Articles about Military

Defense secretary signs memo letting members request permission to carry firearms on military installationsDefense secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Thursday that would allow military service members to request permission to carry their personal firearms on military installations such as bases, naval yards and recruitment centers, claiming the new policy will allow soldiers and other military personnel to defend themselves in case of an attack.While the full text of the memo has yet to be made public, it appears to loosen the current policy that allows for personnel to get permission to have their weapons on base on a case-by-case basis, and requires that they are registered with the base’s authorities and stored in a secure device. Continue reading...

• Tensions between the United States and Turkey reached new levels on Wednesday following Turkish military incursions into northeastern Syria targeting Kurdish militant groups, operations the US opposes due to potential civilian casualties and disruption to counter-terrorism efforts. • US Secretary of State issued a formal statement urging Turkey to exercise restraint, while Turkish officials countered by questioning US commitment to NATO and threatening to restrict American military access to Incirlik Air Base absent policy changes. • The dispute reflects broader disagreements over Syria strategy, regional stability priorities, and the role of Kurdish armed groups in counter-ISIS operations, complicating US military logistics and diplomatic coordination in the Eastern Mediterranean.

• Russian forces launched a coordinated offensive across multiple sectors of the Ukraine-Russia border on Wednesday, deploying additional mechanized units and intensifying artillery bombardment in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. • Ukrainian military sources report significant casualties on both sides, with Russia concentrating forces near Pokrovsk and attempting to break through defensive lines established by Ukrainian forces. • The escalation comes amid ongoing Western military aid debates and signals Moscow's commitment to maintaining momentum despite previous setbacks and NATO reinforcements in Eastern Europe.

Ocasio-Cortez says Israel can fund its own defense and she will oppose any new US aid amid human rights concernsUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a US representative, said on Wednesday that she will oppose any future US military aid to Israel, including for defensive systems.In a statement on social media, Ocasio-Cortez said that Israel was fully capable of funding “Iron Dome and other defensive systems”, and that “consistent with my voting record to date, I will not support Congress sending more taxpayer dollars and military aid to a government that consistently ignores international law and US law”. Continue reading...

• Asian equity markets surged following signals from Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian indicating willingness to pursue a ceasefire with the United States, with Trump stating military action could conclude within two to three weeks. • South Korea's Kospi jumped 8.1% to 5,461.51, Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 4.5% to 53,352.96, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 2% amid improved investor sentiment. • The geopolitical shift triggered broad rallies across Asia-Pacific exchanges including Australia's ASX 200 climbing 2% and Taiwan's Taiex jumping 4.4%.

• US and Israeli forces conducted strikes Tuesday on major Iranian steel facilities, including the Mobarakeh Steel Company in Isfahan and the Khuzestan Steel Company, marking continued escalation of military operations. • President Donald Trump stated American forces will withdraw from Iran within "two to three weeks," signaling a potential end to the ongoing military campaign that began last month. • Iran reported at least 249 women and 216 children killed in US-Israeli attacks since the war's start, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected ceasefire proposals and demanded a complete end to hostilities.

Though the US is almost certainly not going to have a draft, media commentary and online anxiety have surfacedThe United States is almost certainly not going to have a military draft to fight Iran. That hasn’t stopped the chatter, and anxiety, across the country.In recent weeks, Donald Trump has ordered a number of marines and army paratroopers to head to the Middle East, gesturing toward a possible ground war to reopen the strait of Hormuz or secure nuclear weapons material. The provocative military activity has led to speculative conversation about what it would take to invade a country twice the population and three times the territory of Iraq. Continue reading...

John Healey says extra deployment is response to ‘expanding threat’ from IranMiddle East crisis – live updatesUK politics live – latest updatesThe UK is sending more military support to the Gulf taking the total deployment to 1,000 troops, amid more jibes from Donald Trump about Britain’s refusal to get involved in offensive operations against Iran.Speaking from Qatar where he met UK troops, the defence secretary, John Healey, said the extra deployment was in response to an “expanding threat” from Iran. Continue reading...

• Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on Friday, wounding at least 15 US service members and destroying a US military E-3 Century radar aircraft. • The attack resulted in at least 13 US service members killed to date, prompting the Pentagon to prepare for weeks of potential ground conflict in Iran according to The Washington Post. • President Trump is reportedly considering a military operation in response, with 3,500 additional US troops beginning to arrive in the region as part of a broader deployment now exceeding 50,000 personnel.

