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EU weighs stronger Aspides role as Hormuz crisis tests Europe’s maritime reach
Foreign ministers are discussing whether to reinforce the EU’s Aspides naval mission as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz exposes the limits of Europe’s ability to protect key shipping routes. The European Union is once again confronting the gap…
The Shkval question: how an old Soviet torpedo entered the Hormuz war debate
One of the more unusual weapons to re-emerge in discussion of the current Gulf crisis is the Soviet-designed VA-111 Shkval, a supercavitating torpedo whose speed once made it a subject of intense Western interest. Its Iranian counterpart, widely identified as…
US burns through years of key missile stocks in Iran war, raising pressure on Pentagon and Congress
The United States has depleted what officials described as “years” of stockpiled critical munitions during less than two weeks of war with Iran, according to a Financial Times report that has sharpened concern in Washington over the cost, sustainability and…
Drones reshape the Gulf battlefield as Ukraine’s anti-Shahed expertise draws interest
Iran’s use of Shahed-type one-way attack drones has become one of the defining features of the present Gulf crisis, not least because the weapon combines relatively low cost with the ability to threaten energy infrastructure, shipping and military facilities across…
NATO intercepts second Iranian ballistic missile in Turkish airspace
Turkey said on Monday, 9 March, that NATO air and missile defence systems intercepted a second Iranian ballistic missile after it entered Turkish airspace, in the latest sign that the widening regional conflict is beginning to test the security of…
Ukraine deploys drone specialists to assist protection of US bases in Jordan
Ukraine has sent interceptor drones and a team of drone specialists to Jordan to help protect American military bases, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The move points to a new dimension in Kyiv’s wartime diplomacy, as Ukraine seeks to apply…
Drone used in attack on RAF Akrotiri contained Russian-made parts, report says
A drone that struck the British air base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on 1 March contained a Russian-made Kometa-B navigation system, according to reporting by The Times, a finding likely to sharpen scrutiny of military links between Moscow and…
Trump leaves ground option open as strikes on Iranian fuel sites deepen conflict
US President Donald Trump has again declined to rule out the use of American ground forces in Iran, saying such a step would be considered only for what he described as a “very good reason”. His remarks came as the…
Hegseth shrugs off reports of Russian intelligence aid to Iran as Trump refuses comment
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has sought to minimise the political impact of reports that Russia is supplying Iran with intelligence that could help it target American forces in the Middle East, insisting that President Donald Trump is fully aware…
US and Israeli strikes intensify pressure on Iran as Tehran comes under sustained bombardment
The military campaign against Iran deepened markedly overnight into Friday, with the United States and Israel striking a wider range of military and state targets, including sites in and around Tehran, while Washington said Iranian missile and drone attacks had…