Today's Defense Pulse
Updated 20m ago
U.S. Navy launches Hormuz blockade as Iran imposes tolls and mines
President Trump ordered a U.S. Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz effective April 13, targeting any vessel entering or leaving Iranian ports. Iran responded with a de‑facto toll‑booth regime charging up to $2 million per ship and laying partially undetected mines, heightening oil‑market volatility with Brent crude above $120 a barrel.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Sierra Space raises $550M in private funding
‘A Ceasefire Is Not the End – It Is only the Beginning.’ Noura Bint Mohammed Al Kaabi on the UAE’s...
UAE Minister of State Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi said the country has endured more than 3,000 missile attacks over the past 40 days, yet remains resilient and focused on continuity. A fragile cease‑fire holds, but the UAE stresses accountability and the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for global commerce. Al Kaabi highlighted the nation’s commitment to defending sovereignty while reassessing trade routes and diplomatic alignments. The interview underscored a shift toward diversified partnerships, especially with the United States and China, as the region’s geopolitical landscape evolves.
How Different Will Magyar Be From Orbán? We Analyse His Views on EU, Russia, Ukraine, and Trump
Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza party, won a parliamentary majority and pledged to dismantle Viktor Orbán’s political system "brick by brick." While promising domestic reforms and a pro‑European trajectory, he signaled continuity in foreign policy, keeping Russian energy ties...
BITTER APT Uses Signal, Google, and Zoom Lures to Spread ProSpy Spyware
Researchers from Access Now and Lookout have uncovered a BITTER APT campaign that uses spear‑phishing lures on Signal, Google, Zoom and other platforms to deliver the ProSpy Android spyware. The operation, active since at least 2022, targets journalists and opposition...
Anthropic’s Mythos: Our Takeaways
Anthropic has decided not to release its latest AI model, Mythos, citing concerns over its power. The model can automatically discover zero‑day vulnerabilities across large software ecosystems, turning AI into a strategic cyber‑security tool. Anthropic will limit access to a...
APT41 Delivers 'Zero-Detection' Backdoor to Harvest Cloud Credentials
Chinese state‑linked group APT41 has released a new ELF‑based backdoor that silently infiltrates Linux cloud workloads to steal credentials from AWS, Azure, GCP and Alibaba Cloud. The malware communicates over SMTP port 25, a channel that bypasses typical internet‑exposure scanners and...
Former GSA, NASA Leader on Federal Acquisition Leadership
Mary Davie, a former senior executive at the General Services Administration and NASA, reflected on her more than 30‑year federal career focused on procurement and acquisition leadership. She oversaw major purchasing platforms, shared‑services initiatives, and helped shape acquisition policy and...
NAVANTIA to Provide Life-Cycle Support for the Turkish Navy Amphibious Ship Anadolu
Navantia and Turkey’s Naval Shipyards General Directorate (TGM) signed a three‑year framework agreement on April 8 to provide life‑cycle support for the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu. The contract, renewable for an additional three years, includes maintenance, repairs, on‑site and remote technical...
MDA Announces Orbital Servicing Platform
MDA Space unveiled MDA Midnight, an on‑orbit servicing platform, at the Space Symposium. The satellite is built for rendezvous and proximity operations to detect, identify, counter and deter threats to space assets. Its inaugural mission will showcase inspection, electronic‑countermeasure mitigation,...
Pre-Markets Down as U.S. Sets Blockade at Hormuz
U.S. forces announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices sharply higher and casting a geopolitical shadow over the opening bell. WTI crude rose to $104 a barrel and Brent to $102, while major equity indexes opened...
Process Over Purpose: The Cost of Scrutinization in Theater Special Operations Commands
Chief Warrant Officer Greg Settle warns that theater special operations commands (TSOCs) are prioritizing excessive scrutiny over synchronization, turning them into bottlenecks rather than force multipliers. He cites three vignettes—a delayed freefall training, a rejected horsemanship concept, and a protracted...