Government told to focus on transition to mix of wind, solar, tidal and nuclear energyMore drilling in the North Sea would do nothing to improve the UK’s energy security, former military leaders have said, as a new analysis finds no fossil fuel importer is safe from chokepoints in the global supply chain.The government should focus on a rapid transition to a mix of wind, solar, tidal and nuclear energy to ensure the UK’s future security, the former military leaders told the Guardian, as well as a programme of energy efficiency and a “major renewal” of the electricity grid. Continue reading...

Spain’s defence minister confirms move and describes US-Israel war on Iran as ‘profoundly illegal and unjust’US-Israel war on Iran – live updatesSpain has ramped up its opposition to the US-Israel war on Iran by closing its airspace to US aircraft involved in attacks, underlining its position as Europe’s leading critic of the conflict.The move, first reported by El País newspaper and confirmed by the defence minister on Monday, comes after Madrid said the US could not use jointly operated military bases in the southern European country for operations related to the war. Continue reading...

The actor and comedian, posting on X, said that ‘unlike in today’s universities’ the military would teach young people ‘how truly great their country is’The actor and comedian Rob Schneider has urged the US to “restore the military draft for our nation’s young people” amid the ongoing war with Iran.Posting on X, Schneider, 62, who has not served in the military, wrote: Continue reading...

• Regional diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt met in Pakistan on Sunday to establish a framework for direct US-Iran negotiations, with foreign ministers expected to reconvene Monday to discuss peace terms. • Iran's parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf warned that Iranian forces are "waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire," while dismissing the US 15-point action list as negotiating under pressure. • The US has deployed thousands of troops to the Middle East including 2,500 Marines aboard USS Tripoli and elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, signaling preparations for potential ground operations despite diplomatic efforts.

Escalation represents dangerous spread of war and brings threat of even more damage to the global economyMiddle East crisis – live updatesParents of Iran school bombing victims describe their worst dayThe US-Israeli war with Iran has expanded with the entry of Houthi forces in Yemen, representing a dangerous spread of the conflict and bringing with it the threat of more damage to the global economy.Pakistan has said it would host a meeting of Middle Eastern powers on Monday in an effort to find a regional approach to ending the conflict. But the talks, bringing together foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt did not appear to include any of the warring parties, casting further doubt on persistent US claims of diplomatic progress. Continue reading...

FAA investigating after plane carrying 162 passengers forced to change course to prevent collisionA United flight came within a few hundred feet of a US military helicopter near John Wayne airport in southern California, triggering an alarm directing the airline pilots to change course.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Friday that it is investigating the incident that happened at about 8.40pm Tuesday when a military Black Hawk helicopter returning from a training mission crossed into the plane’s path. The pilots of the passenger plane carrying 162 passengers and six crew members stopped their descent and leveled off to avoid a collision. Continue reading...

US defense secretary axed the four officers’ names from list to become one-star generals, the New York Times reportsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxPete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, is reportedly attempting to block the military promotion of four officers – two women and two Black men – to become one-star generals.The remaining promotion list includes about three dozen officers, most of whom are white men, though a few women and Black officers are still included, according to the New York Times. Continue reading...

• The US Pentagon is developing plans for a 'final blow' in the Iran war, involving ground troops and massive bombing, as reported by Axios citing two US officials and knowledgeable sources on March 27, 2026. • US Central Command confirmed an Israeli airstrike killed Iran's IRGC Navy commander, amid escalating naval tensions near the Strait of Hormuz. • The Wall Street Journal revealed considerations for deploying 10,000 additional US troops with armored vehicles to the Middle East, coordinating with existing Marines and the 82nd Airborne Division.

• The Military Health System's March 26, 2026 update covers research submissions and awards for the Department of War’s primary scientific gathering during March 23-27. • Features teamwork and tools for field medic training, plus new research on preventing dangerous diseases in U.S. Army and Navy contexts. • Army Reserve 'Connect to Protect' initiative emphasizes health protections amid weekly military medical news.

