Why liberal democracies win total wars

Engelsberg Ideas  |  Duncan Weldon

The two total wars of the 20th century demonstrated that liberal, capitalist economies were significantly more adaptable to the demands of large-scale conflict than their authoritarian adversaries. Winston Churchill, having observed earlier conflicts, presciently described modern warfare in 1901 as a "cruel, heart-rending struggle" demanding the "whole manhood of the nation" and "entire suspension of peaceful industries."

From Sea Denial to Market Shock: Maritime Swarms and the Weaponization of Global Energy Logistics

Small Wars Journal | Paul Zgheib

Maritime swarm tactics enable weak actors to transform global energy chokepoints into strategic battlefields, leveraging numbers, speed, and dispersion to overwhelm conventional naval defenses and target vulnerable commercial tankers. These low-cost “mosquito fleets” bypass traditional naval engagements to strike at the global economy’s logistics center of gravity, imposing disproportionate economic costs and amplifying systemic risk.

Special Operations Forces and Big Army Must Learn to Fight Together Before the Next War

Sofrep | Charles V. Sasser, Jr.

The U.S. military faces critical friction between Special Operations Forces (SOF) and conventional "Big Army" as it pivots from two decades of counterinsurgency to Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) against near-peer adversaries. This operational paradigm shift highlights a dangerous institutional arrogance, where SOF leaders believe they can operate in a vacuum and conventional commanders resent being relegated to support roles.

Iran's Post-Conflict Political Structure

Jamestown | Javad Heiran-Nia

U.S.–Israeli joint operations against Iran, launched on February 28, have accelerated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) dominance in Iran's political structure, shifting power to a decentralized, collective framework where the IRGC is the most influential security institution. The conflict, alongside the killing of Former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the rise of his injured son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has solidified the IRGC's role in strategic decision-making.

Military AI Is Killing the Big Army Mindset, and GenAI.mil Is Just the Beginning

SOFREP  |  Charles V. Sasser, Jr.

The December 2025 deployment of GenAI.mil, integrating Google Gemini for Government across secure defense architecture, is fundamentally disrupting the U.S. military's traditional hierarchical structure. This military AI shockwave, now scaled to 3 million users and over 100,000 AI agents, enables junior personnel to bypass days of traditional staff work in seconds, challenging the "Big Army" mindset.

America’s Military Readiness Depends On Deployable Nuclear Power – Analysis

Eurasia Review  |  James Durso

The United States' military readiness and national security increasingly depend on abundant, reliable electric power, particularly amidst global competition with China over industrial capacity, AI, and defense production. The nation's electric grid is at capacity and vulnerable, necessitating the urgent deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to provide resilient baseload electricity for the defense industrial base and digital infrastructure.

Weapons, money and ships: How is this Iran deal different from others?

BBC  |  Ben Chu

President Donald Trump has formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iran, aiming to end the conflict initiated on February 28, 2026, by US and Israeli air strikes against Tehran. This MoU, a framework for 60 days of talks, differs significantly from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The Radioactive Brink: Securing the American Warfighter in 2026

Real Clear Defense  |  David Lasseter

The United States faces an escalating threat of tactical nuclear weapon deployment, marking a "Second Nuclear Age" defined by low-yield weapons. Russia maintains approximately 1,500 non-strategic warheads, exhibiting a "launch-at-any-moment" posture in the Ukraine conflict. Iran, post-Operation Epic Fury, risks "loose" nuclear material and radiological "dirty bombs." China, surpassing 600 active warheads and developing low-yield theater weapons, makes the Indo-Pacific a nuclear tinderbox.

Why the US and Israel Diverged on Iran Peace

The National Interest  |  Leon Hadar

The 2025-2026 Iran War's conclusion mirrors the 1973 Yom Kippur War, revealing a consistent pattern in the US-Israel "special relationship" where Washington imposes ceasefires when its strategic objectives are met, often before Israel achieves its maximalist goals. In 1973, the Nixon administration, through Henry Kissinger, prevented Egypt's total defeat, leveraging Israel's battlefield success for diplomatic gains like the Camp David Accords, despite Israeli reluctance due to dependency on US resupply.

Trump’s Iran Accord And The 2015 Nuclear Deal: What’s Different This Time? – Analysis

Eurasia Review  |  Ray Furlong

The US-Iranian deal, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by President Trump and Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian on June 17, aims to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This new accord is being compared to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which Trump withdrew in 2018.

In Order To Understand Pakistan Just Study The Army Chief Role

FrameTheGlobeNews

Pakistan's military, particularly the Army Chief, has consistently prioritized its institutional interests and vast commercial empire, like the $5.9 billion Fauji Foundation, over the nation's well-being for 68 years. This logic, from Ayub Khan to Asim Munir, involves leveraging state resources, tax exemptions, and foreign aid to expand influence without parliamentary oversight.

Pakistan's U.S.–Iran Diplomacy Sought to Prevent a Militant Spillover

Jamestown Foundation  |  Rahim Nasar

Pakistan's diplomacy during the U.S.–Iran conflict aimed to prevent a militant spillover, driven by a desire to avoid a security vacuum along its roughly 900-kilometer (about 559-mile) border with Iran. Islamabad fears a weakened Iranian state would create operational space for Baloch separatists like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), sectarian militants such as Jaish al-Adl, smugglers, and transnational jihadist actors in its southwest.

