Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
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Hamas holds talks with Trump-led board as Iran war strains Gaza plan Washington Institute fellow Assaf Orion: Defeating Iran’s strategy: Energy security and the “Abraham shield” Iran unleashes new crackdown on its people to head off uprising Rubio tells US diplomats to push allies to blacklist Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah WSJ Editorial: The battle for the Strait of Hormuz Kremlin dismisses FT report that Ukraine peace process is fizzling out Senior Iran-backed Iraqi militia official killed, Kataib Hezbollah not confirming circumstance Iran targets commerce as drone hits Dubai airport; Israel says war will go on Trump-Xi summit delayed as U.S. president pushes China to help open Hormuz As India seeks Hormuz safe passage, Tehran asks for return of seized tankers, sources say Taiwan says sale of second package of arms from US is proceeding on schedule Cubans Intensify Protests After Sundown, Protected by the Night and BlackoutsIn The News
Israel
Israeli schools reopened on Monday in areas the government has deemed relatively safe from missile and rocket attacks, with officials saying that many students were back in class for the first time since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began more than two weeks ago. – New York Times
The Israeli military has denied reports that it is running out of missile interceptors more than two weeks into the war with Iran, saying it had “prepared for prolonged combat.” – New York Times
Envoys from U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” have met representatives of Hamas in Cairo in an effort to safeguard the Gaza ceasefire, under serious strain since the United States and Israel began bombing Iran, three sources told Reuters. – Reuters
Shrapnel from ballistic missiles fired by Iran and debris from the Israeli interceptors that shot them down fell on Monday around Jerusalem’s walled Old City and some of its most sacred Christian, Muslim and Jewish sites, Israeli police said. – Reuters
The head of a U.N. investigation said on Monday that an Israeli air strike on a prison last year was a war crime, and warned of risks of further repression following the current U.S.-Israeli bombings. – Reuters
Certain Gulf countries are using Israeli expertise in drone and missile interception against projectiles launched by Iran, Israel’s ambassador in the US, Yechiel Leiter, said in a video on X/Twitter on Tuesday. – Jerusalem Post
Israel Police arrested two individuals on suspicion of online incitement against the State of Israel and for support of the Iranian regime on Saturday. – Jerusalem Post
Israeli officials told Kan News on Tuesday that they assess that US President Donald Trump is expected to visit the country for Israeli Independence Day, on April 22, despite the ongoing war. – Arutz Sheva
Assaf Orion writes: In the bigger picture, Washington and Jerusalem should be thinking about how they will advance a common security architecture for the Middle East while transitioning from the “Shield of Judah” (the original Israel Defense Forces code name for the Iran war plan) to the “Abraham Shield,” a strategic concept developed since Israel was moved to U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility in 2021. Before that transition can happen, however, they need to take more immediate steps aimed at defeating Iran’s “soft underbelly” strategy and increasing wartime support for Gulf partners. – Washington Institute
Iran
Iran’s rulers have unleashed a new crackdown against domestic dissent, arresting people suspected of collaborating with foreign entities and threatening would-be protesters with death to hold back the risk of an uprising. – Wall Street Journal
Iran appears to be allowing select ships through the Strait of Hormuz, freeing a trickle of oil and gas that has helped to keep a lid on global energy prices. – Wall Street Journal
President Trump is pressuring allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and relieve pressure on the global economy. So far, most of them aren’t biting. – Wall Street Journal
Despite more than two weeks of relentless airstrikes, U.S. intelligence assessments say, Iran’s regime likely will remain in place for now, weakened but more hard-line, with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps security forces exerting greater control. – Washington Post
Mojtaba Khamenei’s ascension as Iran’s new supreme leader might have appeared straightforward, even predestined. In fact, it was neither. His rise came only after a full-on war of succession. The high-stakes process became the Islamic Republic’s version of “Game of Thrones”: an empty throne; a council of clerics; and two dynasties — Khamenei and Khomeini — competing. – New York Times
A fifth member of Iran’s national women’s soccer team rescinded her claim for asylum in Australia and left the country, the Australian government confirmed on Monday. – New York Times
President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday urged U.S. diplomats abroad to push allies to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Lebanon-based Hezbollah as terrorist groups, citing elevated risk of attack, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters. – Reuters
