Defense and Military Forces – Page 6 – War Watch

Defense and Military Forces | Ghalibaf, Mohammad Baqer | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Jafari, Mohammad Ali (1957- ) | Khamenei, Mojtaba (1969- ) | Mohseni-Ejei, Gholam-Hossein | Politics and Government | US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026) | Vahidi, Ahmad | Zolghadr, Mohammad Bagher

The Hard-Line Military Fraternity Running Iran
ByNeil MacFarquhar May 21, 2026May 21, 2026

Decision making in the country is guided by a small group of men associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Read More The Hard-Line Military Fraternity Running Iran
Defense and Military Forces | Drones (Pilotless Planes) | internal-open-access-from-nl | International Relations | Iran | Iran-Israel Proxy Conflict | Iran-Israel War (2025- ) | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Kuwait | Lebanon | Middle East | Natural Gas | Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline | Politics and Government | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | Ships and Shipping | Shortages | Strait of Hormuz | Trump, Donald J | United Arab Emirates | United States International Relations | United States Politics and Government | US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026) | War and Armed Conflicts

How Iran Gained Leverage in the War
ByAmanda Taub May 20, 2026

Outmatched militarily, Iran used “triangular coercion” by attacking Gulf states and closing the Strait of Hormuz. It points to a long-term U.S. vulnerability.

Read More How Iran Gained Leverage in the War
Defense and Military Forces | Drones (Pilotless Planes) | internal-open-access-from-nl | International Relations | Iran | Iran-Israel Proxy Conflict | Iran-Israel War (2025- ) | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Kuwait | Lebanon | Middle East | Natural Gas | Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline | Politics and Government | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | Ships and Shipping | Shortages | Strait of Hormuz | Trump, Donald J | United Arab Emirates | United States International Relations | United States Politics and Government | US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026) | War and Armed Conflicts

How Iran Gained Leverage in the War
ByAmanda Taub May 20, 2026May 20, 2026

Outmatched militarily, Iran used “triangular coercion” by attacking Gulf states and closing the Strait of Hormuz. It points to a long-term U.S. vulnerability.

Read More How Iran Gained Leverage in the War
Ahmadinejad, Mahmoud | Defense and Military Forces | Espionage and Intelligence Services | internal-open-access-from-nl | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Khamenei, Ali | Mossad | Netanyahu, Benjamin | Trump, Donald J | United States International Relations | US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026)

Early War Goal Was to Install Hard-Line Former President as Iran’s Leader
ByMark Mazzetti, Julian E. Barnes, Farnaz Fassihi and Ronen Bergman May 19, 2026May 20, 2026

An Israeli strike designed to free Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from house arrest in Tehran, U.S. officials said, was part of an effort to bring about regime change and put him in power.

Read More Early War Goal Was to Install Hard-Line Former President as Iran’s Leader
Defense and Military Forces | Defense Contracts | Defense Department | Drones (Pilotless Planes) | Federal Budget (US) | Gates, Robert M | Hegseth, Pete | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | United States Defense and Military Forces | US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026)

Iran War Exposes Shortcomings in U.S. Military Industrial Base
ByJulian E. Barnes May 19, 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is taking on a problem that the Pentagon and Congress have tried, and mostly failed, to address for years.

Read More Iran War Exposes Shortcomings in U.S. Military Industrial Base
Araghchi, Abbas | Defense and Military Forces | International Relations | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East | Munir, Syed Asim | Pakistan | Peace Process | Politics and Government | Trump, Donald J | United States | United States Defense and Military Forces | United States International Relations | United States Politics and Government | US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026)

Trump Says He Postponed a ‘Very Major Attack’ on Iran, Leaving Mideast on Edge
ByEuan Ward May 19, 2026May 19, 2026

President Trump threatened “another big hit” on Iran, saying the country had days to return to the negotiating table, as Pakistan continued its mediation efforts to end the war.

Read More Trump Says He Postponed a ‘Very Major Attack’ on Iran, Leaving Mideast on Edge
Defense and Military Forces | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Missiles and Missile Defense Systems | Trump, Donald J | United States International Relations | United States Politics and Government | US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026)

Trump Threatens Iran and Then Pulls Back, All in the Same Day
ByTyler Pager and Eric Schmitt May 18, 2026May 19, 2026

President Trump has repeatedly said he’ll restart military action against Iran, only to stop short of plunging the United States directly back into an unpopular war.

Read More Trump Threatens Iran and Then Pulls Back, All in the Same Day
Defense and Military Forces | Hezbollah | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Iraq | Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Kataib Hezbollah | Terrorism | United States | US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026)

Fears Grow That Iran May Be Using Proxy Groups Beyond Mideast
ByAaron Boxerman, Neil MacFarquhar and Falih Hassan May 16, 2026May 16, 2026

The charges against Mohammad al-Saadi in the United States have raised concerns that Iran could be working with its proxies to stage attacks outside the region.

Read More Fears Grow That Iran May Be Using Proxy Groups Beyond Mideast
Defense and Military Forces | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel-Gaza War (2023- ) | Israel–Iran War | Israeli Settlements | Palestinians | US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026) | West Bank

They Fled to Safety in Palestinian Territory, Then Settlers Attacked Again
ByAzam Ahmed and Ivor Prickett May 16, 2026May 16, 2026

Violent settlers are not merely clearing Palestinians from land under Israel’s control. They are attacking areas where Israel agreed to Palestinian self-governance.

Read More They Fled to Safety in Palestinian Territory, Then Settlers Attacked Again
Abbas, Mahmoud | Defense and Military Forces | Fatah, Al | Gaza Strip | Hamas | Hebron (West Bank) | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Israeli Settlements | Palestinian Authority | Palestinians | Ramallah (West Bank) | United States International Relations | United States Politics and Government | West Bank

Aging Palestinian Leader Boosting His Son’s Political Rise, Officials Say
ByAdam Rasgon and Fatima AbdulKarim May 15, 2026May 15, 2026

Mahmoud Abbas’s years in power have been dogged by accusations of corruption. Many Palestinians yearn for fresh leadership.

Read More Aging Palestinian Leader Boosting His Son’s Political Rise, Officials Say