Pakistan’s Ponzi State

Brief.pk

Pakistan's fiscal structure has operated for three decades as a Ponzi scheme, characterized by borrowing to cover deficits and pay interest on existing debt, with total public debt reaching Rs 81.93 trillion and per capita debt at Rs 333,041. The government claims recent fiscal improvements, including a primary surplus and reduced interest payments (from 61 to 49 paisas per revenue rupee), which the IMF has confirmed.

Explained: Why India, Pak Never Target Each Other's Nuclear Installations

NDTV 24x7  |  Pallava Bagla

India and Pakistan, hostile nuclear-armed neighbors with a long history of conflict, have maintained a crucial area of restraint by never targeting each other's nuclear installations, even during periods of sharp tension and active hostilities like Operation Sindoor in 2025. This restraint is particularly striking given a growing global concern, highlighted by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, that civilian nuclear facilities worldwide face unprecedented risks in modern conflicts.

PLA scientists propose a plan to destroy US carrier groups from 3,000km away

South China Morning Post  |  Stephen Chen

PLA scientists have proposed a plan to destroy US carrier groups from 3,000km away, directly responding to the United States' strategic repositioning of its most precious military assets. The US military has quietly pulled these assets, including aircraft carriers, away from Asian coasts, relocating them to distant territories such as Guam in Micronesia.

Chinese Grid Operators Maintain Offensive Cyber Programs

Jamestown Foundation  |  T.A. Talbert

The People's Republic of China's (PRC) state-owned grid operators, State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG), maintain standing "red and blue team special forces" for offensive cyber programs. These teams are part of a broader PRC ecosystem that develops national cybersecurity standards, runs grid attack simulation facilities, and publishes research on tools to attack Western power grid industrial control systems.

Beyond the Malacca Dilemma: China’s Emerging Corridor-Hedging Logic

The Diplomat  |  John Calabrese

China's external economic strategy is undergoing a longer-term shift towards a "corridor-hedging logic," recognizing that different trade routes offer varying utility under diverse geopolitical conditions. This adjustment, accelerated by events like the Iran war and potential disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, moves beyond viewing connectivity as a single integrated system.

China's Techno-Industrial Strategy in the Xi Era

RAND | Gerard DiPippo, Jonathon Sine, Benjamin Lenain

China's techno-industrial policy under Xi Jinping has evolved into a centralized, security-linked, and finance-driven system, prioritizing national security, technological self-reliance, and frontier leadership over growth. This system operates via five channels and 18 instruments, enabling the Party-state to define priorities, mobilize resources, discipline firms, and project arrangements abroad.

U.S.-Sanctioned United Front Figure Leads World Data Organization

The Jamestown Foundation  |  Arran Hope

The World Data Organization (WDO), a new international institution, launched in Beijing on March 30, 2026, with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping sending a congratulatory letter. The WDO aims to advance the CCP’s global governance agenda, despite limited public information on its claimed global membership.

Regional States Consolidate the Resilience of the Middle Corridor (Part 2)

Jamestown  |  Vusal Guliyev

Regional states are significantly institutionalizing and digitalizing the Middle Corridor, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), through regulatory harmonization and integrated logistics. This involves new agreements on electronic freight documentation, data-sharing, and e-permits, alongside accelerated infrastructure expansion across rail, port, and maritime sectors. Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia signed a protocol to digitalize freight, while Kazakhstan Temir Zholy partnered with Huawei to modernize its rail system.

Red Lines

Center for a New American Security | Daniel Remler

Chinese advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems pose a serious and growing threat to U.S. national security, with at least seven Chinese developers producing formidable AI capabilities. These systems, released with open weights and aggressive pricing, are treated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as instruments of political control, economic dominance, and great-power competition.

Surrender at Versailles: America Humbled, Israel Defeated & Iran Rises as a Regional Power

Niti Shastra  |  Navroop Singh, Himja Parekh

On June 17, 2026, the United States and Iran signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding at the Palace of Versailles, marking a formal concession of the American unipolar world order to Iran's geoeconomic leverage. This agreement, formalized by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, fundamentally rewrites the Middle Eastern security architecture, establishing Iran as a recognized regional hegemon.

Against Background Of U.S.-Iran Agreement, Articles In Gulf Press Question Iran's Sincerity, Warn...

MEMRI

The Gulf states officially welcomed the U.S.-Iran agreement to end the war, yet articles in the Gulf press, particularly Saudi, express deep suspicion regarding Iran's true intentions and willingness to abandon its nuclear program and regional ambitions. Editorials hoped for peace but voiced skepticism, citing past experiences and the difficulty of trusting Iran.

NATO's Future Runs Through Warsaw

Real Clear Defense  |  Andrew A. Michta

NATO's strategic center of gravity has shifted from West Germany to the Nordic-Baltic-Polish corridor, a critical military frontier where countries like Poland, Finland, and the Baltic states have significantly invested in defense. Russia's invasion of Ukraine exposed this shift, highlighting the contrast with Western European nations that reduced military readiness post-Cold War.

