Middle East Archives

B-52 Stratofortress, 40th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, loaded with 12 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) heads toward Iraq with it's new mission directive. The bomber's mission is to provide close air support for coalition troops stabilizing the country of Iraq, April 15, 2003. Operation Iraqi Freedom is the multi-national coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraqi's weapons of mass destruction and end the regime of Saddam Hussein. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Richard Freeland) (Released)

Dollars and Sense

A Retired Air Marshal Says Iran Just Won a Two-Year War Without Beating Its Enemies in the Air — It Bankrupted Them Instead

Over two years, Iran spent an estimated $4–6 billion on missiles and drones while forcing its enemies to spend far more on defense, a...

Anupam AgarwalJuly 21, 2026

Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) transits the South China Sea, June 8, 2026. Boxer, flagship of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, is underway with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Eliora Sims)

Dollars and Sense

Iran and Oman Just Floated a Plan to End the Hormuz Crisis — the Fix Is Charging Ships a Fee to Sail Through the Strait

Iran and Oman are moving toward a financial compromise to restore traffic through the Strait of Hormuz: charge selected ships for defined maritime services...

Harry J. KazianisJuly 21, 2026

(Oct. 30, 2007) - USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) conducts rudder checks as part of the ship's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) following a six-month Planned Incremental Availability. All naval vessels are periodically inspected by INSURV to check their material condition and battle readiness. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class M. Jeremie Yoder (RELEASED)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Saudi Oil Shipments Through the Red Sea Have Already Dropped 36 Percent — the Houthis Just Declared a Blockade Over the Iran War

Yemen's Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, telling ships to avoid its ports, per Reuters and the New York Times. Saudi crude...

Steve BalestrieriJuly 21, 2026

Dollars and Sense

Yemen’s Houthis Just Declared a Blockade on Saudi Arabia’s Ports — and Opened a Dangerous New Front in America’s War With Iran

Yemen's Houthis declared a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia's ports, telling shipping companies not to use them, per New York Times reporting. The move...

Harry J. KazianisJuly 21, 2026

The F-22 Raptor performs a demonstration at the Mather Airshow in Sacramento, California, Sept. 23, 2018. The P-38 is a World War I-era fighter aircraft that was developed for the Army Air Corps. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Lauren Parsons/Released)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Trump Just Ordered a Tenth Straight Night of Strikes on Iran — and Hormuz Traffic Still Won’t Move as Neither Side Backs Down

President Trump has intensified the U.S. air campaign against Iran, but commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains near a standstill. Only four...

Harry J. KazianisJuly 21, 2026

A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) with the 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery Regiment fires toward a designated target at Yausubetsu Training Area, Hokkaido, Japan on Sept. 20, 2023. U.S. Army soldiers and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) members participated in showcasing their artillery prowess in front of VIPs and dignitaries. (Photo by U.S. Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Ryan S. Gay)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Iran’s President Says His Country Is Now Fighting a ‘Full-Scale War’ as US Strikes Reach Their Ninth Straight Night

As US strikes on Iran reached a ninth straight night, President Masoud Pezeshkian declared his country in a 'full-scale war,' Isaac Seitz reports. Officials...

Isaac SeitzJuly 20, 2026

U.S. Air Force Capt. Nick “Laz” Le Tourneau, pilot and commander of the F-22 Raptor Aerial Demonstration Team, performs an aerial demonstration at Air Dot Show Tour Fort Lauderdale, Florida, May 9, 2026. Capt. Le Tourneau showcased the unmatched capabilities of the F-22 by performing a series of combat maneuvers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mary Bowers)

The Treaty

The US Has Now Struck Iran for Nine Straight Nights — and Still Hasn’t Secured the Waterway It Says It’s Fighting to Protect

US forces struck Iran for a ninth consecutive night into Monday, CENTCOM said, targeting command centers, air defenses, and coastal radars — while Iran...

Jack BuckbyJuly 20, 2026

A Navy F/A-18 carries the new Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Long Range (LR) variant during a test event in early April off the coast of California (U.S. Navy photo/released)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Just Vowed ‘Not a Single Drop’ of Oil or Gas Will Move Through Hormuz — if American Strikes Don’t Stop

Iran's Revolutionary Guard vowed Monday that 'not a single drop' of oil or gas will transit Hormuz if US strikes continue — as Yemen's...

Jack BuckbyJuly 20, 2026

President Donald Trump is joined by Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Vice President JD Vance, British Ambassador Peter Mandelson, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, while announcing a trade agreement with the U.K., Thursday, May 8, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Dollars and Sense

A Trump Cabinet Secretary Says the Iran War Is No Longer About the Nuclear Program — It’s About Who Controls the Strait of Hormuz

Energy Secretary Chris Wright says America's mission in Iran now centers on keeping oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz, Brandon Weichert writes —...

Brandon WeichertJuly 20, 2026

National Security Journal

All posts tagged "Middle East"

Dollars and Sense

A Retired Air Marshal Says Iran Just Won a Two-Year War Without Beating Its Enemies in the Air — It Bankrupted Them Instead

Dollars and Sense

Iran and Oman Just Floated a Plan to End the Hormuz Crisis — the Fix Is Charging Ships a Fee to Sail Through the Strait

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Saudi Oil Shipments Through the Red Sea Have Already Dropped 36 Percent — the Houthis Just Declared a Blockade Over the Iran War

Dollars and Sense

Yemen’s Houthis Just Declared a Blockade on Saudi Arabia’s Ports — and Opened a Dangerous New Front in America’s War With Iran

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Trump Just Ordered a Tenth Straight Night of Strikes on Iran — and Hormuz Traffic Still Won’t Move as Neither Side Backs Down

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Iran’s President Says His Country Is Now Fighting a ‘Full-Scale War’ as US Strikes Reach Their Ninth Straight Night

The Treaty

The US Has Now Struck Iran for Nine Straight Nights — and Still Hasn’t Secured the Waterway It Says It’s Fighting to Protect

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Just Vowed ‘Not a Single Drop’ of Oil or Gas Will Move Through Hormuz — if American Strikes Don’t Stop

Dollars and Sense

A Trump Cabinet Secretary Says the Iran War Is No Longer About the Nuclear Program — It’s About Who Controls the Strait of Hormuz

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