Today's Defense Pulse
Iran drafts MOU with US promising Strait of Hormuz reopening within 30 days
Iran has issued a 14‑point draft memorandum of understanding that would see U.S. forces withdraw from Iranian territory, lift oil sanctions and suspend the naval blockade. The draft also calls for the release of half of Iran’s frozen assets and a reconstruction plan of at least $300 billion, with Tehran pledging to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days.
Also developing:
By the numbers: KONGSBERG acquires 90% stake in Zone 5 Technologies
Congress Looks for Trump's Exit Plan as the Iran War Drags On
President Trump launched a war against Iran without congressional authorization, and three weeks later the conflict has already claimed 13 U.S. service members and injured over 230. The Pentagon is seeking an additional $200 billion in funding while lawmakers debate the war’s unclear objectives and an exit plan. Republicans in Congress have so far blocked Democratic resolutions, but the War Powers Act’s 60‑day limit forces the administration to present a clear strategy or seek formal authorization. House Speaker Mike Johnson says the primary mission is essentially complete, yet the broader campaign remains unresolved.
Iran Says Ready to Discuss Hormuz Passage with Japan
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Kyodo News that Tehran will discuss safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz with Japan and any nation that has not attacked Iran. He emphasized the strait remains open for non‑enemy vessels, while it...
Airbus Is Fitting AI War Drones for the German Air Force with First Flight Due in 2026
Airbus is integrating its European MARS mission system, featuring the MindShare AI, into two Kratos Valkyrie combat drones for the German Air Force. The first flight is targeted for late 2026, with full operational capability expected by 2029. The Valkyrie...
Key Space Force C2 Upgrade Still Faces Issues: Pentagon Report
The Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test & Evaluation reported that the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System (ATLAS) still cannot meet the minimum viable capability required to retire the legacy Space Defense Operations Center (SPADOC). Although the Space Force approved...
Iran's Energy War Fuels Stalemate, Unites Its Adversaries
Depressing but important analysis from the @TheEconomist: The Iran war in a nutshell: America can’t reopen Hormuz, Iran can’t stop the airstrikes, & every escalation option is bad, explaining why there’s no clear path to a durable political solution —...
This Is How the Iran War Goes Global
The United States has deployed Marine forces to the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions with Iran and signaling a broader strategic shift. The narrow waterway, vital for global oil shipments, now faces heightened militarization that could disrupt worldwide energy markets....
Commissioner Duheme’s Repression Denials Will Not Restore Public Trust
Commissioner Mike Duheme told Vassy Kapelos there is "no credible intelligence" of foreign interference in Canada, a statement meant to calm the public. The article argues that such blanket denials ignore documented harassment, intimidation, and surveillance reported by diaspora communities....
George Answers Your Questions: Geopolitics, War and Iran
The article features George responding to a reader’s query about the unfolding conflict with Iran, noting that the U.S. timeline for a military campaign was miscalculated. While former President Trump projected a 4‑5‑week operation, after 2½ weeks the situation remains...
UK Seeks US Support Deal Worth up to 1bn for New AUKUS Subs
The United Kingdom has asked the United States for up to $1 billion in support for submarine combat systems, technical assistance and personnel under the AUKUS partnership. The request expands a prior $50 million case and covers vertical deployment tubes, weapon launchers,...
Iran’s Strike Attempt on Diego Garcia Reveals Missile Range
Iran launched ballistic missiles at the joint U.S.–U.K. military base on Diego Garcia, a remote outpost capable of hosting B‑2 stealth bombers. The strike traveled roughly 2,500 miles, far beyond Iran’s previously demonstrated reach. The base reported no damage or...
Pakistan Betrays Saudi, Boosts Iran’s Propaganda — Is Islamabad Playing A “Double Game” In the Gulf? OP-ED
Saudi Arabia warned Iran that its restraint is limited as attacks on Gulf energy sites increase. Despite signing a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Riyadh last year, Pakistan has remained silent on Tehran’s aggression and is accused of facilitating Iranian...
The Mojtaba Mystery: CIA Searches for Signs of Iran's New Leader
Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has remained invisible after a suspected Israeli strike that killed his father. The CIA, Mossad and U.S. officials are scrambling to verify his health, relying only on a written Telegram statement released for...
Russian Military Gets New Batch of Pantsir-S Air Defense Systems
Russia’s state‑owned Rostec announced that its High‑Precision Systems division has delivered a new, undisclosed batch of Pantsir‑S short‑range air‑defence missile and gun systems to the Defence Ministry. The vehicles passed required testing and were accepted by military inspectors. Pantsir‑S remains...
Critical Quest KACE Vulnerability Potentially Exploited in Attacks
Arctic Wolf reported active exploitation of the critical authentication‑bypass flaw CVE‑2025‑32975 in Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) instances exposed to the internet. The vulnerability, patched by Quest in May 2025, allows unauthenticated actors to impersonate users and gain full administrative control. Exploitation...
Switzerland Halts Weapons Exports to US over Iran Conflict
Switzerland announced it will not issue any new export licenses for war materiel to countries involved in the Iran conflict, effectively halting new weapons sales to the United States while Washington remains engaged in its campaign against Tehran. The policy...
