Today's Defense Pulse
U.S. Treasury expands sanctions on Iran-linked shipping network
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced a new sanctions round targeting a global network of shipping firms, tanker operators and intermediaries tied to Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical trades. Entities in Hong Kong, the UAE, India, Qatar, Singapore, China, Liberia and the Marshall Islands were added to the Specially Designated Nationals list.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Disciplined Growth Acquisition Corp raises $150M in IPO
Saab Sets Sights on LUUV Sea Trials in Mid-2026
Saab has secured a SEK 60 million contract from Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration to build a large uncrewed underwater vehicle (LUUV) demonstrator, dubbed the Autonomous Ocean Drone (AOD). The 7‑metre, 6.5‑tonne platform will integrate Saab’s Autonomous Ocean Core autonomy engine and is scheduled for sea trials in mid‑2026. Designed for ISR and protection of critical underwater infrastructure, the AOD will also test launch and recovery from the upcoming A26 submarines. Successful trials are expected to shape a future commercial LUUV product line.
Resecurity Unveils Latest Threat Intelligence Solutions at CyberBay Summit 2026 (Tampa, FL)
Resecurity showcased its newest threat‑intelligence solutions at the CyberBay Summit 2026 in Tampa, engaging government, defense, academia, and private‑sector leaders. The company highlighted AI‑driven risk‑management tools and insights on malicious activity tied to the Iran conflict. It also warned of heightened...
Taiwan Military Official Denies Delay in Delivery of MQ-9Bs
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the first two of four MQ‑9B SkyGuardian drones will arrive in the second half of 2026, adhering to the original schedule. Ground‑control stations are being built to operate the drones once delivered. The...
The Economics of War: The West Must Embrace Mass Production of Weapons
Western defence forces face a growing gap against mass‑produced drone swarms, with Ukraine reporting over 54,000 hostile UAVs in 2025 alone. Existing high‑cost SAM systems such as Patriot and SAMP/T are ill‑suited for low‑cost, high‑volume threats, and their long production...
Paying for a War
The United States is projected to spend roughly $1.5 trillion on defense and offensive operations in 2026, a level that dwarfs most other fiscal priorities. Because the dollar is a sovereign currency, the Treasury can technically create money to fund this...
US Air Force Deploys B-52 as Operation Epic Fury Continues
The U.S. Air Force launched a Boeing B‑52 Stratofortress on a night sortie as part of Operation Epic Fury, aimed at degrading Iran’s ability to rebuild its missile and drone capabilities. CENTCOM emphasized that strikes remain unpredictable, dynamic and decisive. The conflict...
Japan Says Dispatching Ships to Middle East Faces High Hurdles
Japan’s senior officials say sending naval vessels to escort ships in the Middle East would encounter significant hurdles. The comment follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for Tokyo to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open and safe. While not...
Oil’s Irreplaceable Role Spurs Pro‑Hydrocarbon Shift
Oil is the only commodity on Earth used in every single sector of every economy. Even our adversaries need it. The Strait of Hormuz is two miles wide, and Iran is threatening to mine it. Whether securing it costs $2...
Trump's Waning Focus Stalls US Ukraine Peace Push
NEW: The US-led peace process in Ukraine is fizzling out because Trump is losing interest and his war against Iran is easing pressure on Russia. “A pause has indeed appeared in the talks. The Americans have other priorities,” Kremlin spox...
Drones Strike Civilians in Sudan, Prompting UN Concern
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned a surge in drone attacks across Sudan, reporting over 200 civilian deaths since March 4, including 152 in West Kordofan alone. Strikes attributed to the Sudanese Armed Forces hit markets, a hospital...
Switzerland Bans US Overflights Tied to Iran War
Switzerland bars US overflights linked to combat in the war in Iran https://t.co/pJ65t4h0H7 via @bbenrath https://t.co/oaGcwyWqPv
Drone Proliferation Signals Imminent Autonomous Warfare
People still underestimate how many drones are being built, shipped, used, and getting blown up around the world. Autonomous wars are upon us.
Beltway Buzz, March 13, 2026
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded after Congress missed the February 13 deadline, leaving TSA agents without pay and causing longer airport security lines. A Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the NLRB’s 2023 bargaining‑order precedent, limiting...
Trump's Waning Interest Stalls US‑led Ukraine Peace Push
‘The US-led peace process in Ukraine is fizzling out because Donald Trump is losing interest in the talks and his war against Iran is easing pressure on Russia, officials say.’ https://t.co/6VFAHJrvaZ
Xi Labels U.S. Dangerous After Trump’s Iran, Venezuela Moves
For Xi, Iran War Reinforces View of U.S. as Dangerous Superpower—Trump’s military actions in Iran and Venezuela set tense stage for a coming superpower summit @austinramzy https://t.co/1gsSWd2hed https://t.co/1gsSWd2hed
Israel Says Killed Two Top Iran Intelligence Officers in Tehran
Israel’s military announced that on March 13 it eliminated two senior Iranian intelligence officers, Abdollah Jalali‑Nasab and Amir Shariat, in a strike on Tehran. Both men had been appointed to lead the Khatam al‑Anbiya intelligence directorate after the previous head, Saleh...