How Macron won Trump round at the G7. Until the next bust-up.

POLITICO  |  Clea Caulcutt, Giorgio Leali, Nicholas Vinocur

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's presentation of photographs depicting Kyiv's burning Dormition cathedral significantly influenced U.S. President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France. This intervention, showing damage from a Russian airstrike on the 11th-century architectural treasure, was the final push in French President Emmanuel Macron's carefully choreographed effort to secure Trump's commitment to increased military support for Ukraine in a joint declaration.

The Kremlin faces some very difficult choices later this year

Comment is Freed  |  Lawrence Freedman

Ukrainian forces initially doubted the imminence of Russia's full-scale invasion, with senior levels, including President Zelenskyy, only fully convinced 48-72 hours before the February 2022 offensive. This skepticism persisted despite some intelligence warnings, partly due to the perceived foolishness of such a large-scale Russian action and the belief that alternative, more limited approaches were likely.

Russia Deploys New Volna Kupol Garant EW Systems to Jam Starlink, Ukraine Already Destroying Them

Militarnyi  |  Roman Pryhodko

Russia has deployed new Volna-Kupol-Garant electronic warfare (EW) systems to counter the Starlink satellite communication system in Ukraine, as reported by Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to the Minister of Defense. These trailer-mounted systems, costing RUB 150 million each, track satellites and emit powerful signals in the 14-14.5 GHz range, capable of destabilizing Starlink communications over an area of up to 20 square kilometers with a blocking range of 16 kilometers.

Ukraine Bombards Moscow With One of the Biggest Drone Attacks of the War

The New York Times  |  Paul Sonne, Nataliya Vasilyeva

Ukraine launched one of the largest drone attacks on Moscow since President Vladimir V. Putin initiated the war over four years ago, leading to the urgent closure of the capital's four airports and a section of its busy highway. This large-scale assault, which caused black smoke from a burning oil refinery to fill the Moscow sky, escalated Ukraine's effort to bring the conflict home to Russians.

How Israel made Trump's Iran betrayal inevitable - comment

The Jerusalem Post  |  Ezra Taylor

Israel's long-standing "mowing the grass" doctrine, which manages threats like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran through repeated military actions rather than comprehensive diplomatic strategy, has proven unsustainable and costly. This policy, evident in the cycle of Gaza conflicts and strikes against Iran's nuclear program, prioritizes military solutions while neglecting the diplomatic instrument.

South Africa's anti-migrant protests: Fear as deadline looms for foreigners to leave

BBC  |  Nomsa Maseko, Marco Oriunto, Thuthuka Zondi

South Africa faces escalating anti-migrant protests as a June 30 deadline looms for undocumented foreigners to leave, leading to fear and violence. Esnat Joseph, a 36-year-old Malawian, fled her Durban home after men with machetes attacked her husband, joining 7,000 others, mainly Malawians, seeking refuge. Aid groups provide support as Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe organize repatriations for approximately 3,500 volunteers.

Can an AI actually teach you to be a better human?

Innovating with AI

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being developed to hone complex "soft skills" like empathy, leadership, and communication, which often lack formal education on human brain function. Dr. Art Markman, a cognitive scientist, highlights that people understand *what* to do but not *how* internal states shape behavior. Emma Weber, CEO of Lever, notes a "knowing-doing gap" due to internal factors.

The University As We Know It Is Finished

Persuasion  |  Nils Gilman

Clark Kerr's 1963 "multiversity" model, which described the American research university as a sprawling institutional conglomerate serving diverse functions from research to credentialing, is now finished. The author argues this model's crisis has been building for sixty years due to privatization, tuition hyperinflation, and a shift towards vocationalism.

Iran Won the War but May Lose the Peace

Foreign Affairs  |  Nate Swanson

The United States and Israel launched a war on Iran in late February, targeting a regime that was then in an unprecedented position of weakness. Tehran faced severe existential economic and environmental crises, diminished defensive capabilities, and significant internal turmoil. This internal unrest stemmed from external scrutiny and a brutal January crackdown on protests, which tragically resulted in the deaths of thousands of its own people.

Weaponizing Uncertainty: How Rumors Shape the Information Battlespace

Small Wars Journal | Douglas Wilbur

In 2018, a rumor warning of child kidnappers spread rapidly through India via WhatsApp, leading to mob attacks and dozens of deaths before officials contained the panic. This incident highlights how rumors function as flexible weapons in the information environment, shaping perception and behavior under ambiguity. Rumors are unverified claims, distinct from misinformation or disinformation, emerging under uncertainty and perceived threat.

Military AI Is Killing the Big Army Mindset, and GenAI.mil Is Just the Beginning

Sofrep | Charles V. Sasser, Jr.

The United States military's industrial-age hierarchical structure, where information flows up and directives flow down, is being fundamentally disrupted by the December 2025 deployment of GenAI.mil. This platform, integrating Google Gemini for Government across secure defense architecture, has scaled to 3 million users, with the Pentagon creating over 100,000 AI agents.