Hormuz: Vital Energy Artery Threatened by Geopolitical Tension
The Strait Of Hormuz: Energy Lifeline Or Global Time Bomb? | 4K Documentary https://t.co/t6N6hRSPrD via @YouTube
FT's Iran War Analysis Illuminates Europe's Strategic Dilemma
I'm biased, of course, but hats off to the @FT for some truly groundbreaking work on the Iran war. Ed Luce's commentary has been essential to understanding the dilemma Europe finds itself in as its leaders try to edge away...
US Pullout Would Spur Independent European Defense Initiative
What exactly is going to do to NATO? A US withdrawal would actually force Europe to seriously build a military independent of the US. Maybe include Canada into the mix.
Iran Conflict Drains U.S. Missile Defense, Spurs Procurement Push
NEW ODD LOTS: War in Iran is chewing through America’s missile defense stockpiles @tracyalloway and I talk to @tomkarako about Pentagon procurement and the efforts to ramp up production of offensive and defensive weaponry https://t.co/Wnm1RozhbR
April Mech Assaults Prove Costly; UA Excels at Defense
Usually there is a wave of mechanized assaults around April and then they're once again revealed to be costly and ineffective. UA defense is optimized for defeating mech assault, and much of the fight is about suppressing or displacing opposing...
Kenya Ends Recruitment of Soldiers for Russia.
Kenyans will no longer be enlisted to fight for Russia in Ukraine, Mudavadi says https://t.co/PmrAsfFTIZ
Cooper Announces Major Strikes on Iranian Facilities, 100+
New update from Adm. Cooper. Highlights specific strikes on Iranian facilities, including what he says is a drone storage depot near the Strait of Hormuz. Also says that more than 100 Iranian vessels have been destroyed. Again says about 50,000 U.S. troops...
Mocking NATO Leaves America Isolated, Leadership Lost
You know how we say in Ukraine: now Trump has to eat the mess pie he was baking for others. You either support alliances, respect your friends and their interests, coordinate with them and thus benefit from partnerships with countries close...
US Should Mandate Classified Testing for Frontier Labs
....the US should establish a federal framework through legislation that requires frontier labs to test their systems using classified government capabilities. https://t.co/9SaQfR7sMc
European Troika Questions Trump's Pivot From Greenland to Hormuz
#EuropeanTroika to #Trump "I thought we were sending our troops to #Greenland. Now you want #Hormuz ?"
China Risks Belt‑Road Investments as US‑Israel Iran Conflict Escalates
"China Has a Lot to Lose in the U.S.-Israel War on Iran," my latest in @WSJ @WSJopinion The U.S.-Israel war against Iran isn’t only reshaping security and the balance of power in the Middle East. Its stakes are also high...
Embargo Iranian Oil, as Missed Russian Embargo Cost War
The big mistake the West made in 2022 was to not embargo Russian oil. That would have spiked oil prices further, but Russia's economy would have imploded and it likely wouldn't still be waging war in Ukraine. The lesson for...
European Allies Pivot to China, Question U.S. Superpower Status
Top US allies are turning toward China instead. Blame Trump...European allies broadly support building closer ties to China — and believe America's role as a global superpower is fading. Despite the best efforts of Europe's China pundits... https://t.co/Oz9BsswmeL
Trump Threatens Xi Summit Delay without Chinese Hormuz Aid
Trump Floats Xi Summit Delay If China Doesn’t Help in Hormuz “Head of state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable role in providing strategic guidance to China-US relations,” he added, without specifying a timeframe for the leaders’ meeting. https://t.co/2UjmNtyIUW
Neighbor Releases $2 Bn Frozen
This is from the end of December. Was this meant to lure Iran into negotiations? ran says $2bn of frozen assets released by neighboring country https://t.co/miz6slNXAM
Commenters' Slip Reveals Hidden Desire to Block Bab Al-Mandab
For those casually discussing the Houthis closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait: Experts usually talk about it in dry, theoretical terms. But a surprising number of online commenters keep having "Freudian slips" — accidentally revealing just how much they’d love to see...
Foreign Policy Reduced to Shady Quid‑pro‑quo Deals
I’m fairly sure the Russians are whispering in Trump’s ear right now: “Sure, we’re helping the Iranian regime kill American servicemembers. But you still haven’t forced your intelligence agencies to stop giving Ukraine information about our missile strikes on them. Do...