As gravediggers prepared new burial plots for those killed in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, Marzia Rezaei wept for her son Erfan Shamei, who died in a blast at a military training camp days before he was due home on leave. – Reuters
Ten foreign individuals accused of collecting information on sensitive sites and preparing field operations in Iran’s northeast were arrested by the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence organisation, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday. – Reuters
Neutralizing Iran could make crude oil much cheaper because the threat posed by Tehran imposed a “terror premium” that inflated global oil prices for decades, a top White House adviser said in a report to be released on Monday. – Reuters
Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, published a message in Arabic to Muslims worldwide on Monday afternoon via social media, admonishing Islamic countries in the region for their lack of support for the Iranian regime amid the current war with the US and Israel. – Jerusalem Post
The IDF on Tuesday confirmed it had assassinated the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij paramilitary militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, and his deputy, Karishi. The two were killed in a makeshift tent area, which had been set up to make it harder to follow them as opposed to in a known headquarters. – Jerusalem Post
Editorial: Armed with missiles and drones, Iran’s regime has closed international waters and attacked neighbors’ energy facilities. This is while Iran is relatively weak. Imagine how the regime would blackmail the world—and get away with it—if it were left to amass twice or three times the missiles, or nuclear weapons. The Battle for Hormuz underscores the U.S. interest in degrading the ayatollah regime—and giving Iranians a chance to overthrow it. – Wall Street Journal
Michael Doran writes: Mr. Trump is on the verge of resurrecting the Carter Doctrine: No hostile power should be allowed to use the Persian Gulf as a lever against Western economies. What appears to be a regional war is in fact a contest over the strategic architecture of the Persian Gulf. The future of Iran isn’t the only thing at stake. The outcome of this war will determine whether the region remains anchored to the U.S. and its allies or gradually shifts into China’s economic and security orbit. – Wall Street Journal
Daniel Kochis writes: Iran’s foreign minister confirmed Russia was helping “in many different directions.” Russia backing Tehran and Kyiv helping shore up regional defenses should clarify, once again, where American interests lie: in supporting Ukraine and deepening defense cooperation. American support for Ukraine has already delivered a strong return on investment. Now is the time for Washington to reinvest that dividend in a partnership whose benefits will only compound over time. – Washington Examiner
Mona Yacoubian writes: Tehran has undoubtedly infuriated its Arab neighbors and deepened their distrust, but its aggressive response also serves as a reminder that Iran is part of the region. As many Gulf officials and analysts privately lament, Iran will forever be their neighbor. Currently living their “nightmare scenario,” Gulf governments will need to find a way forward that acknowledges Iran’s enduring regional presence. By hitting the Gulf where it hurts the most—their glittering infrastructure, burgeoning AI architecture, and wealth-producing energy production—Iran has imperiled the region’s existential imperative of economic diversification and forced the Gulf to take Iran’s equities into account—an extortion scheme on a grand scale, perhaps, but one that will bear close watching. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
Kelly A. Grieco writes: On March 11 — the day after the Pentagon briefing — Iran conducted what it described as its 37th wave of attacks, striking targets across Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Oman while also hitting multiple vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Whatever the 83 percent figure measures, it does not reflect an adversary whose strike capacity — much less its will to fight — has already been neutralized. – War on the Rocks
Raphael S. Cohen writes: Even if the regime survives U.S. and Israeli bombs, it will come out this conflict poorer, weaker, and more isolated than ever before. In other words, even if Iran wins this war in the narrow sense of the term, its victory is bound to be Pyrrhic one. And that’s the problem with Iran’s compulsive strategic gambling. Roll the dice enough times, and the odds eventually work against you. Iran is about to learn this lesson, and it will have only itself to blame. – Foreign Policy
Russia and Ukraine
Russia has taken control of 12 settlements in Ukraine in the first two weeks of March as part of advances along the front line in eastern and southern Ukraine, Russian state-run news agencies quoted top general Valery Gerasimov as saying on Monday. – Reuters
The Kremlin on Monday dismissed a report by the Financial Times which suggested that the Ukraine peace process was fizzling out because U.S. President Donald Trump’s attention was now on Iran and he was losing interest in Ukraine as a result. – Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is due to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Tuesday to agree a deeper defence and industrial partnership, the British government said. – Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia helped Iran improve its Shahed drones after first using Ukraine as a testing ground for the weapons, warning that the same threat now facing Israel, Gulf states, and US forces had been honed through years of attacks on Ukrainian civilians. – Jerusalem Post