Iran's Hormuz Blockade Catches White House Off Guard
As they said at the White House, "who could have imagined Iran would block the Straits of Hormuz?"
China Bears Brunt of US‑Israel‑Iran Conflict
"China is the biggest loser in all of this [U.S./Israel-Iran War]...the reason we are having this conversation. Iran's nuclear progress like centrifuge manufacturing - China...ballistic missiles production - China." my talk tonight with @PoloSandovalCNN @CNN https://t.co/jN0HZ51bVz
Russian Air Defences Down 65 Drones Headed for Moscow, Mayor Says
Russian air‑defence units reported downing 65 Ukrainian drones over Moscow during an 11‑hour period on Saturday, part of a broader effort that saw 280 drones intercepted across central and western Russia. The Defence Ministry said 47 of those drones were...
NightBeacon Slashes False Positives, Boosts Detection Confidence
Launched NightBeacon Friday morning. 48 hours later: - 80.83% false positive reduction. - 3x higher true positive confidence. - 98.23% smarter model based on live data. - Multi-platform log intelligence built overnight. - Zero manual tuning. https://t.co/lmtyDyskXe This is just the beginning. #BinaryDefense
Iran's Surrender Renders Hormuz Escort Missions Unnecessary
Since Iran is in the process of surrendering, I guess there is no point in the UK, France, or anyone else making plans to escort ships through the Straihts of Hormuz
Switzerland Refuses US Overflights Linked to Middle East War
Switzerland rejected two U.S. requests for reconnaissance overflights linked to the Israel‑Iran conflict, invoking its long‑standing neutrality statutes. The government approved a maintenance flight and two transport missions on March 14 but denied the military‑purpose requests on March 15. Humanitarian and medical...
Betting Odds Show 15% Chance of US‑Iran Ceasefire
Betting markets are seeing the probability of a US-Iran ceasefire by the end of the month deflate to an extremely skeptical 15%... https://t.co/Brj4lTcqSK
President Claims Unnamed Allies Will Secure the Strait
“.. The president said several countries have committed to helping secure the strait, but declined to name any of them.” @NBCNews https://t.co/AEDeyaO4FC https://t.co/YFq6h9TnJb
Israel Is Running Critically Low on Interceptors, US Officials Say
Israel has warned the United States that its ballistic missile interceptor stockpile is critically low as the war with Iran intensifies. The shortage follows heavy use during last summer’s clash and is worsened by Iran’s deployment of cluster‑munition‑laden missiles. While...
Iran's Alleged Strait Move: Face‑saving Bluff, Not Blockade
If true, this is actually a face-saving withdrawal by the Iranians. It lets them pretend to be mean to US & Israel without actually blocking the strait. But I doubt it’s true. https://t.co/xCTeY2zGRE
Trump Urges Allies to Open Strait of Hormuz
Trump started a war most of the world was against, and now asks China, the UK, France, Japan and South Korea to send warships to open the Strait of Hormuz Brutal 😂
Belgian F-16s Are Testing FZ275 Laser-Guided Rockets for C-UAS Role
Belgian Air Force has begun flight tests of domestically‑developed FZ275 70 mm laser‑guided rockets on its F‑16AM fleet, mounting six LAU‑131A/A pods for a total of 42 rounds. The trials, conducted since early 2026, aim to validate the rockets for counter‑unmanned‑air‑system...
Self‑styled Military Expert Clueless About Strategic Planning
Imagine a self proclaimed “military expert” telling his followers that in all of the U.S. National Security Council, Joint Staff, CENTCOM, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), and JTF staff, they did not plan for scenarios in the Strait of...
Iran's “Open” Strait Claim Masks Ongoing Ship Attacks
“As a matter of fact, the Strait of Hormuz is open … It is only closed to the tankers and ships belong[ing] to our enemies, to those who are attacking us and their allies. Others are free to pass” -...
SHLD: A Timely Defense Play As The U.S.-Iran War Escalates
The Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD) provides investors exposure to large defense, cybersecurity, and advanced military‑technology companies. Since its launch, SHLD has delivered a 52.44% total return through 2024, outperforming the broader S&P 500 ETF. Analysts expect continued outperformance as...
Iran Says Hormuz Open, only US/Israeli Ships Barred
"Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday said the Strait of Hormuz is open and that the strategic route is only closed to the US and Israeli vessels" Are ships and tankers moving? If not, then where is the problem? Look...
