Middle East Archives

President Donald J. Trump rings the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq during an event to launch Trump Accounts, Monday, July 6, 2026, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)

The Treaty

The Strike That Killed Khamenei Was Supposed to End This War Fast — Nearly Five Months Later, Trump Has No Good Options Left

Nearly five months after the strike that killed Ali Khamenei, Trump's Iran war grinds on — the June ceasefire has collapsed and Washington is...

Stephen SilverJuly 17, 2026

Dollars and Sense

The Mid-June Ceasefire Gave American Drivers a Month of Falling Gas Prices — and the War’s Return Is Taking It All Back

Brent hit $85.06 and WTI $79.88 as oil posted a 12 percent week, its biggest since April, with Hormuz transits collapsing to 13 ships...

Stephen SilverJuly 17, 2026

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Wash. (Aug. 14, 2003) -- Illustration of USS Ohio (SSGN 726) which is undergoing a conversion from a Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) to a Guided Missile Submarine (SSGN) designation. Ohio has been out of service since Oct. 29, 2002 for conversion to SSGN at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Four Ohio-class strategic missile submarines, USS Ohio (SSBN 726), USS Michigan (SSBN 727) USS Florida (SSBN 728), and USS Georgia (SSBN 729) have been selected for transformation into a new platform, designated SSGN. The SSGNs will have the capability to support and launch up to 154 Tomahawk missiles, a significant increase in capacity compared to other platforms. The 22 missile tubes also will provide the capability to carry other payloads, such as unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Special Forces equipment. This new platform will also have the capability to carry and support more than 66 Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land) and insert them clandestinely into potential conflict areas. U.S. Navy illustration. (RELEASED)

Dollars and Sense

The Gulf States Are Racing to Build Their Way Around Iran’s Grip on Hormuz — Pipeline by Pipeline, Toward Ports Outside the Strait

The UAE is doubling its Fujairah pipeline capacity, Saudi Arabia is expanding its Red Sea line, and Iraq is reviving Basra-Haditha — all to...

Caleb LarsonJuly 17, 2026

Donald Trump Back in 2025 White House Photo

Dollars and Sense

The World Has More Crude Oil Than It Can Use — and Still Can’t Make Enough Gasoline, Diesel, and Jet Fuel to Go Around

The world isn't short of oil — it's short of refineries, and two wars are why cheap crude won't mean cheap gas anytime soon.

Caleb LarsonJuly 17, 2026

President Donald Trump participates in a working lunch meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Japan. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

Dollars and Sense

Before the War, Roughly 140 Ships a Day Moved Through the Strait of Hormuz — Now the Count Is Down to Maybe a Dozen

Commercial transits through the Strait of Hormuz have fallen to near-zero since fighting resumed — from roughly 140 ships daily before the war to...

Brandon WeichertJuly 16, 2026

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Iran Just Fired Missiles at US Bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan in a Single Night — Its Broadest Retaliation of the Renewed War

CENTCOM launched two waves of strikes Wednesday — hitting Greater Tunb Island and Bandar Abbas — and Iran answered overnight with missiles and drones...

Jack BuckbyJuly 16, 2026

A U.S. Air National Guard F-15 Eagle from the 159th Fighter Wing, Louisiana Air National Guard, takes off during exercise Sentry Aloha 26-1 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Jan. 27, 2026. The training demonstrates the 154th Wing’s capability to lead large-force employment exercises, reinforcing the Guard's position as a vital component of the nation's operational force. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Mysti Bicoy)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Iran Just Threatened to Crush ‘All the Infrastructure in the Region’ Over Hormuz — and Promised America a ‘Superior Strike’

Iran's military spokesman declared the Strait of Hormuz an 'invincible red line,' vowing to crush regional infrastructure and deliver a 'superior strike' if America...

Stephen SilverJuly 16, 2026

U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and an HC-130J Combat King II assigned to the 355th Wing taxi in formation on the runway at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, Feb. 9, 2022. The 355th Wing maintains and operates A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, HH-60G Pave Hawks and HC-130J Combat King IIs ensuring its Airmen and aircraft are ready to fly, fight and win. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alex Miller)

The Treaty

Three US Officials Just Told Reuters What the Iran Strikes Are Really For — ‘Shaping Operations’ That Set the Stage for Bigger Steps

US airstrikes hit Iran's southern coast for a fifth straight day as the IRGC declared Hormuz an 'unbreakable red line' and threatened regional infrastructure....

Steve BalestrieriJuly 16, 2026

Dollars and Sense

Trump Says the Strait of Hormuz Is Open and Safe — but Ships Are Refusing America’s Escorts Anyway

Despite Trump declaring the Strait of Hormuz open and safe, shipping companies are refusing the U.S. military's guided-transit escorts and delaying voyages, seven maritime...

Jack BuckbyJuly 15, 2026

National Security Journal

All posts tagged "Middle East"

The Treaty

The Strike That Killed Khamenei Was Supposed to End This War Fast — Nearly Five Months Later, Trump Has No Good Options Left

Dollars and Sense

The Mid-June Ceasefire Gave American Drivers a Month of Falling Gas Prices — and the War’s Return Is Taking It All Back

Dollars and Sense

The Gulf States Are Racing to Build Their Way Around Iran’s Grip on Hormuz — Pipeline by Pipeline, Toward Ports Outside the Strait

Dollars and Sense

The World Has More Crude Oil Than It Can Use — and Still Can’t Make Enough Gasoline, Diesel, and Jet Fuel to Go Around

Dollars and Sense

Before the War, Roughly 140 Ships a Day Moved Through the Strait of Hormuz — Now the Count Is Down to Maybe a Dozen

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Iran Just Fired Missiles at US Bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan in a Single Night — Its Broadest Retaliation of the Renewed War

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Iran Just Threatened to Crush ‘All the Infrastructure in the Region’ Over Hormuz — and Promised America a ‘Superior Strike’

The Treaty

Three US Officials Just Told Reuters What the Iran Strikes Are Really For — ‘Shaping Operations’ That Set the Stage for Bigger Steps

Dollars and Sense

Trump Says the Strait of Hormuz Is Open and Safe — but Ships Are Refusing America’s Escorts Anyway

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