MOD Admits £6.1bn AWE Accounting Error ‘Shouldn’t Have Happened’
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has admitted a £6.1 billion (≈$7.6 billion) accounting error tied to the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), the body that builds and dismantles the nation’s nuclear warheads. The National Audit Office flagged the mis‑classification of historic AWE...
KYOCERA AVX Releases New MIL-PRF-32535 BME NP0 MLCCs Approved to the DLA QPD
KYOCERA AVX has expanded its MIL‑PRF‑32535 base‑metal‑electrode NP0 multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) line, adding 0402‑1210 case sizes with capacitance values from 68 pF to 47 000 pF and voltage ratings up to 100 V. The new parts retain the series’ high‑CV performance and incorporate...
The Silent “Storm”: New Infostealer Hijacks Sessions, Decrypts Server-Side
Storm, a new infostealer surfacing in early 2026, offloads encrypted browser data to attackers’ servers for decryption, eliminating the local decryption step that endpoint tools traditionally flag. By handling Chromium‑ and Gecko‑based browsers server‑side, it automates session‑cookie restoration using Google...
Live: US Navy Begins Blockade of Iranian Ports After Failed Peace Talks
The U.S. Navy has initiated a blockade of Iranian ports after weekend peace talks collapsed, citing Iran's refusal to renounce a nuclear program. The move comes as the Strait of Hormuz—key to global oil flows—faces heightened tension, with the International...
New Polish-Korean Agreement
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met South Korean President Lee Jae‑Myung in Seoul, signing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement that upgrades ties first established in 2013. The pact broadens cooperation across defence, advanced industry, science, technology, energy, space and infrastructure....
Iran Officials Are Studying Abandoning Enrichment - Report
Iranian officials are reportedly evaluating a proposal to abandon uranium enrichment in exchange for broader economic concessions, a notion that has circulated in U.S. media after Vice President JD Vance outlined a potential deal. The story, initially sourced to the...
The U.S. Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz Begins
On April 13, the United States launched a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, deploying more than 15 warships to enforce a cordon around Iranian ports and coastal waters. The operation, coordinated by U.S. Central Command, applies only to...
Oil Rises Back Above $100 and Stocks Slump as Trump Threatens to Blockade the Strait of Hormuz
Oil prices surged above $100 per barrel after the U.S. Navy announced a blockade of Iranian ports following failed peace talks. WTI jumped about 8% to $104, while Brent rose to $102.5. The blockade, ordered by President Trump, restricts all...
Beware All-Expenses Trips to China, Estonia’s Spies Warn EU Influencers
Estonia’s domestic intelligence service warned that the Chinese Communist Party is financing all‑expenses‑paid trips for Estonian politicians, journalists and experts to influence their views on China. The Ministry of State Security also exploits LinkedIn job postings to recruit EU policy...
Physical AI and Space Infrastructure Outpace Software Names
ListingTrack Weekly Theme Recap (Week Ending 04/10/26) This week, Next Gen Defense and New Space both traded higher, with strength skewed toward space infrastructure, Earth observation and physical AI platforms, while pockets of software‑heavy cyber, AI decision‑support and one launch name...
Citra Space Raises $15 Million Series A to Expand Platform for Identifying Objects in Orbit
Citra Space announced a $15 million Series A round led by Washington Harbour Partners to scale its space‑domain‑awareness platform. The Colorado startup, founded by former U.S. Space Force officers, aggregates data from ground and space sensors to create persistent fingerprints of orbital...
New U.S. Autonomous Squire Seaglider Conducts Test Flight
REGENT Defense confirmed that its autonomous Squire Seaglider completed a successful ground‑effect flight test in the United States on April 13, 2026. The wing‑in‑ground‑effect craft can travel up to 70 knots (about 81 mph), cover more than 100 nautical miles, and...
