With the midterm elections just one day away, President Donald Trump has vacillated between threatening a return to war with Iran and embracing peace talks.

In a rally speech over the weekend, the president referenced both, including an ominous threat to Iran.

A U.S. Air Force F-22A Raptor aircraft assigned to the 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron flies above the guided missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88), not pictured, during an air defense exercise in the Philippine Sea Sept. 24, 2013. The Preble was part of the George Washington Carrier Strike Group and was underway in the U.S.

President Donald Trump has had a complex relationship with the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, over the years.

Musk, who was more supportive of Democrats earlier in his career and helped drive the liberal push for electric cars, had shifted right by the time he bought Twitter in 2022.

President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in the Oval Office. Vice President JD Vance attends. (Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.

Dozens of National Guard members have deployed to help monitor ballot drop boxes in multiple counties in Washington State, following threats to officials ahead of the midterm elections.
The Washington National Guard confirmed some members had been mobilized  Gov. Bob Ferguson called the effort an “Election Neighborhood Watch.” His office confirmed National Guard members are in seven counties: King, Snohomish, Pierce, Thurston, Clark, Lewis and Island. King County is home to Seattle, the state’s largest city.

President Donald Trump is facing intense media scrutiny, and even legal proceedings, over accusations that his administration may attempt to interfere in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

State officials and Democratic lawmakers have joined a chorus of voting rights organizations in expressing concerns about unprecedented plans to monitor elections in several states with the support of federal agencies.

President Donald Trump holds a press conference with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Monday, May 12, 2025, in the Roosevelt Room.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed over the weekend that two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz had exploded after hitting Iranian mines.

According to the Jerusalem Post, an IRGC spokesperson told state media broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting that the tankers were “in violation of regulations,” had switched off their navigation systems, and had traveled an “unauthorized route in the Strait.”

Donald Trump in NYC Creative Commons Photo

Donald Trump Back in 2020. Creative Commons Photo.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s Russian diesel deal is facing criticism amid U.S. price hikes and demands from both sides of the political spectrum.

The latest data, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, shows prices climbed to $6.352 per gallon on October 26, up from $6.199 on October 5. The next survey is slated for publication on November 3.

As the Republicans approach the November 3 midterm elections with every major national poll putting them at risk of losing control of at least the House of Representatives, candidates and officials are pointing their fingers at President Donald Trump.

New reports published on Monday, November 2, reveal the extent of the frustration among Republican campaign officials over the party’s poor expected performance in traditional conservative states.

Vice President JD Vance gives remarks at a Sports Council announcement, Thursday, July 31, 2025, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

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The UK’s efforts to replace its ageing SA80 rifle under Project Grayburn remain in the initial concept phase, years away from service entry.

Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum, only for War on the Rocks members. Each week, we bring you a curated selection of articles from Ukrainian media offering insight into how Ukrainians themselves debate the issues shaping their country.Western coverage often narrows the view to the battlefield — these pieces widen it, revealing the texture of daily life, politics, and public argument in a nation at war.

Despite US President Donald Trump’s continued popularity in the Republican Party and among a significant segment of conservative voters, a growing number of people in the GOP are privately blaming the president for what is expected to be a poor showing by the Republicans during this year’s midterm elections.

‘One Thing After Another’

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia holds first press briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

Just a pub game?

The Space Force is looking for a new crop of guardians who can keep up physically with troops in highly specialized units like Navy SEALS and Army Green Berets, while bringing technical space expertise to those missions, the head of its new specialized command told Task & Purpose.
Col. Peter “Charlie” Norsky, commander of the new Space Force Special Operations Command or SPACEFOR-SOC, discussed the vision for the new formation on a call Friday with Task & Purpose and one other media outlet.

Russia’s Samara oil hub was targeted by Ukrainian drones on Monday, resulting in a fire at the Samara Linear Production and Dispatch Station (LPDS).

According to the Kyiv Post, the Samara LPDS was likely hit after a fire was spotted at the facility.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 2-11 Long Range Fires Battalion, 25th Infantry Division Artillery, fire a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during a counter-landing live-fire exercise as part of Exercise Balikatan 2026 at La Paz Sand Dunes, Laoag City, Philippines, May 4, 2026.

The engine room of an oil tanker caught fire after explosives detonated in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, after being damaged in an attack by a speedboat amid the U.S. and Israel’s ongoing war against Iran.

The tanker, which was transiting the Strait of Hormuz just north of Khasab, Oman, was ignited after being “approached on the port side by a small boat which attached two explosive devices to the hull above the waterline,” reported UK Maritime Trade Operations, which provides alerts and maritime warnings.

Leonardo DRS landed a subcontract to provide “rugged integration expertise” to support the Army’s Enduring-High Energy Laser production program, the company announced Monday.
The firm was tapped by prime contractor AeroVironment for the effort, according to a press release.
The Army announced in September that it awarded AV a nearly $500 million contract for the E-HEL program with the intent of moving the system from a prototype phase into production. Company officials at the time touted it as the first production contract for directed energy weapons in U.S. history.