Nicholas A. Christakis writes: More than 350 students and staff at KSE have been without heat during the winter thanks to Russian strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure. A bomb destroyed the top floors of the apartment building one of my colleagues lives in. Still, they keep going. My time in Kyiv wasn’t merely an opportunity for good science. It allowed me to see what was happening to ordinary people at war, and to bond with fellow humans under attack. The Ukrainian students and faculty demonstrated that learning and discovery are transcendent values — worth reaffirming in a time of chaos and fear, even in our own country. – Washington Post
Peter Rutland writes: Nonetheless, a prolonged war would trigger a global recession, putting downward pressure on oil prices. President Trump will want the oil price to come down in time for the November 2026 midterm congressional elections. At the moment, that does not look likely. Even if oil prices remain elevated for only six months, that could mean $30–40 billion in additional revenue for Moscow: a sum equal to one quarter of its annual defense budget. – National Interest
Hezbollah
Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon opens a new front in a widening Middle East war, expanding its campaign against Iran by moving against one of its most powerful regional allies, Hezbollah, and stretching its military across an unprecedented number of conflict zones. – Wall Street Journal
President Isaac Herzog told AFP Monday that Europe should back Israel’s fight against Hezbollah, as Israeli forces carried out ground operations in Lebanon. – Agence France-Presse
The Lebanese government has outlawed Hezbollah’s military wing, condemned its aggressive conduct and removed the word “resistance” from the lexicon of the country’s official media. One could argue that these are merely words rather than actions; after all, the Lebanese Army has yet to disarm Hezbollah, as the state committed to do in the cease-fire reached at the end of 2024. – Haaretz
Thanassis Cambanis writes: Syria, long Hezbollah’s strategic backyard, is now ruled by a nationalist, anti-Iranian, and anti-Hezbollah leadership, which is closely coordinating with Lebanon’s official government to limit Hezbollah’s freedom of maneuver in the borderlands. Hawks in Lebanon and Washington have always been cavalier about pushing the Lebanese government or army to confront Hezbollah, even when the prospects of success were limited. Hezbollah’s Lebanese rivals should beware of a headlong clash that they cannot win. – Foreign Policy
Iraq
Iraq’s interior ministry said on Monday that a drone hit a hotel in Baghdad without causing casualties or material damages. – Reuters
A senior member of the Iran-backed Iraqi Shi’ite militia, Kataib Hezbollah, was killed on Monday, the militia confirmed. – Jerusalem Post
Iraq’s oil minister said Baghdad is talking to Iran about allowing some of the country’s oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the state news agency reported on Tuesday, as Iraq seeks to ease disruptions to crude exports following recent attacks on tankers in its own waters. – Reuters
Yerevan Saeed writes: Iraq stands at a crossroads that its political class seems unwilling to recognize. The Hormuz corridor is closed. Southern production has collapsed. The northern pipeline sits idle. The ITP agreement lapses in four months. Iranian missiles and militia drones are striking Kurdish energy assets with impunity. If Baghdad continues to treat the KRG dispute as a sovereignty exercise rather than a survival imperative, it will find itself increasingly irrelevant: a petro-state that cannot move its own petroleum. That is not sovereignty. That is paralysis, and it is a gift that only Iraq’s rivals can afford to keep receiving. – Middle East Institute
Lebanon
As Israel widens its ground assault in southern Lebanon, the town of Khiam has emerged as a focal point of the escalating offensive. – New York Times
A “significant Israeli ground offensive” in Lebanon must be averted since it could have devastating humanitarian consequences, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Britain said in a joint statement on Monday. – Reuters
Lebanon is widely known as the “Land of the Cedars” because its mountains were once blanketed with the statuesque trees. For Israelis, however, a more fitting moniker for their neighbor to the north might be the Land of Illusions. – Jerusalem Post
Gulf States
An Iranian drone attack ignited a fuel tank at Dubai International Airport early Monday, authorities said, as Tehran continued to strike civilian infrastructure across the Persian Gulf and Israel said it would keep hitting Iran “as long as needed” — suggesting there would be no quick end to the Middle East war now in its 17th day. – Washington Post
President Donald Trump was warned that attacking Iran could trigger retaliation against U.S. Gulf allies despite his claims on Monday that Tehran’s reaction came as a surprise, said a U.S. official and two sources familiar with U.S. intelligence reports. – Reuters