Russia Uses Bot Network to Stoke Hungary–Ukraine Tensions Ahead of Hungary’s Election
Russia’s Matryoshka bot network is flooding Hungary with fabricated stories that portray Ukraine as hostile and Ukrainian refugees as violent, just weeks before the April 2026 parliamentary election. The disinformation uses fake videos bearing the logos of Reuters, Euronews and...
The Sunday Read: Paul Daley on Australia’s Blind Acceptance of Trump’s War on Iran - Podcast
Guardian Australia columnist Paul Daley warns that Australia’s uncritical backing of Donald Trump’s threats against Iran could pull the nation into a broader conflict involving Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu. He argues the country is blindly accepting U.S. pressure despite a shifting...
US Pummels Iran’s Key Kharg Island Terminal
The United States launched a missile strike against Iran’s Kharg Island terminal, the country’s main oil export hub, late Friday and early Saturday local time. The attack targeted the facility that handles roughly 30% of Iran’s crude shipments, aiming to...
Cheap Iranian Drones Drain U.S. Billions in Interceptors
It costs the U.S. 4 million dollars to use an interceptor to stop a $40,000 drone projectile out of Iran and we are about to run out of interceptors that protect much of the world's oil supply. Trump's people had absolutely...
Israel May Commit ‘New Genocide’ in Lebanon Using Iran War as Pretext, Turkey Warns
Turkey’s foreign minister warned that Israel’s ongoing air strikes on Lebanon could amount to a new genocide, citing civilian deaths that now total 826, including women and children. The attacks follow Hezbollah’s retaliation after Iran’s Supreme Leader was killed in...
Iran’s Hormuz Standoff Exposes Global Power Game
Ugly game theoretics at play in Iran. Teheran has found its pain point in Hormuz, Russia is happy as it gets to sell its 'sanctioned oil', China is flapping like a kite in a hurricane, Europe has an incentive to...
Iran Says only US, Israel Barred From Hormuz
Any country except for US and Israel can pass through Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Minister says: NY Post
Without Rare Earth Elements, Electronic Warfare Systems Lose Their Edge
Electronic warfare (EW) has become the backbone of modern military operations, turning the electromagnetic spectrum into a decisive battlespace. The performance of EW hardware hinges on rare‑earth‑based components—neodymium‑iron‑boron and samarium‑cobalt magnets for antenna steering, power generation, and high‑temperature stability, plus...
Iran Consolidates, Controls Hormuz, Unfazed by Strikes
RAPIDAN: “.. two weeks into the war, Tehran's leadership has consolidated, forces have dispersed and absorbed strikes without decisive degradation, and Iran is shaping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on its own terms. The regime sees no pressure to...
Drone‑enabled Mechanized Assaults Resurging Across Ukraine Front
From Kupyansk to Zap we now have cases of drone-assault units having success. There are different approaches. But drone-enabled mechanized assault is working on making a comeback.
U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Attacks Prompt Evacuation Warning
(NYT) - The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad urged all American citizens to leave Iraq immediately on Saturday after the embassy was attacked overnight for the second time since the war with Iran started. @nytimes https://t.co/wO7HSobOIs https://t.co/mmQWsGf65e
France's Troop Offer Could Finally Curb Hezbollah in Lebanon
If France is willing to send troops to support Lebanon’s army, the country might finally rid itself of Hezbollah. A big if.
Hormuz Threat Lulls: No New Attacks, Interference Persists
🚨Mar 14 Hormuz Update🚨 1️⃣Confirmed attacks: 20 2️⃣Attacks last 24 hrs:0 3️⃣Passage last 24 hrs: 2 4️⃣Average passage: 138 5️⃣Electronic interference: widespread https://t.co/nQ4ZTet45o
Convoy Escorts Likely Limited to National‑interest Vessels
Let's talk about how this works as it will not be a unified convoy operation, probably. If it is like the Red Sea, then they will escort the ships they have a national interest in, only. https://t.co/FxZMYvlZSu
Early Hormuz Closure Modeling Shows Real Risk, Prepares Clients
Not nasty — prescient. Our Battlespace and Barrel Flow report modeled 7- and 30-day Hormuz closure scenarios (among others) in June 2025 because the risk was real and our clients needed to be prepared. No one's enjoying this.
China Seeks to Cripple Western AI, Despite Cancer Cure Potential
This is why China wants to shut down AI and data centers in the west, and will spend an infinite amount of money to do so. If we’re going to cure cancer, it’s going to be AI that does it
Iranian Strike Damages Five US Air Force Refueling Planes
Five US Air Force Refueling Planes Hit in Iranian Strike on Saudi Arabia, WSJ Reports https://t.co/Ahgy1YmGnx #groundnews via @Ground_app
Iran Stands Alone, Claims Victory Amid US-Led Bombardment
Iran has not asked anyone for help, they are fighting alone… The Trump regime is bombing Iran along the Netanyahu regime with cooperation from the UK, France & some Gulf countries. But Trump is now crying for more countries to...