Bedouin Villages Lack Shelters, Iron Dome Protection, Near Bases
Perhaps more importantly, she neglects to mention that Bedouin villages have no bomb shelters, are not covered by the Iron Dome, and are often close to Israeli military facilities.
Iran Conflict Turns Into Prolonged, Resource-Intensive Campaign
The Iran war has shifted from strikes to a sustained operation with no clear end in sight. That raises big questions about munitions depth and the pace of operations. I joined @BloombergRadio’s Here’s Why podcast to unpack how it could...
Kremlin Hints at Future Ukraine Peace Talks, Timeline Vague
The Kremlin says there may be a new round of peace talks with Ukraine "in the foreseeable future," which sounds like a step down from the usual "soon"... https://t.co/amwYlwVvT4
Drone Attack Threatens Dubai's Aviation‑Driven Economy
Dubai under serious stress. Airport Dubai atau DXB tutup akibat serangan drone berdekatan. Implications? •Home of Emirates, the world’s most profitable airline, pretax profit USD6.2b (31 Mar 25). •Dubai Airport is the 2nd busiest in the world. •The aviation sector amat penting,...
Belgian PM Urges Russia Normalization for Cheap Energy
Belgium’s PM Bart de Wever: “We must normalise relations with Russia and regain access to cheap energy. That is common sense. [...] We must end the conflict in the interest of Europe, without being naïve towards Putin.” https://t.co/BopPAyhKSL
China Resumes Island Building in South China Sea
SCMP: “Is Beijing stepping up island building in South China Sea after 10-year pause?…China has significantly stepped up its land reclamation activities on a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, according to satellite images.” https://t.co/ldcaW2FKcB
China's Arms Support Could Endanger European Flights over Iran
I think it is much more a matter of taking a side. If China starts sending weapons then European planes in the sky over Iran will matter, because China supports shooting down European planes
EU Seeks to Redirect Naval Mission to Safeguard Hormuz
EU pushes to shift naval mission to protect the Strait of Hormuz https://t.co/CxFDG4kEg5 via @AfPalasciano https://t.co/qWPAwUys60
Iran Attacks Fujairah, Spares Saudi Pipeline Bypass
Iran has started a new phase of its oil war: Tehran is clearly going after the Strait of Hormuz bypass route, with Fujairah (UAE) coming under attack. But so far, the Saudi pipeline bypass hasn't been attacked (and neither the Yemeni...
DoD AI Chief Showcases Palantir's Maven Target‑action System
SaaS for “actioning a target”: DoD/DoW AI chief demos Palantir’s Maven Smart System via @kimmonismus #militaryAI https://t.co/dshzBT5HRh
Trump Claims Israel Avoided Nuclear Obliteration by Bombing Iran
Trump: Israel would have been "obliterated" with a nuclear weapon if I didn't bomb Iran's nuclear sites. https://t.co/NgPNhC5ATI
US Mitigation Efforts Fail to Ease Hormuz Crisis
As the #Strait_of_Hormuz closure enters week three and continues to drive oil prices higher, here's a list of at least six mitigating attempts by Washington, and their impact : 1⃣ Tried to downplay the closure, saying war will be over "very...
Australian Navy Unprepared, Declines Biden’s Red Sea Request
They turned down Biden’s request to do this in the Red Sea too. This has nothing to do with Trump… it has everything to do with the fact the Australian Navy is woefully unprepared to defend itself against China and can’t...
Trump Mulls Iran Oil Depot Seizure, Escalating Tanker Bottleneck
"Trump is also weighing a seizure of Iran's critical oil depot on Kharg Island — a move that would require U.S. boots on the ground — if tankers remain bottled up in the Persian Gulf, U.S. officials say." He realizes that...
China Resumes Taiwan Encirclement Flights After Unexplained 10‑Day Pause
China Resumes Military Flights Around Taiwan After Sudden 10-Day Hiatus—Beijing hasn’t explained why it abruptly stopped what had become a routine practice, nor its resumption @joyuwang https://t.co/z19UmfOrMn https://t.co/z19UmfOrMn
US President Appears to Beg China for Naval Support
"Evan Feigenbaum, an Asia expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that, after 10 years of US warnings about the need to constrain China, 'we’re now in a bizarro world where the president actually appears to be begging...