Gulf Arab states did not ask the U.S. to go to war with Iran, but many are now urging it not to stop short by leaving the Islamic Republic still able to threaten the Gulf’s oil lifeline and the economies that depend on it, three Gulf sources told Reuters. – Reuters
An unknown projectile struck a tanker 23 nautical miles east of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates causing minor structural damage, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Importers across the Gulf are scrambling to secure alternative routes for vital goods – from food to medicines and factory supplies – as the effective closure of the Hormuz strait blocks ports in an import-dependent region. – Reuters
The United Arab Emirates’ daily oil output is down by more than half as the Iran conflict and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz forced state oil giant ADNOC to implement widespread production shut-ins, two sources told Reuters. – Reuters
Middle East & North Africa
France’s government is bolstering the country’s military presence in the Middle East, dispatching its aircraft carrier and other warships, while President Emmanuel Macron engages with key players in the conflict, including Iran, in a bid to position Paris for future diplomatic talks. – Associated Press
Asher Orkaby writes: In response, President Trump can offer the Houthis international recognition and U.S. agreement to have Houthi leadership become equal partners of a federated Yemeni state divided between north and south. Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, and increasing evidence that overwhelming force will be used against regional militancy, suggests that the window for Houthi diplomacy and reconciliation with the U.S. is rather small. The window is equally small for the U.S. to take advantage of Houthi indecision, transforming reluctance into long-term stability in the Red Sea—and perhaps the Middle East. – Wall Street Journal
C. Raja Mohan writes: The global system remains a collection of sovereign nation-states. Governments are accountable to domestic constituencies with concrete interests: security and prosperity. Transnational solidarity may inspire rhetoric, but it is hard to sacrifice national interests for collective security built around the idea of “all for one and one for all.” The Arab League, ASEAN, BRICS, Comintern, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, and the Organization of Islamic Countries all built on common aspirations defined in the broadest possible terms. That is not good enough to produce unified action in a major conflict. – Foreign Policy
Korean Peninsula
North Korea’s newly elected Supreme People’s Assembly will convene its first session on March 22 to deliberate on a constitutional revision and on the implementation of a five-year national policy plan, state news agency KCNA said on Tuesday. – Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a phone call with his South Korean counterpart on Monday that cooperation among countries to secure the Strait of Hormuz is more important than ever to stabilise the global economy and oil prices, Seoul said. – Reuters
The planned resumption of passenger flights between the capital cities of China and North Korea will facilitate friendly exchanges between the two peoples, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday. – Reuters
South Korea is weighing its options after President Donald Trump urged countries to join the US campaign to unblock shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, as the Asian ally remains wary of getting drawn into the Iran conflict. – Bloomberg
Karishma Vaswani writes: In the absence of a clear response, Washington could simply clarify whether the reported THAAD redeployment is temporary. Outlining other measures to protect Seoul and preserve deterrence on the peninsula would go a long way to calm nerves. Providing details about additional surveillance, rotational deployments and expanded exercises might also help to reassure anxious citizens. A joint US-South Korea statement should outline that treaty obligations remain iron-clad. – Bloomberg
China
President Donald Trump has delayed a trip to China this month as he pressures Beijing and NATO allies to send warships to help the United States reopen the Strait of Hormuz, throwing into question a long-planned effort to reset relations between the world’s two largest economies. – Washington Post
Hong Kong’s leader John Lee said he was “very concerned” about the rise in oil prices due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and that the financial hub, along with the rest of Asia, would see shocks and volatility due to the disruption of supply and oil prices. – Reuters
China warned Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff moves could harm the countries’ trade relationship, at the end of high-level talks in Paris. – Associated Press
South Asia
The Afghan Taliban government says at least 400 people were killed and 250 injured in the Monday night attack, but Islamabad denied having targeted any such facility, saying it had struck military installations and “terrorist support infrastructure”. – Reuters
Pakistan has been the Afghan Taliban’s closest friend for decades. It was Islamabad that helped give birth to the Taliban in the early 1990s – as a way to give Pakistan “strategic depth” in its rivalry with India. What’s gone wrong? – Reuters