Oil Shortage Pushed Japan Toward Dutch East Indies Invasion
“…if we cut off Japanese supplies of oil…and she cannot obtain sufficient oil from other commercial sources to ensure her national security, she will probably send her fleet down to take the Dutch East Indies.” - Ambassador Joseph C. Grew, May...
Indonesia Approves US Request for Overnight Airspace Access
Not bad lah Indonesia… “The U.S. is seeking "blanket overnight access" for American military aircraft through Indonesian airspace, several media outlets reported on Sunday, adding that President Prabowo had APPROVED the proposal.” Let’s wait for confirmation.
US Navy Starts Blockade of Iranian Ports Amid Trump-Pope Clash Over Iran War
The US Navy launched a blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal areas on Monday, a step down from President Donald Trump's earlier vow to seal the Strait of Hormuz. Trump simultaneously blasted Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social, accusing...
Mystery Launcher Spotted on USS Carl M. Levin
Mystery Launcher Appears On U.S. Navy Destroyer The Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Carl M. Levin has received an interesting new addition to its aft upper deck. https://t.co/armAlkieJe
LutaSecurity Cuts Zoom Bug Cases 37% in 10 Weeks
When the pandemic lockdown hit & @Zoom surged in popularity, so did its #bugbounty program — much like many organizations are facing an #AI vuln report surge today. @LutaSecurity helped flatten the curve of Zoom’s bug cases by 37% in...
US‑Iran Talks Collapse Triggers European Market Drop, Threatening US Equity Sentiment
European markets are set to open sharply lower after US‑Iran peace negotiations fell apart and President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The geopolitical shock is expected to spill over into US equity markets, pressuring risk‑on...
Rosneft Reroutes Oil to Tuapse After Novorossiysk Drone Strike
April 13 (Reuters) - Rosneft is diverting oil supplies to the Tuapse refinery from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk after the terminal, which handles roughly 14% of Russia's crude exports, was heavily damaged in a drone attack, three sources...
NATO Rejects Trump's Hormuz Blockade, Vows Post‑conflict Intervention
PARIS/LONDON, (Reuters) - NATO allies said on Monday they would not get involved in U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, proposing instead to intervene only once fighting ends, in a move likely to anger Trump...
International Manufacturing Services (IMS) Exhibits at the CMSE Conference and Exhibiton
International Manufacturing Services (IMS) is exhibiting its latest RF and thermal‑management solutions at the 29th Annual Components for Military & Space Electronics (CMSE) Conference. At booth B22, IMS will showcase high‑power AlN resistors, RF‑optimized attenuators, splitters, and its ThermaBridge™/ThermaPlane™ ceramic...
Soviet Gift Great Seal Harbored Theremin‑Made Passive
TIL the USSR concealed a bug in a hand-carved Great Seal given as a "gift" in 1945 to the US ambassador that was only discovered by accident in 1951. The bug was designed by Theremin (!) and had no power...
U.S. Blockade Hits Hormuz; China, Russia May Intervene
All Eyes on Hormuz as U.S. Maritime Blockade on Iran Enters Enforcement Phase. What happens when Chinese and Russian ships show up? https://t.co/orWD3pBD3c
Cisco Talos Uncovers LucidRook Malware Campaign Targeting Taiwanese NGOs and Universities
Cisco Talos has identified a new malware family, LucidRook, used in a targeted intrusion campaign against Taiwanese non‑governmental organizations and suspected universities. The campaign, first observed in October 2025, leverages modular Lua‑based stagers, spear‑phishing, and custom delivery chains to evade...
Anthropic AI Guides Rapid AI Vulnerability Prep for All
Great advice from @AnthropicAI on prep for accelerated AI vulnerability discovery, including what to do if you don’t have a dedicated security team, if you’re reporting bugs you found, or are an open source maintainer. /ht @_decius_ for sending the link ...
