Middle East Archives

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Donald Trump Just Put Nuclear War on the Table Against Iran

The Madman Strategy: Trump May Be Leveraging His Unpredictability to Frighten Iran Into a Ceasefire On Tuesday morning, President Trump declared that if Iran...

Robert FarleyApril 7, 2026

U.S. Marines, with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), transport ordinance on the flight deck of America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7), Mar. 20, 2026. Tripoli is currently underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet, is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Reese Mitchell Taylor)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Iran Doesn’t Need to Control the Strait of Hormuz — It Just Needs to Make Every Ship Too Afraid to Enter, and Even the U.S. Navy Can’t Fix That Quickly

The Geography of the Strait of Hormuz Favors Iran — 21 Miles Wide, Within Range of Coastal Defenses, and Covered by Nearby Iranian Islands...

Isaac SeitzApril 7, 2026

USS Kingsville (LCS 36) points its bow toward the harbor at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division in California on a recent morning as the ship arrives from its homeport of San Diego. The Independence-variant littoral combat ship features a trimaran hull design, which allows it to reach speeds much greater than destroyers and cruisers, as well as to operate in shallower waters closer to shore. (U.S. Navy photo by Eric Parsons)

The Embassy

The Strait of Hormuz Is Already Closed — If the Houthis Shut Down Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea the Global Economy Could Fall Into a Depression

The Houthis Held Back for 5 Weeks — They’re Running a Calibrated Escalation Strategy Designed by Iran for Maximum Leverage The Yemen-based, Iran-backed Houthis...

Brandon WeichertApril 6, 2026

The Embassy

The U.S. Military Can’t Reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Force, Can’t Afford a Ground War, and Can’t Wait Iran Out — Diplomacy Is the Only Path Left

Iran Doesn’t Need to Win the War — It Just Needs to Keep the Strait of Hormuz Closed Long Enough for Americans to Turn...

Brent M. EastwoodApril 6, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

China Is Helping Iran Rebuild Its Missile Program — 5 Ships Have Already Delivered Solid Rocket Fuel Ingredients

PLA-Linked Chinese Firms Are Using AI and Commercial Satellites to Track U.S. Carrier Groups, Base Activity, and Strike Patterns for Iran MANILA – A group...

Reuben JohnsonApril 5, 2026

A U.S. Sailor performs a safety scan of the catapult track as an F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft positions for launch from the flight deck while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Nov. 25, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of Operation Southern Spear, the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier Has Been to Hell and Back — Extended Deployment, a Shipboard Fire, 200 Sailors Treated for Smoke, and a Stop in Croatia for Repairs

From Venezuela to Iran to a Fire That Sent 200 Sailors for Smoke Treatment — The USS Gerald R. Ford Has Been Pushed Harder...

Christian D. OrrApril 5, 2026

A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II conducts a combat air patrol over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, May 13, 2025. The A-10 Thunderbolt II can patrol over battle areas for extended periods of time and operate in low visibility conditions. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. John C.B. Ennis)

The Embassy

The U.S. Has Destroyed Iran’s Military — Without Regime Change It May Have Created Something More Dangerous

Without Regime Change, the IRGC Will Rebuild — Russia and China Could Accelerate Iran’s Rearmament in Years The question of victory in Iran needs...

Kris OsbornApril 4, 2026

The Legend-class cutter USCGC Midgett (WMSL 757) conducted an Air Raid exercise with a U.S. A-10C Thunderbolt II, the Italian Navy Thaon di Revel-class offshore patrol vessel ITS Montecuccoli (P 432) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises, July 17, off the coast of Hawaii. Twenty-nine nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel are participating in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 27 to Aug. 1. The world’s largest international maritime exercise; RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2024 is the 29th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by David Lau)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The A-10 Warthog Has a Gatling Gun That Fires 4,200 Rounds Per Minute — The F-35 Can’t Replace It and Iran Is Feeling the Pain

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine Confirms A-10 Warthogs Are Hunting Iranian Fast Boats in the Strait of Hormuz With A-10 Thunderbolt...

Caleb LarsonApril 3, 2026

A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit conducts an integrated maritime strike training exercise with U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II and F/A-18E Super Hornets from Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) off the coast of California, on Feb. 10-11, 2026. Practicing innovative methods to employ and integrate strategic bombers like the B-2 with Navy carrier strike groups enhances combat capabilities through synchronized, integrated power projection. (U.S. Navy photo by Katie Archibald)

The Embassy

Trump’s Two to Three Week Deadline Doesn’t Matter — Iran Must Never Have Nuclear Weapons

Iran Can Never Be Allowed to Have Nuclear Weapons. America Must Keep Going When the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran broke out in late February,...

Jack BuckbyApril 2, 2026

A-10 Warthog At the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force 2025 Image

The Embassy

No One Really Knows When the Iran War Will End

Trump Said the Iran War Will Continue: We Have More Questions Than Answers After His Speech The world was on pins and needles waiting...

Brandon WeichertApril 2, 2026

19FortyFive

All posts tagged "Middle East"

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Donald Trump Just Put Nuclear War on the Table Against Iran

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Iran Doesn’t Need to Control the Strait of Hormuz — It Just Needs to Make Every Ship Too Afraid to Enter, and Even the U.S. Navy Can’t Fix That Quickly

The Embassy

The Strait of Hormuz Is Already Closed — If the Houthis Shut Down Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea the Global Economy Could Fall Into a Depression

The Embassy

The U.S. Military Can’t Reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Force, Can’t Afford a Ground War, and Can’t Wait Iran Out — Diplomacy Is the Only Path Left

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

China Is Helping Iran Rebuild Its Missile Program — 5 Ships Have Already Delivered Solid Rocket Fuel Ingredients

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier Has Been to Hell and Back — Extended Deployment, a Shipboard Fire, 200 Sailors Treated for Smoke, and a Stop in Croatia for Repairs

The Embassy

The U.S. Has Destroyed Iran’s Military — Without Regime Change It May Have Created Something More Dangerous

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The A-10 Warthog Has a Gatling Gun That Fires 4,200 Rounds Per Minute — The F-35 Can’t Replace It and Iran Is Feeling the Pain

The Embassy

Trump’s Two to Three Week Deadline Doesn’t Matter — Iran Must Never Have Nuclear Weapons

The Embassy

No One Really Knows When the Iran War Will End

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