Iran mobilizes proxies for drone war on US and Israel – analysis
Sanctions on Iran’s missile program ended this week, fueling Iran’s appetite for defense deals and empowering its sense of impunity regarding the supply of weapons to proxies.
United States Navy
U.S. Navy Shoots Down Missiles and Drones Launched From Yemen
The U.S. Navy shot down a salvo of cruise missiles and drones launched from Yemen in the direction of Israel on October 20, suggesting the Houthis are rallying to Hamas in the Gaza...
Flash Briefs
In Support of Israel, U.S. Sends Aircraft Carrier Strike Group to Eastern Mediterranean
The United States announced on October 8 that it is sending the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean in support of Israel. The naval force includes...
Flash Briefs
U.S. Sends Seized Iranian Ammunition to Ukraine
U.S. Central Command announced this week that the government transferred Iranian ammunition to Ukraine’s armed forces on October 2. American naval forces seized the more than 1...
Flash Briefs
U.S. May Put Military Personnel on Commercial Ships to Deter Iran’s Harassment
The Pentagon is considering placing armed U.S. Marines and Navy sailors on commercial ships in response to increased Iranian attempts to harass and seize vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz,...
Flash Briefs
U.S. Boosts Middle East Combat Power to Deter Iranian Maritime Aggression
To counter Iranian attempts “to threaten the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters,” the Department of Defense announced on July 20 the deployment of a portion...
Flash Briefs
Iran Hijacking Attempt Thwarted by U.S. and British Navies
The U.S. Navy and the UK Royal Navy aided a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on June 4 being harassed by fast-attack vessels from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN). The U.S. Navy’s...
Flash Briefs
U.S. Navy Increases Patrols in Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. Navy is increasing its patrols of the Strait of Hormuz in response to Iran’s growing threat to commercial shipping and its seizure of two oil tankers during the last two...
Flash Briefs
Iran Seizes U.S.-Bound Oil Tanker
Iranian naval forces seized a Marshall Island-flagged oil tanker traveling through international waters in the Gulf of Oman on April 27. The tanker, Advantage Sweet, was transporting...
Flash Briefs
Competition is Inevitable, War is Not: Using Games to Rethink the U.S.-Chinese Relationship
Elected leaders need tabletop exercises, crisis simulations, and wargames to help them visualize and describe modern strategy. From questions about technology and intellectual property to food...
Op-eds
U.S. Sends Submarine to Middle East to Counter Iranian Threats to Maritime Trade
The American nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine USS Florida arrived in the Middle East and now operates under the command of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, signaling to the regime in Tehran that the United States will not tolerate Iranian activities targeting its troops and shipping, or those of its allies.
Flash Briefs
The Arsenal of Tyranny
Tehran arms jihadis, terrorists, and neo-imperialists
Op-eds
A classified swamp
When Donald Trump won the presidency, an editor at a major liberal publication asked me if I would write a piece on why Trump should be denied access to the nation’s secrets . While I could sympathize...
Op-eds
With an Eye on Adversaries, the U.S. and Israel Conduct Major Military Exercise
The United States and Israel kicked off the week-long Juniper Oak 23 multi-domain military exercise on Monday in Israel. A senior U.S. defense official called it the “most significant” bilateral exercise...
Insights
Washington is waking up on weapons for Taiwan
The U.S. Senate voted 83-11 to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2023 after the U.S. House of Representatives advanced the same legislation in a resounding 350-80...
Op-eds
Losing an arms race with China is much worse than competing in one
The Pentagon’s annual China Military Power Report published last Tuesday makes clear that Beijing is sprinting to ensure the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) possesses the military means to conquer...
Op-eds
Iran Linked to Attack on Commercial Tanker
A U.S. Navy lab confirmed Iran’s connection to a November 15 drone attack on the Liberian-flagged, Israeli-linked commercial tanker M/T Pacific Zircon, according to a press release...
Flash Briefs
Wary of China, Israel Toughens Screening of Foreign Investments
The Israeli Cabinet’s National Security Affairs Committee approved a resolution on October 12 to establish a more rigorous oversight mechanism to prevent foreign investments that pose national security...
Policy Briefs
Ban These Chinese Chipmakers from Pentagon Purchases
Congress should pass a proposed expansion of the law that keeps the federal government from buying certain companies’ products.
Op-eds
America’s arsenal is in need of life support
The United States is set to face a raft of consequences if urgent measures are not taken to expand its production capacity for military munitions. For many years, the Defense Department and Congress together...