Trump Seems to Drop a Hint He Will Attack Iran Again, But There Is Hope for A Deal: President Donald Trump said the United States still had “one or two” targets to address in Iran despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war.

Speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, October 31, Trump suggested the remaining sites could be dealt with quickly by the U.S.

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base takes off from Oscoda, Michigan, Aug. 5, 2025.

Drones may dominate the modern battlefield, but

North America Is Making a Killing on Natural Gas Sales – Because of the war in Iran, Americans still pay a premium at the pump—but consumers in the US and Canada pay significantly less than their European and Asian counterparts for natural gas.

US wholesale prices stand at roughly $3 per million British thermal unit (MMBtu) of gas, while Canadians pay about half that, $1.5 per MMBtu. In contrast, natural gas in Europe and Asia has ballooned to as much as $30 per MMBtu.

Oil Tanker. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Oil fields. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Iran has claimed that two tankers, including a supertanker, were damaged after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

Separate alerts from British authorities reported projectile attacks by unidentified attackers.

A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor aircraft assigned to the 433rd Weapons Squadron takes off during the U.S. Air Force Weapons School Integration at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, June 9, 2026. WSINT is a graduate-level training event that integrates multi-domain assets in large-force scenarios, enabling U.S.

Ukraine has continued its attacks on Russian oil facilities, with a strike on an oil installation being reported on Monday, November 2.

Ukrainian monitoring channels said the attack hit the Samara Linear Production and Dispatching Station in Prosvet, about 520 miles from the border with Ukraine.

Neptune Missile from Ukraine Creative Commons Image

Ukraine Tank Firing. Creative Commons Image.

The Kyiv Independent said it could not confirm the target of the attack.

The station houses major oil pumping, storage, and mixing facilities.

Rheinmetall has handed over the first series-production Caracal vehicles to the German and Dutch armed forces, marking the launch of deliveries under a multinational tactical mobility programme.

How is the war in Ukraine changing the way Brit

Iran Threatens Global Retaliation As Trump Considers New Strikes – Tehran’s leaders are warning that Iran’s military could attack a wider range of American and Israeli interests, including some outside of the Middle East, if President Donald Trump orders a new round of military strikes. The country’s supreme leader has also warned that the U.S. could target its financial assets globally.

President Donald Trump claimed on Saturday that the U.S. military still had to “take care of” several targets in Iran before the conflict could end, as Iran warned of severe reprisals against the U.S. should it carry out strikes on Iranian territory again.

Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump said, “We’ve knocked out their nuclear. We still have to take care of, I would say, one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes.

On the eve of a midterm election day when the high price of oil is shaping up as a key issue, oil prices ticked down slightly on Monday after President Donald Trump hinted at a pivot toward diplomacy with Iran, before considering a post-election attack on Iran.

According to Bloomberg News, Brent crude jumped toward $110 a barrel on Friday.

But by Monday morning, Brent Crude was trading at $106.8, still high by both historical and recent standards, but lower than late last week.

West Texas Intermediate Futures, meanwhile, fell to under $100, CNBC reported.

Halloween featured a full slate of service academy football as all three programs saw action. Air Force fans were treated to a victory that secured their team’s eligibility for a postseason bowl game, while Army and Navy suffered tough losses against formidable opponents away from the friendly confines of their home stadiums.
Air Force and Army now look ahead to a pivotal Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy matchup at West Point this weekend.

President Donald Trump faces a potentially extraordinarily damaging midterm election.

The Democratic Party, barring a political miracle for the Republicans, is set to take at least one of Congress’s two chambers if the polls are to be believed.

Vice President JD Vance attends a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Monday, April 7, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Emily J.

President Donald Trump’s hopes of averting a major crisis for the Republican Party in this year’s midterm elections appear to have been dashed, with the final New York Times/Siena University polls showing Democratic Senate candidates leading Republicans in several crucial battleground states.

The polling data suggests that Republicans will have an extremely hard time holding on to control of Congress on Tuesday, despite President Trump spending much of October campaigning across the country to energize the Republican base.

Iran Says ‘The Ball is in the U.S. Court’ to End War and Reopen Strait of Hormuz, But Nuclear War is on the Table – The Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that “the ball” was firmly in the United States’ “court” on ending the ongoing conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference, Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said, “The ball is in the U.S. court, since our demands have been stated quite clearly.

Ukrainian and Russian Air Alert Apps Hacked Overnight – Ukraine and Russia reported cyberattacks on their emergency notification apps after users received false warnings of nuclear threats, chemical attacks, and other dangers overnight into the morning of Monday, November 2.

Ukrainian authorities said there was no radiation threat after alarming messages appeared late Sunday. Hours later, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said its own mobile application had been compromised and used to distribute false information.

