MBN 2026

Dear Colleagues,

We’re grateful to Raji, Michael, and the finance team for leading us through an important budget exercise. Department leads have drafts due January 15.

We’ll build forward in the new year — judiciously, strategically — with utmost attention to accountability, outcomes, and impact. We’re completing as we speak updated job descriptions with focus on deliverables and outcomes (thanks, Billy, Lesia, and Leila — and to Hadeel for keeping us on track with compliance issues).

We’re planning a next town hall for January 15. At that time, we should be in position to shed light on financial planning, political developments — the CR is set to expire on January 30 — and the way forward with our oversight agency.

USAGM informed us this week that a new draft grant agreement will be ready by mid-January. On the 15th, we’ll hear from Anne on the precise state of play.

Meanwhile, we learned yesterday that MBN’s January funding should arrive next week. That’s good news.

We’ll update you on the 15th on MBN’s 2026 move (thanks, Deirdre, for leading on relocation). Through restructure and downsizing over the last 18 months we’ve saved the American taxpayer millions of dollars. We’re about to save another million a year in rent. MBN keeps adapting.

Ilan Berman is part of the MBN success story. We’ve invited Ilan to join us for the town hall on January 15. Ilan, as you know, is a member of the MBN board. He was transition lead at USAGM a year ago. From his perch at the American Foreign Policy Council, he follows our region. We’ve just interviewed Ilan on Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.

Here’s Ilan on the Middle East as informational battlefield. It’s a crowded field, as disinformation and anti-American propaganda explode from both state and non-state actors.

Editorial

You keep fighting the fight with accurate, responsible reporting (thanks Leila, Abed, Matt, and editorial team).

President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu met on Monday. Disarming Hamas, rapprochement between Syria and Israel, and the possibility of new strikes on Iran were on the agenda. The Israelis pressed concerns in Mar-a-Lago about restored and growing Iranian ballistic missile capacities.

Yehia plans to interview General Amos Gilad, head of the Institute for Policy and Strategy. Gilad served five defense ministers over the years and was responsible for Israel’s most sensitive negotiations with Arab nations. Yehia has an interview in the works with Hany Marzouk, the Israeli PM’s Arab media spokesperson.

There’s plenty to discuss. Israel said on Tuesday it is suspending more than two dozen humanitarian organizations in Gaza for failing to comply with new registration rules, rules the Israeli government claims are aimed at preventing Hamas from infiltrating aid organizations.

Rami is focused on the rebellion of Iran’s merchant class. The merchants of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar have traditionally been the regime’s ally. They’re breaking their silence. Rami investigates whether widening protests linked to crippling inflation tell us anything about fractures in the hard-line base and regime stability. Protests keep expanding, geographically and demographically.

Iran’s proxies were bruised in 2025. Count them down but not out. Ezzat reports on Yemen’s secret oil refineries, facilities that process stolen crude oil for black market sale and provide a financial lifeline for armed factions operating outside state control.

The Iranian-backed Houthis of Yemen have not disappeared. They’ve halted attacks on Israel since the fragile Gaza truce began in October. They’re also warning now that any Israeli presence in Somaliland will be considered a military target. The Houthis are eager for reach; they’re volunteering assistance these days to the Maduro regime in Venezuela.

Our region remains dynamic and volatile, to be sure. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are clashing in eastern Yemen over oil and influence, Sukaina reports. Saudi Arabia bombed the port city of Mukalla on Tuesday after a weapons shipment from the UAE arrived for separatist forces.

Dalshad is covering Iranian influence in Iraq. Tehran still wants Iraqi territory as a launch pad for regional strikes. Don’t underestimate a cornered, wobbly regime. We’re covering the cautious opening taking place in Egyptian-Iranian relations (thanks, Ahmed Elimy).

We have coverage from Asrar on Syrians smuggling their way into Lebanon. Political change in Damascus in 2025 has not yet brought about internal security and economic stability.

Authorities in Syria’s Latakia province have just arrested 21 people linked to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad’s rule, individuals allegedly involved in provoking sectarian violence.

Yesterday, U.S. Central Command announced that 11 missions have been carried out in Syria over the past 10 days following the initial strikes against Islamic State (IS) weapons sites and infrastructure on Dec. 19.

MBN carries immense responsibilities. Our compelling journalism advances broad U.S. foreign policy goals and counters the malign influence of adversaries. Free speech promotes real dialogue and a two-way relationship with our audiences. Trust is the MBN secret sauce.

2026 Opportunities and Outreach

We’ll spend time in the new year working on even closer alignment between our reporting and the new MBN editorial strategy. We’ll talk about this at the January 15 town hall.

I’ll share news on the 15th about our media and Congressional outreach. Our marketing efforts are getting a boost (thanks Kristina, Alina, Ringo).

The Iran Briefing and DC briefing in Arabic continue to get the highest open rate among our weekly newsletters (thanks for tracking, Moataz).

Let’s keep building. A new Arabic-English language website, an MBN app, and new video and audio shows are all in the offing for 2026.

Matt and I have lunch on the 12th with editorial leadership at the Washington Free Beacon. With Lelia, Abed, Matt, Andres, and Min we’ll be out over the next six weeks at the National Press Club (with the Middle East Institute’s Ken Pollack), the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (hosted by Rob Satloff), and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (hosted by Mark Dubowitz).

Let’s keep picking brains and growing the MBN network. 2026 promises nevertheless to be a great year. Challenges will keep coming our way. But MBN has shown itself to be a pretty serious, determined group.

My appreciation and warmest thanks to Ryan Crocker and the MBN board — and to all of you for such tremendous work.

God bless. Happy New Year — Jeff