US president claims Iranian negotiators fear being killed by their own side; US military command claims to have damaged or destroyed over two-thirds of Iran’s missile, drone and naval production facilitiesIran rejects US ceasefire plan and submits its own amid push for talksAnalysis: Trump pitches Iran peace plan but military buildups rarely veer to off-rampChina’s foreign minister has said that a “glimmer of hope” for peace has emerged due to moves to stop the war in the Middle East, despite Tehran vowing to keep fighting.Wang Yi urged dialogue in separate calls with his Turkish and Egyptian counterparts, suggesting that both Tehran and Washington had shown signals they were willing to return to the negotiating table.Speaking of negotiations now is an admission of defeat.Prolonging this war would only result in further casualties and needless losses, leading to a further spillover of the conflict. Continue reading...

Latest strike comes as part of US Southern Command’s efforts to apply ‘total systemic friction on the cartels’The US has launched another strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, killing four people, the US Southern Command said Wednesday.The command which oversees combatant operations in Latin America and the Caribbean announced on X that it had conducted a “lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations”. Continue reading...

Tehran skeptical of president’s offer – and troop deployments for potential ground operations suggest claim of imminent end to war not credibleSomewhere between the strait of Hormuz and the screens of Bloomberg terminals around the world, the standard laws of cause and effect appear to have been suspended for Donald Trump’s war in Iran.Trump this week soft-launched his latest Iran peace talks – which he has said must be accepted or “we’ll just keep bombing our little hearts out” – with few details or proof that anyone in the Iranian regime was willing to listen to him. The ultimatum was described as “maximalist” by Iran and quickly derided as a non-starter by analysts and former government officials. Continue reading...

• Iran's military dismissed US diplomatic overtures and launched intensified attacks on Israel and Gulf targets on March 25, with one Iranian drone striking Kuwait International Airport and igniting a fuel tank fire, while multiple drones were also intercepted in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. • Iran maintained its control over the Strait of Hormuz and allowed safe passage only to vessels not involved in "aggression," while continuing daily missile and drone attacks against Israel that Israeli forces said they intercepted with missile defense systems. • Despite the military escalation, Iranian officials remained concerned about Israeli airstrikes that have reportedly killed senior Iranian officials, and Pakistan offered to mediate between the US and Iran as international parties sought de-escalation.

Cargo plane carrying between 80 and 110 soldiers crashes shortly after takeoff in southern Amazon regionScores of Colombian soldiers are feared dead after military transport plane crashed on takeoff in the south of the country.The defense minister, Pedro Sánchez, said the accident happened as the Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 plane was taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, deep in Colombia’s southern Amazon region on the border with Peru, as it transported troops from the armed forces.More details soon … Continue reading...

• U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of Central Command, stated in an interview that the military campaign against Iran is 'ahead or on plan' amid ongoing strikes. • Israeli forces launched a wide-scale wave of strikes on Iranian terror regime infrastructure early Monday, with Iranian media reporting new airstrikes in Tehran. • Death toll exceeds 1,500 in Iran, 1,000 in Lebanon, 15 in Israel, and 13 U.S. military members, displacing millions in both countries.

• The US Department of Defense designated Palantir's Maven Smart System as a core program for operations planning, per a March 9, 2026 memorandum by Deputy Secretary Steven Feinberg. • The status ensures stable long-term funding and permanent AI integration across all US armed forces branches. • Maven has supported thousands of strikes in the Middle East, including Iran, in recent weeks.

University polling and focus groups found sharpest increase in those worried about national security was cohort aged 18 to 24Nearly half of Australians believe a foreign military will attack the country within five years, as anxiety over national security issues rises sharply, a new study suggests.The Australian National University’s National Security College report found that two-thirds of those polled in 2026, including an increasing number of teenagers and young adults, were worried about national security issues. Continue reading...

• Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg declared Palantir's Maven Smart System an official program of record in a March 9 letter, locking in long-term use of Palantir's weapons-targeting technology across the U.S. military. • Feinberg stated embedding Maven would provide warfighters "with the latest tools necessary to detect, deter, and dominate our adversaries in all domains," with implementation expected by the close of fiscal year 2026 in September. • Maven is a command-and-control software platform that analyzes battlefield data and identifies targets; it is already the primary AI operating system for U.S. military operations.

Forces have been stripped back since the cold war but political stasis is dangerous in the face of growing global threatsIt will have been more than three weeks since the US and Israel first attacked Iran when the first British warship finally arrives off the coast of Cyprus, a belated defensive deployment that has highlighted the lack of military capacity available to the UK.Nominally, HMS Dragon was one of three destroyers available out of six. In reality the warship has had to be hauled out of dry dock, prepared and then, after launch, tested for several days in the Channel. Its arrival date is still unconfirmed. Continue reading...