Region: United States

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.

Federal agencies under pressure need smarter systems, not tougher people

By Caitlin Thompson

Resilience is an important trait for national security practitioners, but it is not a solution for problems with agency and department design. Better systems and strategies can ensure that individuals are fully prepared and ready to respond to crises, rather than consistently under strain.

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?

So what’s the strategy for Iran?

By the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

In this episode, host Matthew Kroenig is joined by Alex Gray, a nonresident senior fellow at the Scowcroft Center, to discuss the ongoing war with Iran and how to understand Washington’s strategy for victory. Alex was chief of staff at the National Security Council during the first Trump administration and was in the room when US President Donald Trump oversaw the military operation that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

Iran war highlights Ukraine’s rapid rise to drone superpower status

By David Kirichenko

The Iran war has sparked a sudden surge in international demand for Kyiv’s unique anti-drone expertise and highlighted Ukraine's rapid emergence as one of the world's leading drone warfare superpowers, writes David Kirichenko.

By threatening the Strait of Hormuz, Iran turns geography into a global economic weapon

By Alex Mills

Iran’s threat to attack vessels in the Strait of Hormuz has effectively shut down one of the world’s most critical energy shipping routes, turning geography into a powerful economic weapon.

Air defense in the age of saturation: Europe after the post-Cold War peace dividend illusion and Turkey’s Steel Dome

By Can Kasapoğlu

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine proved the importance of air and missile defense, Ankara's Steel Dome initiative can demonstrate a critical solution.

Ukraine’s experience is indispensable in the fight against Iranian drones

By Peter Dickinson

Britain has announced plans to deploy Ukrainian drone warfare specialists to the Middle East as part of international efforts to counter the growing threat posed by swarms of Iranian drones, writes Peter Dickinson.

DFC reauthorization is here: The good, the bad, and the next steps for connectivity

The DFC reauthorization in the FY2026 NDAA gives the agency more capacity and new tools to counter Chinese digital infrastructure finance. This article assesses the changes against our connectivity-focused proposals, examining the good, the gaps, and what needs to happen next.