The U.N. Security Council voted on Monday to extend the mandate of the UNAMA assistance mission in Afghanistan for a shorter-than-usual three-month period, after Washington called last week for a review of assistance and engagement in the Taliban-ruled country. – Reuters
Ship-tracking data shows a Pakistan-bound oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, indicating that some countries are able to negotiate safe passage for their vessels despite the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. – Reuters
Iran has asked India to release three tankers seized in February as part of talks seeking the safe passage of Indian‑flagged or India‑bound vessels out of the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. – Reuters
India wants to “dramatically” deepen its partnership with the European Union, including by striking defense deals, as the Iran war and global crises push New Delhi closer to Brussels, the country’s foreign minister told POLITICO. – Politico
Asia
Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo on Tuesday said he believed the U.S.’ internal review process for the sale of a second package of arms to the island is proceeding on schedule. – Reuters
The family of a man accused of killing 15 people at a Jewish festival on Sydney’s Bondi Beach last year fear for their safety after a spate of alleged vigilante attacks, a court heard on Tuesday. – Reuters
Vietnamese authorities have warned the country’s aviation industry to prepare for potential flight reductions from April after China and Thailand halted exports of jet fuel due to the Iran war, increasing the likelihood of shortages. – Reuters
Thailand’s parliament will hold a session on March 19 to vote on a new prime minister, House Speaker Sophon Zaram said on Monday, following last month’s general election. – Reuters
Indonesian police said on Monday they were investigating an acid attack on an activist known for his opposition to the military’s expanded role in civilian affairs, as the incident drew condemnation from local and international rights groups. – Reuters
Kyrgyzstan’s tax authority on Monday published a video accusing ex-security chief Kamchybek Tashiev of corruption, amid a widening purge of his allies. – Reuters
A court in Azerbaijan sentenced a French citizen to ten years in jail on Monday after finding him guilty of spying on behalf of Paris, a charge he partially pleaded guilty to, Russia’s RIA state news agency reported. – Reuters
Europe
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday she had discussed with the United Nations the idea of freeing up transport of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz by replicating a deal that gets grain out of Ukraine during wartime. – Reuters
Istvan Hollo, a 76-year-old supporter of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, spends up to an hour daily on Facebook promoting the right-wing leader’s messages to bolster his chances in an April 12 parliamentary election. – Reuters
Dutch police are investigating an explosion that damaged an office building in Amsterdam and was claimed by the same extremist organisation which also claimed it was behind a recent blast at a Jewish school in the area, a police spokesperson said on Monday. – Reuters
The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on nine individuals it said played a role in the 2022 Bucha massacre and four individuals it said were involved with Russia’s foreign information manipulation and interference. – Reuters
All EU informal councils will be held as planned in Cyprus between April and June, Cyprus Energy Minister Michael Damianos said on Monday. – Reuters
Hungary is pressing the European Union to suspend tariffs and extra duties on fertilizer imports from Russia and Belarus as the war in Iran threatens to drive up global food prices. – Politico
Hugo Bromley writes: By prioritizing intergovernmental cooperation among like-minded countries, Washington and Brussels can secure peace and prosperity in Europe for another generation. To do so, however, policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic need to see European institutions for what they are, not what they would like them to be. The division of responsibility between economic and military matters has preserved peace across the Euro-Atlantic area for more than 70 years. To cast this arrangement aside is to risk calamity. – Foreign Affairs
Africa
The State Department is considering withholding lifesaving assistance to people with H.I.V. in Zambia as a negotiating tactic to force the government of the southern African country to sign a deal giving the United States more access to its critical minerals. – New York Times
Multiple blasts on Monday struck Maiduguri city, capital of Nigeria’s insurgency-hit northeastern state of Borno, with several people feared killed, the state governor and residents said. – Reuters
Kenya said on Monday that it had agreed with Russia that Kenyans would no longer be eligible for signing up to fight in the war with Ukraine after the scale of Russian recruitment triggered anger in some African countries. – Reuters
South Africa has no reason to cut ties with Iran, its director general of foreign affairs said, after the new U.S. ambassador was quoted as saying the country’s association with the Islamic Republic was an impediment to good relations with Washington. – Reuters
The Americas