Overland AI to Showcase Autonomy Solutions at AUSA
Overland AI will unveil its ULTRA fully autonomous tactical vehicle at the AUSA Global Force exhibition in Huntsville next week. The company ties ULTRA directly to the Army’s Transformation in Contact initiative, which emphasizes early field testing with soldiers. By...
Waiting Keeps Strait Open, Avoids Disaster
There are 3 options atm: 1. Call it a victory destroy as much as possible and go home - a disaster for the west. 2. USA secures the strait alone - a potential disaster for USA and especially a political...
Iranian Man, Romanian Woman Charged over Attempt to Enter UK Submarine Base
An Iranian man and a Romanian woman were charged after attempting to breach HM Naval Base Clyde, the UK’s nuclear‑armed submarine facility in Scotland. Police Scotland arrested the pair on Thursday, labeling them suspected Iranian spies. Their court appearance is...
Iran in the Crosshairs: The Situation Three Weeks In…
The United States has successfully degraded Iran's ballistic missile and drone capabilities, hitting over 6,000 targets, but analysts believe much of the nuclear material remains undisclosed. Power in Tehran has shifted from the theocratic establishment to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard...
U.S. Moves Patriot Missiles to Middle East as Iran Conflict Escalates
The United States has announced the redeployment of Patriot air‑defence missile batteries from European bases to the Middle East in response to heightened Iranian aggression. The move leaves European allies wary of air‑defence shortfalls while underscoring the intensifying security stakes...
Kraus Hamdani Reveals K1000ULE Updates at AUSA
Kraus Hamdani Aerospace announced it will unveil updates to its K1000ULE ultra‑long‑endurance unmanned aerial system at the 2026 AUSA Global Force Symposium. The platform is marketed as a dual‑role system delivering persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and resilient communications for...
BAE Systems Reveals Army Combat Systems at AUSA Global Force
BAE Systems used the 2026 AUSA Global Force symposium to showcase a portfolio that spans armored vehicles, artillery upgrades, precision‑guided munitions and ordnance production. The company highlighted upgrades to the Armored Multi‑Purpose Vehicle and Bradley Fighting Vehicle, enhancements to the...
Iran's Escalation Risks Signal Broader Regional Instability
Iran Intelligence Briefing | 6 March 2026 In this latest intelligence briefing, David breaks down the evolving situation around Iran, the escalation risks that matter most, and the wider regional implications. When events are moving quickly, understanding the deeper pattern is just...
The Cuban Air Force Pilot Who Defected to the US with His MiG-23, Borrowed a Cessna 310, Flew Back to...
On March 20, 1991 Cuban Air Force pilot Orestes Lorenzo Perez flew his MiG‑23 to NAS Key West, seeking political asylum in the United States. After months of diplomatic deadlock, he raised $30,000 to purchase a 1961 Cessna 310 and,...
CISA Flags Apple, Craft CMS, Laravel Bugs in KEV, Orders Patching by April 3, 2026
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added five high‑severity flaws affecting Apple WebKit, Apple kernel components, Craft CMS, and Laravel Livewire to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, mandating remediation by April 3 2026. The vulnerabilities carry CVSS scores from...
Iran Attempted Missile Strikes on UK-US Base More Than 2,000 Miles Away Revealing Danger to Europe
Iran launched two missiles toward the joint UK‑US base on Diego Garcia, more than 2,000 miles from its shores, marking the first confirmed strike beyond the 1,200‑mile range Iran previously claimed. One projectile missed the installation while the other was...
Bluebottle USV to Feature in Australian Navy’s Fleet Review for the First Time
Australia’s Royal Australian Navy will feature the Ocius Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessel in the Exercise Kakadu Fleet Review on 21 March 2026, marking the first time a USV is displayed alongside crewed ships in a formal navy review. The inclusion follows a $176 million...
UK Rules Out Shift to French Nuclear Weapons
Defence Minister Luke Pollard confirmed the United Kingdom will retain the US‑supplied Trident II D5 missile system, rejecting any shift to France’s M51.4 submarine‑launched ballistic missile despite expanding UK‑France nuclear cooperation under the 2010 Teutates Treaty and the 2025 Northwood Declaration. Pollard...
Geoeconomics of Irregular Warfare: Iran and the Global Ripple Effects — Part III
In the third installment of the Irregular Warfare Initiative’s series, analysts Hamlet Yousef and Ioannis Koskinas dissect the geoeconomic dimensions of the ongoing Iran conflict. The discussion, moderated by Jackie Giunta, highlights how energy flows, maritime security and sanctions networks...
The Sorry State of the Royal Navy –Too Small and Underfunded
Britain’s Royal Navy has shrunk to its smallest size in centuries, fielding just 51 vessels and a markedly reduced operational fleet, a weakness starkly highlighted by the Hezbollah drone attack on Cyprus. The service now operates only 13 principal surface...
India & China “Bypass” Iran’s Near-Blockade of Strait of Hormuz; Secure Exceptions as Oil Traffic Drops By 95%
Iran has effectively sealed the Strait of Hormuz, slashing daily oil‑tanker traffic by roughly 95% since early March 2026. The closure has pushed crude prices above $100 a barrel and disrupted about 20% of global oil and LNG flows. Despite...
