Steve Balestrieri

(February 10, 2024) — The Zumwalt Class Guided Missile Destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) breaks away from the Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler USNS Pecos (T-AO 197) shortly before sunset after taking on fuel. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Mark D. Faram)

Dollars and Sense

Iran Started Charging the World a Toll to Move Its Oil Through Hormuz. It May Be the Mistake That Ends Its Grip

The ongoing conflict in Iran, specifically in the Strait of Hormuz, has been the subject of ongoing debate. Some say that once the Strait...

Steve BalestrieriJune 9, 2026

Putin Speaking at Railway Conference Russia Government Photo.

Ukraine War

Ukraine Hit 8 of Russia’s 10 Biggest Refineries in a Single Month — and It’s Not Slowing Down

Russia’s energy ministry admitted that Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries and energy infrastructure are the cause of fuel shortages in Crimea and parts...

Steve BalestrieriJune 9, 2026

Dollars and Sense

An Oil Giant Just Put a Timeline on the Coming Price Shock Due to the Iran War — and It’s Measured in Weeks

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is not completely empty, but it has been drawn down to critically low levels not seen since the...

Steve BalestrieriJune 8, 2026

Ukraine War

Ukraine Has Now Hit 24 of Russia’s 33 Biggest Oil Refineries — and It’s Choking the War Economy

As if Russian President Vladimir Putin needed any more embarrassing news about his disastrous war with Ukraine, the latest fiasco is an even deeper...

Steve BalestrieriJune 8, 2026

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) sails alongside the world’s largest aircraft carrier the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), Sep. 24, 2025. Winston S. Churchill, as part of Carrier Strike Group 12, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operation to support the warfighting effectiveness, lethality and readiness of U.S. Naval Forces, Europe-Africa, and defend U.S. Allied and partner interest in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Hector Rodriguez)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

A Fire in the Laundry Room Nearly Sank The U.S. Navy’s $13 Billion Supercarrier — and the System Built to Stop It Failed

Summary and Key Points: The USS Gerald R. Ford supercarrier just finished the longest U.S. carrier deployment since Vietnam. But a laundry-room fire, the...

Steve BalestrieriJune 8, 2026

The Treaty

Iran Just Declared the Fighting with Israel Over. Almost No One Believes It Will Last

Iran’s top military command, Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters, has declared an end to its military operations against Israel, after the two sides exchanged a...

Steve BalestrieriJune 8, 2026

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

China Is Building Aircraft Carriers Bigger Than the USS Ford — but They Can’t Do the One Thing That Makes a Supercarrier Deadly

Summary and Key Points: China is building aircraft carriers at a pace not seen since World War II. By 2035, the Pentagon expects Beijing...

Steve BalestrieriJune 6, 2026

Ukraine War

Putin’s Lost Cause in the Ukraine War Could Mean His End

The current war in Ukraine has lasted longer than World War II did for Russia, but they have not yet achieved one of their...

Steve BalestrieriJune 5, 2026

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Iran Has Turned the Strait of Hormuz Into a Death Trap — and It’s Why the U.S. Navy Keeps Its Warships Out

The Islamic Republic of Iran has continued to demand that any ship passing through the narrow Strait of Hormuz must pay the Iranian government...

Steve BalestrieriJune 5, 2026

National Security Journal

Steve Balestrieri

Dollars and Sense

Iran Started Charging the World a Toll to Move Its Oil Through Hormuz. It May Be the Mistake That Ends Its Grip

Ukraine War

Ukraine Hit 8 of Russia’s 10 Biggest Refineries in a Single Month — and It’s Not Slowing Down

Dollars and Sense

An Oil Giant Just Put a Timeline on the Coming Price Shock Due to the Iran War — and It’s Measured in Weeks

Ukraine War

Ukraine Has Now Hit 24 of Russia’s 33 Biggest Oil Refineries — and It’s Choking the War Economy

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

A Fire in the Laundry Room Nearly Sank The U.S. Navy’s $13 Billion Supercarrier — and the System Built to Stop It Failed

The Treaty

Iran Just Declared the Fighting with Israel Over. Almost No One Believes It Will Last

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

China Is Building Aircraft Carriers Bigger Than the USS Ford — but They Can’t Do the One Thing That Makes a Supercarrier Deadly

Ukraine War

Putin’s Lost Cause in the Ukraine War Could Mean His End

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Iran Has Turned the Strait of Hormuz Into a Death Trap — and It’s Why the U.S. Navy Keeps Its Warships Out

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