Cuba’s communist regime wants to open up its moribund economy to the Cuban-American diaspora, allowing foreign-based entrepreneurs to open up businesses and buy property in a bid to stave off economic disaster amid pressure from the Trump administration. – Wall Street Journal
“Libertad, libertad,” shouted hundreds of demonstrators as they faced off against police outside the precinct in Morón, a city of about 70,000 near Cuba’s northeastern coast. Protesters then marched to the offices of the ruling Communist Party, according to the Cuban government and videos posted on social media. – Wall Street Journal
As U.S. and Cuban officials negotiate over the future of the Communist-ruled and economically besieged Caribbean island, the Trump administration is seeking to push President Miguel Díaz-Canel from power, according to four people familiar with the talks. – New York Times
El Salvador has subjected some nationals deported from the U.S. to enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention without revealing their whereabouts or bringing them before a judge, a report by Human Rights Watch said on Monday. – Reuters
Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro has been transferred to a semi-intensive care unit after showing improvement in inflammatory markers as he continues treatment for bronchopneumonia, his wife Michelle Bolsonaro said in an Instagram post on Monday. – Reuters
United States
The global fallout from the United States’ escalating war against Iran — along with acts of violence this month at a Michigan synagogue, a Virginia university and a Texas bar — prompted warnings from national security experts about the potential for rising threats to the country. – Washington Post
The U.S. Supreme Court said on Monday it will hear arguments over the legality of a move by Donald Trump’s administration to revoke temporary legal protections for more than 350,000 Haitians and about 6,100 Syrians living in the United States, part of the Republican president’s mass deportation agenda. – Reuters
A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted a former Syrian government official, who headed the Damascus Central Prison under the government of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, of torture, the U.S. Justice Department said on Monday. – Reuters
A Palestinian woman was released on bond from a U.S. immigration detention center in Texas after a judge’s order, the last pro-Palestinian activist held under the Trump administration’s crackdown on protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. – Reuters
Cybersecurity
Alphabet’s Google is in talks with Envicool and other Chinese firms about buying liquid cooling equipment for data centres, according to people with knowledge of a visit to China by one of the U.S. firm’s procurement teams. – Reuters
Britain, like other countries in Europe and beyond, is considering ways to restrict social media after becoming increasingly aware of the risks to children. – Reuters
British finance minister Rachel Reeves said on Monday the government would spend up to 1 billion pounds ($1.33 billion) on powerful quantum computers to help develop the quantum sector and boost the wider economy. – Reuters
The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions against two China-based and one Iranian company for cyber attacks against EU member states. – Reuters
Cybersecurity is entering “a new phase” as artificial intelligence tools have matured and given IT defenders significantly less time to respond to cyberattacks and other threats, according to a new report released Monday. – Cyberscoop
A relatively new Russia-linked hacker group has launched a cyber-espionage campaign targeting Ukrainian organizations using spyware disguised within documents about Starlink satellite internet terminals and a well-known Ukrainian charity, researchers have found. – The Record
Hideki Tomoshige and Phillip Singerman write: Research excellence alone will not secure long‑term leadership; the federal government must also act as a strategic demand creator capable of accelerating commercialization, reducing investment risk, and guiding technology development toward mission‑relevant applications. Through coordinated procurement, flexible contracting tools, patient‑capital programs, and deeper engagement with industry and end‑users, the government can help transform promising quantum innovations into deployable, economically viable systems and build resilient quantum supply chains and industrial capabilities. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
Defense
When President Trump ordered the U.S. military to strike Tehran’s nuclear sites in June, a formation of B-2 stealth bombers escorted by jet fighters ventured deep into Iran to strike their targets with massive bunker-busting bombs. – Wall Street Journal
The number of U.S. troops who have been wounded or injured during the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran now exceeds 200 across seven countries, a U.S. military spokesman said Monday, providing the most detailed accounting yet of how American personnel have been put in harm’s way. – Washington Post
The U.S. military possesses several capabilities that it could wield to combat naval mine warfare in the Strait of Hormuz. – Defense News
As conflicts around the world deplete stockpiles and strain munitions production, the United States wants to create a research and manufacturing center to boost the production of explosives. – Defense News