Recent articles
May 14, 2026
Saudi Arabia and U.A.E. Carried Out Secret Attacks in Iran, U.S. Officials Say
The Gulf Arab states have been grappling with how to deter Iran after the war made clear the limits of American security guarantees.
www.nytimes.com
May 14, 2026
U.S. Abruptly Cancels Deployment of 4,000 Troops to Poland
It was unclear why Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called off the deployment to Poland, which has close relations with the United States.
www.nytimes.com
May 13, 2026
More U.S. Spy Planes are Surveilling Cuba
As President Trump threatens to act against Cuba, experts are debating whether the flights, which the United States is not taking pains to hide, are just intimidation or foreshadow military force.
www.nytimes.com
May 12, 2026
Hegseth to Accompany Trump on Trip to China
Defense secretaries have previously traveled with presidents on overseas trips, to provide advice and represent the U.S. military.
www.nytimes.com
May 9, 2026
U.S. Conducts Third Boat Strike in 5 Days, Killing 2 and Leaving a Survivor
Of the 57 attacks in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific against boats accused of drug trafficking, there have rarely been survivors.
www.nytimes.com
May 8, 2026
Trump Reversed Hormuz Plan After Saudis Denied Airspace Access
Saudi Arabia’s refusal of support suggests that President Trump’s unpredictable approach to Iran has strained ties with one of his closest allies in the Middle East.
www.nytimes.com
May 6, 2026
U.S. Troops in Middle East Wait for the Next Big Moment
The U.S. military is essentially on standby as officials give contradictory signals about the status of the Iran war effort.
www.nytimes.com
May 6, 2026
Trump Says U.S. Pausing Efforts to Guide Ships Through Strait Blocked by Iran
President Trump said a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would “remain in full force.” The shift came after the defense secretary said U.S. efforts to free trapped vessels would continue.
www.nytimes.com
May 4, 2026
U.S. Shot Down Iranian Missiles and Drones Aimed at American Vessels in Strait of Hormuz, Admiral Says
An exchange of fire threatened to shatter a fragile cease-fire as President Trump seeks to break Iran’s effective blockade of the waterway.
www.nytimes.com
May 3, 2026
2 U.S. Service Members Are Missing After Military Exercise in Morocco
The two Army soldiers were reported missing during a joint military exercise on Saturday near Cap Draa Training Area, a coastal area in southwestern Morocco.
www.nytimes.com
April 30, 2026
Trump’s Plans to Boost Weapons Production Might Not Deliver for Years
While the defense industry has announced plans to make more munitions, much of that expanded production will not quickly kick in.
www.nytimes.com
April 28, 2026
Military Quietly Accelerates Boat Strikes, Deploying More Aircraft
The military has increased the number of secret fixed-wing attack aircraft and armed MQ-9 Reaper drones, according to two people familiar with the matter.
www.nytimes.com
April 25, 2026
How the War in Iran Is Draining the U.S. of Critical Weapons
The United States has blown through weapons as the cost of the war in Iran has hit nearly $1 billion a day. Our national security correspondent Eric Schmitt explains how American costs may go beyon...
www.nytimes.com
April 23, 2026
U.S. Blew Through Expensive Weapons in Iran War
Commanders are concerned about the Pentagon’s shift of long-range precision weapons from the Asia-Pacific region to the Middle East, congressional officials say.
www.nytimes.com
April 23, 2026
Navy Secretary John Phelan Is Leaving the Pentagon and the Trump Administration
John Phelan is leaving the Pentagon after months of tension with Pete Hegseth and other Pentagon leaders. The tumult comes as the Navy has been engaged in war with Iran.
www.nytimes.com
April 20, 2026
The Touska, the Iranian-Flagged Ship Seized by U.S. Forces, Was Under Sanctions
Marines are searching thousands of containers aboard the Touska, an Iranian cargo ship that the Navy disabled and seized on Sunday.
www.nytimes.com
April 20, 2026
U.S. Military Strikes a Boat in the Caribbean, Killing 3
The latest attack raised the death toll to at least 180 in the campaign by the United States against people it accuses of smuggling drugs at sea.
www.nytimes.com
April 14, 2026
US Blockade Stops Iran-Linked Ships From Crossing Strait of Hormuz
U.S. Central Command said that six vessels had complied with directions to turn around and re-enter an Iranian port.
www.nytimes.com
April 12, 2026
Scores Killed in Nigerian Military Strikes as Clashes With Militants Intensify
Nigerian officials said they attacked a terrorist enclave, but locals and rights groups said the airstrikes hit a popular market, killing many civilians.
www.nytimes.com
April 11, 2026
U.S. Intelligence Shows China Taking a More Active Role in Iran War
China may have shipped missiles to Iran, and Beijing is allowing some companies to sell Tehran supplies that can be used in military production, American officials said.
www.nytimes.com
April 7, 2026
U.S. Strikes Kharg Island as Trump Raises Iran Threats to Apocalyptic Levels
U.S. forces launched more than 90 “restrikes” on Kharg Island, Iran’s oil export hub, early on Tuesday but have avoided hitting oil infrastructure.
www.nytimes.com
April 5, 2026
A Harrowing Race Against Time to Find a Downed U.S. Airman in Iran
For the Iranians, the Air Force colonel whose fighter jet had been shot down was possible leverage. For the U.S. military, finding him was a moral imperative.
www.nytimes.com
April 5, 2026
U.S. Rescues Downed Air Force Officer Deep Inside Iran, Trump Says
An Air Force officer of a F-15E Strike Eagle shot down on Friday by Iran spent a day in hostile territory with little more than a pistol for protection.
www.nytimes.com
April 3, 2026
Iran Is Quickly Repairing Missile Bunkers, U.S. Intelligence Says
Reports cast doubt on how close the United States is to destroying Iran’s missile capability, a key goal in the war.
www.nytimes.com
April 2, 2026
Hegseth Fires Army Chief Amid Battle With Its Leaders
Senior Army officers reacted with anger and frustration to news of Gen. Randy George’s dismissal, characterizing it as the latest blow to the service.
www.nytimes.com
April 1, 2026
U.S. Plans Military Expansion in Greenland
The Pentagon is in talks with Denmark for access to three more areas on the Arctic island. Several Greenlanders said they didn’t like the idea.
www.nytimes.com
March 31, 2026
Pentagon Weighs Using Anti-Drone Lasers Near D.C. Military Base
Sightings of drones around Fort McNair, the Army base where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio live, have prompted consideration of deploying the new technology.
www.nytimes.com
March 31, 2026
Offensive vs. Defensive: On Iran, the Distinction Matters for Britain’s Leader
As the United States expands its armada of warplanes on British soil, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he is trying to defend Britain’s interests while keeping the country out of war.
www.nytimes.com
March 30, 2026
The Army Begins an Inquiry After Kid Rock Gets Apache Helicopter Flyby
The pro-Trump musician saluted the pair of Apache attack choppers, which appeared to be the same ones that flew low over a “No Kings” rally in Nashville.
www.nytimes.com
March 30, 2026
Special Operations Forces Sent to Mideast as Trump Weighs Next Move
The commandos have not been assigned specific roles. But President Trump has expressed concern about the now-closed Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s store of enriched uranium.
www.nytimes.com