Analysis & Opinion
118 articles
Operation Epic Confusion
Trump’s goals in Iran are expansive, shifting, and potentially impossible.
How the Gulf Countries Are Responding to Iran’s Attacks
Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Riyadh are weighing their options.
The Iran War Spills Beyond the Middle East
From Azerbaijan to the Indian Ocean, the conflict’s impact is spreading.
How the Iran War Might Impact Russia-Ukraine
The Middle Eastern conflict could drain Ukraine’s supply of key defensive munitions and push U.S. President Donald Trump to quickly reach a deal with Russia.
The Domino Effect of Operation Epic Fury
The U.S. war on Iran will weaken Islamist groups and embolden the Israeli right.
A Dangerous Opportunity for Iran’s Kurds
Only by working together can Kurdish groups and the Iranian opposition forge a better future.
The United States Could Lose the Gulf
Iran’s attacks on its neighbors are a reminder that the United States cannot protect them.
The Reductive Rhetoric of the Iran War
Americans across the political spectrum need to stop talking about Tehran in cliches.
From Bureaucracy to Battle-Speed: The DOW's AI Rebirth
N. Hashemi, RCDefense The Pentagon's AI Adoption Problem Is Institutional, Not Technical
DIU's Hunt for Autonomous Low-Profile Vessels
Drew F. Lawrence, DefenseScoop The Marine Corps' Force Design update released in October adds a new capability to the service's light armored reconnaissance battalions
6 Questions That WIll Shape the Outcome of Operation Epic Fury
Laite, et al., MWI .... amid the many questions, several stand out as particularly illuminating. As answers to these questions emerge, we will be given some glimpse of—if not the final...
Marines to Field New Recon Boats For Littoral Missions
Hope Hodge Seck, NatDef The Marine Corps' Force Design update released in October adds a new capability to the service's light armored reconnaissance battalions: a "maritime reconnaissance...
U.S. Hunts Iran's Missile Launchers As Israeli F-35 Downs Yak-130
Aviation Week The U.S. and Israel were hunting the vestiges of Iran's ballistic missile and drone inventory
Walking Gettysburg
Donald M. Bishop, RealClearDefense The great nineteenth century New England historian, Francis Parkman, knew that those who describe battles for a later generation need to <a...
The U.S. Air Force Just Used Its Oldest Bomber To Attack Iran
Air Force Times First flown in 1952, the Boeing B-52 has seen service in Vietnam, Desert Storm, the Global War on Terror — and now Iran.
Precision Strike Missiles Make Combat Debut
Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Defense News The U.S. military recently deployed Lockheed Martin's long-range Precision Strike Missile, or PrSM, for the first time in combat against Iranian...
U.S. Attack Boat Torpedoes Iranian Frigate off Sri Lanka: Video
USNI News An American attack submarine sank an Iranian Navy ship off the coast of Sri Lanka, extending the ongoing conflict with Iran to the Indo-Pacific. <iframe...
The Limits of Commercial Companies in Building the U.S. Arsenal
Defense Op. The defense industry's fall from favor is coinciding with the administration's interest in <a...
The Drone Attrition Trap
The Middle East conflict shows Washington hasn’t yet learned enough about cheap drones from Kyiv.
Why Aren’t Energy Markets Reacting More to the Iran War?
Each day of war that passes adds to the physical risks to global oil and gas, but so far markets have basically shrugged.
Using Bellingcat’s New Open Source Tool to Explore Historical and Spatial Flight Data
Flight tracking data is an important tool in open source research, but with 100,000 daily flights, it can be difficult to contextualise what a particular aircraft’s movements indicate.  Bellingcat has developed a tool called Turnstone to make it easier to visualise historical trends in fl
The Bay of Bengal Flank: India’s Three-Front Dilemma and Its Implications for Taiwan
What if the biggest variable in whether China attacks Taiwan is how many directions New Delhi is forced to look at once?When considering a Taiwan contingency, people tend to focus on cross-Strait dynamics and China’s military capabilities for understandable reasons. But they should be thinking
Fighting an Economic War Without Fused Intelligence
In a corporate boardroom reviewing a high-stakes multinational deal, every financial risk was dissected ­— but no one in the room could see the classified intelligence that might have changed the decision entirely.Right now, the United States is fighting an economic war without organizing
Senate Republicans Vote Down Effort to End Iran War
The House is expected to hold a similar Iran war powers vote tomorrow.
What the War on Iran Means for Africa
The continent is bracing for the ripple effects of a wide-ranging regional conflict.
U.S., Israel Keep Up Military Pressure on Iran
The war continues to reverberate across the region, from the Gulf to Turkey.
Hindu Nationalism Takes a New Form in Nepal
Ahead of elections, calls to reinstate the king and bring an end to secularism have grown louder.
TRANSCRIPT – BNP Returns to Power: Assessing the Results and Implications of Bangladesh’s Elections
Bangladesh and regional experts assess the results and implications of Bangladesh’s most consequential elections in 25 years. The post TRANSCRIPT – BNP Returns to Power: Assessing the Results and Implications of Bangladesh’s Elections appeared first on Stimson Center.
