Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, Iran - What you need to know

U.S. security aid is particularly important in Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, which is constantly under attack.

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, welcomed today’s decision by the United Kingdom to designate the Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a threat to national security under the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026. AJC has tirelessly advocated for UK government action to counter the IRGC. This new policy is an important step to address the Iranian regime's malign activities and weaken its ability to spread terror and instability.

On April 1, an alleged Israeli airstrike near Iran's embassy in Damascus, Syria, reportedly killed seven members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terror organization. Among those killed was a top IRGC commander, Mohammad Reza Zahedi.

Following the announcement of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), AJC has raised questions and concerns about the terms of the MOU, its implementation and long-term implications for regional security. While diplomatic solutions to conflict are always preferred, the agreement's ultimate impact will depend on whether it results in durable and verifiable commitments from the Iranian regime on its nuclear program, as well as broader behavioral changes. Read below for analysis and perspectives from American Jewish Committee (AJC) global experts.

At AJC Global Forum 2026, Iranian-American journalist, activist, and author Masih Alinejad shares her powerful fight against the Iranian regime’s oppression and censorship. Through years of fearless advocacy, she has become a leading voice for freedom, women’s rights, and human dignity—inspiring people around the world to stand up against tyranny and defend democratic values.

Following decades of sustained advocacy by American Jewish Committee (AJC), the European Union announced its decision in January 2026 to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

Over a month has passed since the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, and the region is now entering a new phase of negotiations and uncertainty. Facing the risk of further escalation, the United States and the Iranian regime agreed to a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire. Just two days later, against the backdrop of intensified Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah, the Israeli and Lebanese governments announced their intent to pursue direct peace talks.

Across parts of the political spectrum, conspiracy theories about Jewish influence in American foreign policy have resurfaced. Commentators and influencers speak loosely about a “Zionist war machine” or suggest that American policy toward Iran is dictated by Israel or Jewish Americans.

Nearly one month after coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran, the regime has expanded the battlefield—targeting civilian, military, and energy infrastructure across the Gulf and beyond. Watch AJC's timely conversation with leading voices.

There should have been no surprise at Iran’s growing willingness to use its missile and drone arsenal to go after these targets directly. In April and October 2024, the regime made history when, for the first time, it directly attacked Israel. But, as is always the case, when Israel is the target, all else is context, easily dismissed or disregarded.

For decades, the Iranian regime has destabilized the Middle East, targeting Americans, Israelis, Arabs, and even its own people—while backing terror proxies, advancing a nuclear program in defiance of international commitments, and fueling a global network of terrorism. Now, open conflict has forced urgent questions to the forefront. Find answers to your questions here.

Hezbollah’s arsenal of weapons poses a direct threat to Israeli cities, strategic sites, and civilian population centers and could be activated by the Iran-backed terror group at any time.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has waged a decades-long campaign of violence against the United States, using terror proxies like Hezbollah and the Popular Mobilization Forces to target U.S. troops, diplomats, and civilians across the Middle East and beyond. This ongoing threat includes deadly attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan, as well as missile strikes like the June 23, 2025, assault on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. Iran’s continued use of asymmetric warfare and support for regional proxies underscores its persistent goal to expel the U.S. from the region and advance its nuclear and missile programs.

Beginning on Saturday, February 28, 2026, U.S. and Israeli forces have carried out significant strikes in Iran. As Iran has already begun retaliating and threatens further action, next steps and implications for the region and beyond are far-reaching.

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, is offering this guidance to K-12 school administrators on teaching or holding classroom discussions about the U.S. and Israeli military operations against the Iranian regime. This guidance provides factual background and essential questions to support pedagogically sound instruction, along with recommendations to ensure that discussions are conducted with sensitivity – protecting all students and guarding against discrimination, antisemitism, and intergroup suspicion at a moment of heightened national tension and polarization.

The United States and Israel launched coordinated military operations against the Iranian regime on February 28, 2026. The action, focused on the regime's nuclear facilities, military infrastructure, and leadership, followed a conclusion reached in Washington and Jerusalem that diplomacy had been exhausted, and that a nuclear-armed Iran posed an unacceptable security threat to America, Israel and America’s Arab allies, and the world. Here is what you need to know.

President Trump’s new Board of Peace is a multinational body launched to oversee the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Gaza’s postwar reconstruction and governance, and Israel’s security needs, but has since expanded into a proposed permanent global peace organization with more than 25 participating countries and a broader mandate beyond Gaza.

The Iranian regime is facing its most intense pressure in years as anti-government protests enter a third week, the death toll climbs into the hundreds or possibly thousands, and Iranian state media has aired rare footage showing dozens of bodies at a Tehran-area morgue.

These are the eight American hostages who were in Hamas captivity. Whether raised in Israel or spending a gap year before college, their lives were violently interrupted when thousands of Hamas terrorists crossed the Gaza border on October 7. Each story is a reminder of lives torn apart, families waiting, and a nation’s enduring hope.