Content

Trackers and Data Visualizations

Mar 20, 2026

Tracking US military assets in the Iran war

By Joe Costa, Theresa Luetkefend, and Moss Gillespie,

What is the US military committing to the war in Iran? How will that affect the US presence in other theaters around the world—including the Pacific, where the United States faces its most consequential challenge? We’re tracking the aircraft carriers, bombers, and missile defense systems deployed to Operation Epic Fury.

China Defense Industry

In the News

Mar 19, 2026

Kaluderovic in Foreign Policy: The drone attrition tap

By Atlantic Council

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

In the News

Mar 19, 2026

Kaluderovic in Fox News: Trump’s strike on Iran deals a major blow to Putin’s war machine in Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Defense Industry

Fast Thinking

Mar 19, 2026

Why the Iran war energy shock is different 

By Atlantic Council

Our experts explain the factors that make the oil crisis resulting from the Iran war distinct from those caused by past conflicts.

Conflict Energy Markets & Governance

In the News

Mar 18, 2026

Charai for The National Interest: Why Iran Was Always a Threat to the US

By Atlantic Council

Iran Maritime Security

Dispatches

Mar 18, 2026

Six strategic risks the Trump administration should evaluate in the Iran war

By Nathan Freier

Risk assessments often boil down to one question: What is the likelihood that the chosen approach will deliver the desired outcomes at acceptable cost?

Conflict Iran
Man-standing-next-to-airplane-on-carrier

Podcast

Mar 18, 2026

Does the Iran war signal the end of economic statecraft?

By the GeoEconomics Center

From tariffs to sanctions, the Trump administration relied heavily on the geoeconomic toolkit in 2025. With the war in Iran and capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, has President Donald Trump lost his patience with these tools?

Economy & Business Iran

Dispatches

Mar 18, 2026

Europe should help in the Gulf to serve its own interests, regardless of Trump’s demands

By Daniel Fried, Jörn Fleck

European leaders have plenty of reasons to engage constructively with the United States and partners in the Middle East.

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

Inflection Points

Mar 18, 2026

Now that the Iran war is here, the US must complete its mission

By Frederick Kempe

The US-Israeli operation in Iran is a historic opportunity to neutralize the Middle East’s greatest destabilizer over the past four decades.

Conflict Iran

In the News

Mar 17, 2026

Saab published in The Atlantic on Washington’s role in Lebanon

By Atlantic Council

On March 17, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Bilal Saab published an article in The Atlantic, discussing how American diplomacy in Lebanon can support the Lebanese government in disarming Hezbollah. He argues that if the Lebanese government implements new measures to counter the group, Washington is well positioned to support it diplomatically and through military […]

Lebanon Security & Defense

Experts

Events