Trump's War Plan Flawed: Ignored
My take on Trump's war plan incompetence in Nick Lichtenberg's @Fortune article: “You better know all this shit’s going to hit the fan if you go to war. They clearly didn’t.” https://t.co/SKHZUkJumx
Emerson Launches Innovative Software-Driven Method for High-Fidelity Aerospace RF Testing
Emerson unveiled the NI Channel Emulator System Software (CHESS) at the 2026 Space Symposium, offering a software‑defined RF channel emulation platform that works with NI PXI VST hardware. The solution recreates real‑time, high‑fidelity aerospace RF environments—Doppler, multipath, path loss—allowing engineers...
Nordic‑Baltic Nations Deploy Offline Card Payments for Essentials
Nordic/Baltic states are creating system to allow offline card payment purchases for essentials like gas/medicine/food to continue in case of internet/grid outage due to war/cyber/sabotage. Systems supposed to be in place this yr. Announcement last yr: https://t.co/KKJqG76TR9
Anthropic Joins Rivals to Safeguard AI Against Hacking
Anthropic Teams Up With Its Rivals to Keep AI From Hacking Everything | WIRED https://t.co/n4C6wCCT5h
Serco Set for Direct Award for Naval Air Station Support
The UK Ministry of Defence plans to award a roughly £15 million (about $19 million) contract to Serco for engineering support and airfield services at Royal Naval Air Stations Yeovilton and Culdrose. The one‑year deal, with an optional second year, will be...
Founders Unite to Build Defense Tech for All Domains
great conversation between three maniacally obsessed founders building the hardware and software to help us defend the seas, skies, and earth. thanks to @usv for hosting us and @curt_lary @AdamWarmoth @Nelson_Mills_ for building badass machines tons of great insights 👇
Inside the 747-8i Conversion to Doomsday Plane
Exclusive: I recently had the chance to get on a 747-8i that SNC is converting into an E-4C Doomsday plane, for an up-close look at how the work is beginning and the outlook for the program In the latest issue of...
Blocking Iranian Ships Near Hormuz Raises Stakes
Boarding seven Venezuelan oil tankers over the course of several weeks is one thing, blockading Iranian-linked ships near Hormuz is an entirely different ballgame. We’ll see how it works out
Prioritize Rapid Misconfiguration Detection Over Apocalypse Predictions
Dino’s take here is spot on. I’m less concerned of the vulnerability apocalypse that’s being predicted and more concerned on identifying misconfigurations at a much more rapid rate.
Orban's Loss May Free EU Aid for Ukraine, Russia Says
MOSCOW, April 13 (Reuters) -Russian hardliners cast Viktor Orban's defeat in Hungary as a serious blow that would unlock EU funds for Ukraine to fight on against Russia for another year, but the Kremlin played down the outcome, saying it...
Carnegie Launches “Future of Russian Power” Event
I’m excited to share the news about our new initiative at Carnegie, The Future of Russian Power. Join us online for our inaugural event this Wednesday, 15 April with @amenka @KofmanMichael @eugene_rumer as we discuss upcoming economic, military, and...
Gulf's Complexity Makes Hormuz Seizure Strategy Unrealistic
Seizing “key terrain” in Hormuz & wiping out IRGC threats is naive fantasy @MCTothSTL The Gulf is too big, too complex, and too vulnerable to cheap disruption for that to work. Lindsey Graham strategy at its finest. #Energy #Geopolitics
Blockade Is Retaliation, Not Escalation, to Pressure Iran
Quick reminder that the blockade is NOT an escalation. Iran has blockaded Western ships for the past 6 weeks. This is payback for that and levels the playing field. The blockade will implode Iran's economy and bring the mullahs to...
Vlast Relaunch Offers Rare Kremlin Insight Amid War
The newsletter led by the great @faridaily_, the best-sourced reporter on the Russian elite, has relaunched as @vlast. As Putin's war grinds on and access to reliable information about the Kremlin gets even harder, there couldn't be a better time...
US Navy to Seal Iranian Ports at 10 Am ET
JUST IN: US military to block ships entering and exiting Iranian ports starting 10am ET