Tu-22M3 Russian Bomber. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

This video describes the military situation in

Former President Barack Obama has been highly visible on the Democratic campaign trail this year as part of what appears to be an effort to unite the party ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.

But those efforts have faced setbacks, including in Michigan, where a disagreement between two prominent Democrats forced the cancellation of a joint campaign appearance just days before Americans head to the polls.

Barack Obama at the Resolute Desk. Creative Commons Photo.

On Saturday, October 31, Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell confirmed that Rep.

A new system developed by airmen could save billions of dollars, boost aircraft readiness, and improve the quality of life for maintainers. The Advanced Maintenance Analytics and Troubleshooting System (AMATS) lets maintainers “read the matrix” of C-130 fault data, letting them pinpoint exactly what broke, what the root cause of the failure was, and then forecast when it might happen next.
AMATS has already saved $180 million in maintenance costs and could save billions more as it expands across the C-130 fleet and potentially beyond. Retired Air Force Master Sgt.

Lt. Cmdr. Holly Harrison—the first woman in the Coast Guard to earn the Bronze Star—served during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She was in command of the 110-foot cutter Aquidneck during the conflict. She retired from the Coast Guard as a captain last year. On Veterans Day 2005, she spoke with the Library of Congress for its Veterans History Project.
Leading into Veterans Day 2026, We Are The Mighty is publishing transcripts of some of the project’s interviews. This transcript was edited for clarity and brevity.

President Donald Trump faces renewed scrutiny over his age and fitness for office after he publicly acknowledged the physical demands of his hectic campaign schedule.

A new investigation also claims his public remarks are becoming more repetitive and confrontational, and activists and researchers say the president’s claims are harder to follow.

President Donald Trump delivers remarks at a Salute to America Celebration, Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

President Donald J.

Russian men are living in fear of a new mass military mobilization that could be ordered by President Vladimir Putin, with new reports emerging of men being detained on the streets and pressured into signing contracts to fight in Ukraine.

New investigations reveal how Russian citizens are complaining about forced recruitment in several regions of the country.

T-14 Armata Tank from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

T-14 Armata Tank Russian Army. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The US Department of State has approved a possible sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors to Ukraine.

Sharon Hudson-Dean, CEPA The U.S. and Europe allowed China to corner the market in critical minerals that enable modern life. Now, they must work together to secure a supply chain.

Lee Ferran, Breaking Defense The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Kyiv and Washington, including purported delays in the transfer of interceptors.

RCD Expected delays in U.S. Patriot deliveries to Poland have exposed a critical vulnerability in NATO’s reliance on traditional Foreign Military Sales for high-end air defense.

Arran Hope, China Brief Over four days in late October, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) staged an ambitious event to stake its claim to global leadership to the outside world.

B. List, R. Person & R.

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What happens when the military depends on technologies it doesn’t own? Sharon Weinberger, the new editor-in-chief of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, stops by the studio to discuss her book, Valley of Death: How Big Tech Is Fueling the Future of War. She delves into the Pentagon’s disputes with SpaceX and Anthropic, why the tech industry’s split from the military was about money more than ideology, and how a new generation of firms could become the next primes. Image: Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza via DVIDS.

This video describes the military situation in

The Russian Aerospace Forces have begun using MiG-35 fighters to intercept Ukrainian long-range unmanned aerial vehicles attacking targets deep inside Russian territory. According to a report published by Ukrainian defence outlet Defense Express in late October, the deployment was highlighted by an image shared by the aviation-focused Soniashnyk open-source intelligence community, reportedly taken from inside a Russian MiG-35 cockpit during a mission to counter Ukrainian drones.

Chinese state media has revealed further details of upgrades to the J-20 fifth generation fighter, highlighting improvements to engine performance, aerodynamic design and sensor systems. A report published by CCTV described the aircraft family’s evolution as part of a broader transformation of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), with commentators cited having emphasised that the J-20 is increasingly intended to operate as part of an integrated combat network rather than solely as an individual air-superiority fighter.

New footage of a Russian Aerospace Forces Su-35 air superiority fighter operating in the Ukrainain theatre has shown the integration of R-77M radar guided air-to-air missiles, and the fully phasing out of the older R-77-1 and R-27 which have been the aircraft’s primarily weapons since it entered service in 2014. The R-77M represents a more substantial redesign than the designation might suggest, and introduces redesigned aerodynamic control surfaces, an improved propulsion system and a revised guidance configuration intended to enhance performance against manoeuvring targets at long range.

China and Indonesia have resumed their Sharp Knife series of joint army counter-terrorism exercises after a 14-year hiatus, with the latest iteration focusing on hostage-rescue operations in mountainous terrain and coordination between manned and unmanned systems. The Sharp Knife 2026 exercise is being held in Guangdong Province in southern China from late October to early November, and is the third exercise in the series, following earlier drills in 2011 and 2012. The training is designed to improve the two militaries’ ability to conduct counter-terrorism operations in difficult terrain.