How India’s Dominance Reshaped Cricket
The T20 World Cup has underscored that New Delhi is a schoolyard bully.
Security Alliances With the U.S. Have Made Gulf States More Vulnerable
Iran’s survival strategy includes inflicting pain on its neighbors.
Temnycky in Real Clear Defense on the impact of Russia’s full-scale invasion on US and European security
On February 25, Mark Temnycky, nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, was published in Real Clear Defense on how Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has altered US and European security and ended the post-Cold War era in European security. The post Temnycky in R
Bonus In Brief: Global Reaction to the War in Iran
On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched major, ongoing strikes against Iran — including killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and many other senior officials. In response, Iran has launched strikes against U.S. military sites, Israel, and economic and civilian targets in Arab Gulf stat
Iran Strike Exposes U.S. Capacity Vulnerabilities, Experts Say
National Defense M. Following the United States and Israel's joint attack on Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury, experts speculated that the strike exposed weaknesses in U.S. capacity that...
America and Israel: Divisive Politics, Decisive Defense
Noah Glyn, RealClearDefense American political support for Israel has declined to its lowest point in decades. A recent <a...
Marines Repel Attack on U.S. Consulate in Pakistan
Jeff Schogol, Task & Purpose "It's just seven to 20 guys; that's all you have facing an angry mob. Being in that headspace is important. Your back is really against the wall."
Soldiers Killed By UAV In Kuwait In Operation Epic Fury
L.T. Wood, Armed Forces P. The soldiers died March 1st, in Kuwait at the Port of Shuaiba, during an unmanned aircraft system attack. All Soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment...
Kuwaiti F/A-18 Aircraft Suspected of Shooting Down U.S. F-15s
Air & Space F. Kuwaiti aircraft are suspected to be responsible for the shootdown of three U.S. Air Force <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/weapons/f-15e/" title="Learn more about...
U.S. Navy Positions Six Arleigh Burke-class Destroyers in Arabian Sea
Global D. The U.S. Navy has deployed six independently operating Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers to the Arabian Sea to conduct sustained Tomahawk land-attack missile strikes as...
Building the No Neck Army
James Mingus & Graham White, Modern War Institute The Army's Holistic Health and Fitness Program
CNO Says Service Needs F/A-XX Immediately
Kris Osborn, Warrior Maven Growing threats demand an immediate F/A-XX. The Navy CNO stresses the need for advanced carrier-based attack aircraft to counter future adversaries
DIU's First Launch of Commercial Hypersonic Test Platform
M. Easley, DefScoop The Cassowary Vex mission marked the first deployment of a commercial-built hypersonic testbed developed under the Hypersonic High-Cadence Advanced Testing program.
Space Force Modernization Push Runs Into Acquisition Workforce Shortfall
SN New training for program managers shifting focus from hardware buys to integrated warfighting systems
What Recent Military Operations Signal About Trump’s Grand Strategy
In his 2025 article, “Start Making Sense, Strategy and Grand Strategy in the Trump Administration,” Joshua Rovner argued Trump’s flexible approach to a grand strategy could be a strategic problem in the event of war. A year later, amidst an escalating conflict in the Middle East, w
Wechsler joins KNX News to discuss the fallout from the US and Israel’s strikes on Iran
The post Wechsler joins KNX News to discuss the fallout from the US and Israel’s strikes on Iran appeared first on Atlantic Council.
North Africa Regional Outlook: March 4, 2026
From Algeria’s investment drive and Egypt unlocking IMF financing while expanding gas and mineral exploration, to renewed Western Sahara diplomacy as well as escalating violence across Sudan and the Sahel. The post North Africa Regional Outlook: March 4, 2026 appeared first on Stimson Center.
What Macron’s changes to French nuclear policy mean for European security
The president’s plan, announced on March 2, expands France’s nuclear arsenal and deepens its cooperation on deterrence with European allies. The post What Macron’s changes to French nuclear policy mean for European security appeared first on Atlantic Council.
As Tensions Mount, Sudan Accuses Ethiopia of New Hostilities
As Tensions Mount, Sudan Accuses Ethiopia of New Hostilities eschelhaas Wed, 03/04/2026 - 17:42 Latest Updates Africa Asia-Pacific
Trump’s War Is Taking a Toll on Aviation
The $8 trillion air freight industry faces huge challenges due to the war in the Middle East.
Satellite Imagery Reveals Strikes on Iranian Police Stations
US President Donald Trump said on January 2 that the US was “locked and loaded and ready to go”. Trump was talking aloud about intervening in Iran if it continued a violent crackdown on demonstrators who had taken to the streets over spiralling inflation and ongoing repression.  Thousands of Ir
Trump Puts Putin in an Iran Dilemma
A would-be Kremlin partner helping kill a Kremlin ally feeds the Russian leader’s paranoia.