MAGA Is FRACTURING Over the Iran War
Joe Kent, Trump’s National Counterterrorism Center director, resigned, issuing a letter asserting Iran does not pose an imminent U.S. threat. In the letter, Kent accuses senior Israeli officials and pro‑war media of manipulating Trump into a potential Iran conflict while...
India Also Has a 'Strait of Hormuz' To Counter China's Border Aggression
India’s geographic position gives it a maritime “Strait of Hormuz” by leveraging the Malacca Strait to threaten China’s oil supply. Analysts estimate that roughly 80% of China’s crude passes through this chokepoint, making a blockade a potent asymmetric deterrent. Recent...
Britain Must Be More Vigilant to the Risk of Sabotage by Hostile States
Britain is urged to heighten vigilance against sabotage by hostile states after a series of unexplained disruptions at ports, power substations and other critical sites. The government plans a sweeping risk‑assessment of energy, transport and digital infrastructure, coupled with tighter...
The $190 Million Military Contract That Makes Rocket Lab America’s Hypersonic Test Pilot
Rocket Lab secured a $190 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, the company’s largest launch deal to date. The agreement funds 20 HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) flights over four years, making the suborbital Electron variant the primary...
UK Allows US Base Access as Hormuz Risks Escalate
Britain is letting the US use its bases because the war has crossed into a new phase, writes @ChrisTakushi It's not because the risks are lower It's that the cost of a long Hormuz closure now looks worse than the...
Trump Likely Erupts as Allies Negotiate Hormuz Peacefully
Trump’s reaction if countries like Japan and India peaceably negotiate Hormuz passage with Iran — while he’s spending $200 billion to send in Marines — is going to be wild. @business https://t.co/94n5eKo1sC
Austria Targets €2 Billion Cuts Amid War Risk
Austria eyes €2 billion in budget cuts with risk from ‘dumb war’ https://t.co/sskcsuxaLh via @martoneder https://t.co/kxXJyGPEaJ
Flawed Campaign Leaves Iran Weakened yet Resilient, Hardliners Dominate
"Strategically, this campaign wasn't prepared right," says @citrinowicz "Now, Iran is weaker but it will rebuild its military capability." There's a more hardline regime that will be difficult to negotiate with. Strategically, we're losing. #Iran #Israel #IranWar #Geopolitics #MiddleEast #Strategy #Deterrence #RegimeChange #Escalation...
US‑Israeli Strikes on Iran Risk Spiraling Out of Control
Former British Diplomat Alastair Crooke on US-Israeli attacks on Iran: "The wheels are coming off this whole thing. It's spiraling really out of control. And it increased enormously with the [recent] attack on the Iranian South Pars gas field... That was...
Erdoğan Warns Against Reviving Century‑old Bloodshed
#TurkeyWatch 🇹🇷: President Erdoğan warned that “if we allow the dirty and bloody scenarios written a century ago to be staged again today, neither we nor those acting as willing or unwilling actors in this play can bear the burden.”...
Judge Actions, Not Words; He Plans to Invade Iran
Yes. Look at what he does, not what he says. He's going to invade Iran.
Goldman: US‑Israeli Strike Triggers Historic Energy Disruption
Goldman > The unprecedented US and Israeli coordinated attack on Iran has resulted in the largest energy supply disruption in history.
UK Greenlights US Strikes on Iran From British Bases
UK approves US use of British bases to strike Iran missile sites targeting ships https://t.co/mkvLGPnXE8
Turkey Warns Israel Expanding Occupation to Lebanon
#TurkeyWatch🇹🇷: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Israel has begun to extend its “occupation and destruction policy” from Gaza to Lebanon. He urged the international community to act against Israel's “expansionism” & called for a “just and dignified peace” with Palestinians....
Japan's Lessons From Third Gulf War Missile Operations
New Nukesletter: A short dispatch from Tokyo as I get ready to head home: on some takeaways from conversations here this week on what Japan is learning from missile operations in the Third Gulf War. https://t.co/UoqNQDKNwV https://t.co/0r8PQ1agkZ
Swarm Drones Use Simple Neural Nets to Track Warm Targets
“optically-coordinated swarming drones with simple neural nets, that simply target anything warm and moving.” - are you paying attention yet?
Skepticism Grows Over Unverified Iranian Missile Claims
I’ll believe this when confirmed by Iran. * They announce all their waves of missiles & targets * This is meant to have happened a while ago & missiles were intercepted (ie little/no damage caused) * UK govt is under internal pressure for...
US Attacks Iran yet Approves Its Oil Sales
So, just to be clear. 1️⃣US & Iran sever ties 2️⃣US sanctions Iranian oil 3️⃣US attacks Iran 4️⃣Iran attacks shipping cutting off the flow of oil 5️⃣The US approves the sale of Iranian oil in the US https://t.co/USz8VfvQGc
US Spends $10‑16 B on Munitions in First Four Days
The US spent 10 to 16 billion worth of munitions on the first four days of the conflict. https://t.co/KgFl3jqG7M