling and findings below. See the thread for the full data and research.

We are saddened by the passing of California Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), a dedicated public servant and valued friend to CSA. In December 2024, @RepLaMalfa briefed a CSA roundtable with our members and warmly welcomed students from our partners at (@YUNews) Yeshiva University’s Senator Joseph Lieberman–Mitzner Center for Public Service and Advocacy. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his staff and family.