Navy's Ship‑decommissioning Prowess: Claim Quickly Retracted
As I’ve posted dozen of times before: the US Navy has become extremely good at decommissioning ships Ohhhhhhh, wait, hold the phone Belay my last 🎉🎉
Trump Eyes Kharg Island Seizure to Cripple Iran's Economy
Trump is drawn to the idea of seizing Kharg Island outright because it would constitute "an economic knockout of the regime" — essentially defunding Tehran, according to a US official - Axios
Escorts Aren't a Sideshow; Expertise Matters in Maritime Strategy
“Escorts are a sideshow” 🤡🤡 Now I’ve been critical of our ability to surge enough destroyers to conduct effective convoys…. But “sideshow”?? And what qualifies an energy advisor to understand maritime choke points? 60 Minutes should have called Sal @mercoglianos
Timing of Operations Before or After Hostilities Matters
I'm no Clausewitz but "whether those operations would begin before or after hostilities end" seems like kind of an important detail.
Pentagon Secures Lynas Samarium Supply for Defense by Q4
The Pentagon gets a rare earth deal with Lynas - the only reliable source of heavy rare earths outside China. They say they will be producing samarium - the stuff defence needs - by Q4 this year. https://t.co/Cjazr8r8sB
Global Race Accelerates Development of Directed Energy Weapons
Yes, and AeroVironment is not the only manufacture of directed energy weapons. Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems manufacturers the drone and missile proven Iron Beam. India’s DRDO working aggressively on directed energy weapons (such as the 30kW laser-DEW Mk-II(A) and...
President Manufactures Excuse, Demands Chinese Fleet Precondition
Basically, the President is looking for an excuse to back out of the trip to Beijing and thus is trying to manufacture one? How else to possibly explain demanding a Chinese expeditionary naval deployment to the Gulf as a...
War Appears Simple, Yet Its Complexity Defies Oversimplification
“Everything in war is very simple, but the simplest thing is difficult.” - Carl von Clausewitz Be mindful of “analysts” or media that oversimplify strategy, war,’warfare while not recognizing the uncertainty, fog and friction, complexity of geopolitics, and all the information...
US May Abandon Region, Opt for Iran's Destruction
If China is doing this, USA might be forced to destroy Kharg and go home and leave the mess. If China and Russia supports Iran and Europa is not helping USA, then USA cannot secure a stable solution, but must...
China’s Iran Oil Choice Shapes US Exit Strategy
Context is that China needs oil from Iran. The cacth22 is: 1. China helps: USA wants to get a fast offramp and avoid boots on the ground - will happen if China helps (then Russia is in a Catch22). China is unlikely...
De‑escalation Signaled by Seeking NATO and China Help
Clearly, a sense of de-escalation if we are asking for help from NATO and China 🫡
Official Claims On
This doesn't line up with any previous statements regarding the war being "won", the missile threat being "eliminated," and the U.S. not needing "late comers."
Trump Urges Europe to Join Iran War, Threatens NATO
Trump has sent a blunt message to European nations to join his war effort in Iran and help open up the Strait of Hormuz. “If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response I think it will be very bad...
I Support Big Tech in Defense for America’s Future
It is always weird when media outlets paint me as biased in wanting big tech to be more involved with the military, as if wanting more competitors is the natural state of things. No! I want it because I care...
Iran's Crisis Hits Tipping Point Amid Protests and Missiles
Protests, missiles, and a regime on the ropes — Iran is at a turning point. @therealryanmcbeth explains the forces driving one of the world’s most complex crises. Notes https://jordanharbinger.com/1297 Apple https://buff.ly/4MgofmR Spotify https://buff.ly/Pgrhilp Overcast https://overcast.fm/+BI_q8b6fgk
Hormuz Closure Risks Boost Long Volatility Gains
They had all weekend to think something up. The best they could come up with is sailing into a turkey shoot… Think it’s time to accept the obvious. Hormuz opens when the Iranians want it to open. Only way Trump can...
Inaction Costs: US Will Reward Allies, Punish Bystanders
Maybe sounds like just words, but countries not chipping in here are running a risk. Let us look at the US perspective: 1. Iran is a terroist state, that has been supporting terroism for decades, had a 'death over...