Defense & Strategy
Coverage of US, allied, and adversary military capability — carrier movements, basing, weapons procurement, doctrine, and the strategic calculus that translates capability into decisions.
The US Navy Posture in the Gulf Is the Geneva Deal's Operational Tell
A Sunday Geneva signing will be read in Tehran through the nightly US Navy escort cadence in the Strait of Hormuz. What visible posture changes — or their absence — will tell us before the ceremony.
GAO: F-35 Mission-Capable Rate Falls to 25% as Poland Doubles Order
The GAO says only one in four F-35s was fully mission capable in fiscal 2025, even as Poland announces plans to double its order to 64 jets. Readiness and procurement are pulling in opposite directions.
Pentagon Eyes Big NATO Force Cut as Europe Scrambles for Backfill
Pentagon is preparing significant reductions to US jets and warships dedicated to NATO operations in Europe, per a New York Times report cited by Defense News, as the Iran cycle absorbs attention and assets.
US Strikes on Iran Restart as Hegseth Vows Hits on Key Facilities
The Pentagon said US forces are carrying out strikes against Iran as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promised a 'strong' and 'clear' response, not 'a one-off.'
Apache Goes Down Near Strait of Hormuz; Trump Says Crew Safe
A US Army Apache attack helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz; the crew was rescued and President Trump confirmed the pilots are safe, per Middle East Eye reporting.
US Navy F/A-18 Disables Iran-Bound Oil Tanker in Gulf of Oman
A US Navy Super Hornet struck and disabled an unladen tanker headed to load Iranian crude, CENTCOM said, as Tehran announced a new maritime security belt across regional sea lanes.
Pentagon Raises Counterintel Threat Level on Israeli Spying to Critical
Defense officials elevated the counterintelligence threat posed by Israeli espionage targeting US personnel to its highest tier, citing aggressive collection against policymakers during the war on Iran.
State Approves $1.98B Counter-Drone Sale to Kuwait Hours Before Iranian Missile Strike
The State Department's approval of Roadrunner and Anvil counter-UAS interceptors for Kuwait landed within hours of Iran's seven-missile salvo at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
US Forces Board Sanctioned Supertanker Off Sri Lanka
US Indo-Pacific Command forces boarded the MT Davina, a sanctioned supertanker carrying nearly 2 million barrels of Iranian crude, as the naval blockade squeezes Tehran's oil revenues below $1 billion per month.
CENTCOM Puts Blockade Tally at 125 Vessels as Hormuz Push Sharpens
US Central Command's redirect count is the first hard military number on the Iran blockade's shipping toll, landing as the Speaker says Trump is focused on reopening Hormuz and analysts warn diverted barrels are not spare capacity.
Iran Reopens Strike-Hit Missile Bases as IRGC Hardens Tone
Tehran has restored access to most of the underground missile facilities targeted during this year's Israeli-US strikes, according to a new report, even as IRGC commanders harden their rhetoric and back-channel talks with Washington continue.
Congress Advances US-Israel Weapons Integration in 2027 NDAA
A provision in the 2027 US defense bill moving through Congress would bind American and Israeli weapons industries more tightly, advancing as the US enforces a Hormuz blockade.
CENTCOM Disables Gambia-Flagged Tanker With Hellfire in Hormuz Blockade
US Central Command says a Hellfire missile struck the engine room of the M/V Lian Star in the Gulf of Oman after more than 20 warnings, the fifth vessel disabled since the blockade began.
Hegseth Frames $1.5T Defense Push Around Iran at Shangri-La
Pete Hegseth used the Shangri-La Dialogue podium to tie a $1.5 trillion defense push to Iran's nuclear program and said the US is 'more than capable' of resuming war.
US munitions depleted by Iran war face years-long rebuild
A new analysis finds replenishing stockpiles drained by the Iran conflict could stretch to 2030 or 2031, opening what authors call a window of vulnerability.
Seoul Attributes Hormuz Tanker Attack to Iran
South Korea publicly assesses Iran was likely behind a recent strike on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first non-US, non-Arab government to attribute the incident.
US Deploys F-22 Stealth Fighters Across Israel: Report
Middle East Eye reports US F-22 Raptors and aerial refueling aircraft have moved to Israeli bases as the Iran ceasefire wobbles after fresh self-defense strikes.
CENTCOM Denies Navy Resumed Hormuz Escorts; Project Freedom Still Paused
CENTCOM said Tuesday afternoon that the US Navy has not restarted commercial escorts through the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting earlier media reports. Project Freedom remains suspended.
Centcom Strikes Iranian Boats Near Larak as Rubio Says Strait Opens 'One Way or the Other'
US forces struck Iranian missile sites and small boats US officials said were laying mines near Larak Island, even as Iranian negotiators sat down in Doha. Rubio said a deal could take days.
US intel: Iran drone lines running again six weeks into ceasefire
Four sources tell CNN that US intelligence assesses Iran has restarted drone production and retained most coastal cruise missiles during the ceasefire window.
Tehran Digs In: Iran Hardens Missile Sites as Washington Pauses
Iran is moving missiles into mountain facilities and rewriting tactics for a long war, NYT reports — a counter-signal to this week's U.S. de-escalation pivot.
US Centcom Says 78 Vessels Redirected Under Iran Blockade
CENTCOM disclosed Saturday that 78 commercial ships have been redirected and four disabled in the Strait of Hormuz blockade, as Tehran moves to assert sovereignty over the waterway.
Ford Strike Group Awarded Presidential Unit Citation for Iran War
The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group received a Presidential Unit Citation for combat operations during the Iran War, putting on the record what the Pentagon previously discussed only in pieces.
US Officials Tie Iran to Cyberattack on Fuel-Station Monitoring Systems
US officials suspect Iran-linked hackers targeted fuel-tank monitoring systems at petrol stations in several states, widening the strike-cycle conflict into critical-infrastructure cyber.
Pentagon Cancels Europe Missile Unit and Troop Deployments
The Army has reversed orders to send a long-range missile battalion to Germany and a separate troop rotation to Poland, drawing sharp questions from NATO allies and House lawmakers.
Europe-Led Coalition Builds Destroyer-Drone Force to Pry Open Hormuz
A European naval coalition is assembling destroyers and uncrewed surface vessels to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, even as Tehran reasserts control of the waterway.
CENTCOM: Iran Navy Crippled, Proxy Network Cut Off
Adm. Brad Cooper told senators Iran's navy won't recover for 5–10 years and that Tehran possessed 60%-enriched uranium before the war began.
Rubio Invokes AECA Emergency Clause for $8.6B Arms Sale to Gulf
Secretary Rubio approved $8.6B in arms transfers to Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE on May 3, using the AECA emergency clause to skip the 30-day congressional review.
CENTCOM Requests First Combat Use of Dark Eagle Hypersonic Missile
U.S. Central Command has asked the Pentagon to authorize deployment of the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile against Iran — what would be the weapon system's first combat use.
USS Gerald R. Ford to leave Middle East as blockade hardens, cutting US carriers in theater from three to two
The USS Gerald R. Ford will sail home from CENTCOM in the coming days after a record 309-day deployment, dropping US carrier presence in theater from three to two as the Trump administration hardens its long-blockade posture against Iran.