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CIMSEC
To fulfill its mandate, the Commission must resolve five foundational issues.

WSJ
Officials say software restrictions on weapons and radar systems slowed down efforts to detect incoming drones and missiles

Trevithick, WarZone
The U.S.

A&SF M.

Summary and Key Points: For weeks, the story has been sanctions, enrichment, and inspections. But the thing most likely to sink Trump’s Iran diplomacy may have nothing to do with any of them — and everything to do with a city several hundred miles west of Tehran. In a move few saw coming, Trump reportedly stopped Netanyahu from striking Beirut to keep the talks alive. Even that may not be enough: the problem facing these negotiations is one no deal can solve at the table — and a war in Lebanon could decide it.

Summary and Key Points: It sounds impossible: the U.S. pumps more oil than any country ever has, and is a net exporter — yet it still imports millions of barrels of foreign crude every day, and record drilling can’t change it. The reason is a structural mismatch that most commentators miss, one that has been hiding in plain sight for nearly half a century. As the Strait of Hormuz stays closed and America’s reserves drain toward empty, that weakness is about to surface at the worst possible moment — and “drill, baby, drill” won’t be the answer.

When Howard Vander Beek died in 2014 at the age of 97, he left behind a distinct reminder of his World War II service.
Vander Beek, a lieutenant (junior grade) in the United States Navy Reserve, played a pivotal role during the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944. Vander Beek captained a crew of 13 other men on Landing Craft, Control (LCC) 60 as they guided U.S. troops onto Utah Beach on D-Day.
Also Read: How a soldier’s homemade US flag made it from a WWII POW camp to the Smithsonian
An American flag flew proudly atop LCC 60 and survived the largest military amphibious invasion ever.

Despite the Trump Administration’s efforts to end the war with Iran, tensions are once again rising in the Middle East, and as of the writing of this, missiles have begun flying once again across the region. Despite efforts by the U.S. to restore diplomatic ties, the conflict is escalating once again, and it is unclear whether Iran will agree to another ceasefire agreement.

The Short-Lived Ceasefire in the Iran Conflict 

U.S.

The most powerful navy in history should be able to pry open the world’s most important shipping lane. In practice, it’s far harder than it looks. The Strait of Hormuz is shallow, noisy, and cramped — exactly where America’s warships and sonar lose their edge — and Iran needs only to make passage dangerous, not win. The U.S. could force a corridor open, but keeping it safe would be risky and ruinously expensive. The likeliest ending isn’t a victory for either side — it’s something messier.

The Strait of Hormuz Crisis and Iran War Have No Simple Off-Ramps 

The U.S.