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Houthi Claim Gives Saudi–Türkiye–Pakistan Defence Pact Its First Immediate Test
Riyadh has confirmed a fire at the Jazan refinery but not its cause, leaving the new allies to decide how an Article-5-like commitment applies when attribution remains contested.
Russia Retains Syrian Foothold as Tartous and Hmeimim Become Joint Training Centres
Damascus will recover civilian infrastructure while Moscow keeps a restructured military presence, replacing the broad basing model established under Bashar al-Assad with a narrower joint arrangement.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan Prepare a New Defence Alignment
A proposed trilateral pact would connect a Gulf power, NATO’s second-largest army and nuclear-armed Pakistan, but its strategic importance will depend on obligations that have not yet been made public. Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan are preparing to formalise a…
US Commander Warns Troops’ Phone Videos May Help Iran
A possible requirement for some Middle East personnel to surrender personal phones reflects how ordinary videos, metadata and social posts can expose military operations.
Iran’s Reported Chinese MANPADS Deal Would Rebuild Air Defence From the Ground Up
A reported Iranian order for 300–400 Chinese QW-12 and FN-16 shoulder-launched missiles would not replace destroyed long-range systems, but it could rapidly distribute risk across hundreds of low-altitude firing positions.
Russia’s Gulf intelligence gamble could test Trump’s apparent reluctance to confront Putin
If Moscow has supplied Tehran with satellite intelligence on US military facilities, Washington may face an uncomfortable question: how should it respond when a strategic adversary operates through an increasingly capable partner? Claims that Russia has supplied Iran with satellite…
Ukrainian Caspian strikes put Russia–Iran military supply route under pressure
Kyiv says long-range drones hit two sanctioned cargo vessels, a Russian missile boat and an offshore oil platform. Iran has confirmed that one sailor was killed and has warned that the attack will receive a response. Ukraine has extended its…
US–Iran Bombing Pause Reveals the Price of Preserving Military Options
Iran’s conditional halt has created room for diplomacy, but Washington’s diminishing target set and the opportunity cost of scarce interceptors help explain why an operational pause may now be more valuable than another night of strikes.
