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What Recent Military Operations Signal About Trump’s Grand Strategy In his 2025 article, “Start Making Sense, Strategy and Grand Strategy in the Trump Administration,” Joshua Rovner argued Trump’s flexible approach to a

Recent U.S. military operations are raising new questions about what strategy is guiding Washington’s decisions abroad. The answers may not be straightforward. (Members Only)

When the hype fades, what actually keeps Marines moving? A retired Marine reflects on the habits that matter most. (Members Only)

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How Arab Gulf States Are Responding to the War with Iran Iran has targeted multiple Arab states in response to the U.S. and Israeli strikes that began on Feb. 28. Afshon talks with Sanam Vakil about...

Iran’s war is reshaping the politics of the Persian Gulf. The region’s closest neighbors now face choices they hoped to avoid. (Members Only)

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Bonus In Brief: Global Reaction to the War in Iran

What Recent Military Operations Signal About Trump’s Grand Strategy

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Cogs of War Our dedicated vertical on defense tech & industry, brought to you by an epic partnership between War on the Rocks & Booz Allen Hamilton. National security is inextricably linked to technological prowess, talent, and industrial capacity. We aim to leverage deep expertise and thought leadership to foster the most substantive, impactful conversation possible.

Builders, policymakers, investors, and operators: this is your arena. Follow @Cogs0fWar to join the conversation on the future of defense innovation.

Bonus In Brief: Global Reaction to the War in Iran On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched major, ongoing strikes against Iran — including killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and many other

The U.S.–Israeli war with Iran is already rippling far beyond the battlefield. Governments around the world are scrambling to adjust. (Members Only)

The Bay of Bengal Flank: India’s Three-Front Dilemma and Its Implications for Taiwan What if the biggest variable in whether China attacks Taiwan is how many directions New Delhi is forced to look at once? When considering a Taiwan

A more encircled India is a less flexible India. That dynamic could reduce pressure on China precisely where the United States needs it most.

Why a $1.5 Trillion Defense Budget Request Might Slow the Pentagon’s Reform Efforts On Jan. 7, 2026, President Donald Trump announced: I have determined that, for the Good of our Country, especially in these very troubled and dangerous

History shows Congress rarely funds defense requests in full. What happens when the shortfall runs into the hundreds of billions?

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Today in War on the Rocks:

The Bay of Bengal Flank: India’s Three-Front Dilemma and Its Implications for Taiwan

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Why Satellites Fail — and How to Protect Them This exclusive Cogs of War interview is with Jean-François Morizur, the CEO and founder of Cailabs, a French company focused on ground-to-satellite laser

Commercial satellites are indispensable. Knowing why they fail and how to protect them has become increasingly difficult.

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The Burden That Should Not Be Theirs: How Congress Turned the Military into the Last Check on Illegal War Congress has unintentionally shifted the burden of preventing an unconstitutional war squarely onto the military. By failing to exercise its war powers,

A dangerous expectation is growing in Washington: that the military will stop unconstitutional wars if Congress won’t. A law professor and retired Air Force officer weighs in.

The Velocity Gap Between Pakistan and India In contemporary South Asian crises, velocity matters more than military power. Velocity means how fast responsibility is assigned, actions are authorized,

India’s challenge is not greater aggression but greater timeliness. Without faster parallel processing of attribution, authorization, and outreach, military success may come too late to matter.

Israel is fighting on multiple fronts as strikes with Iran intensify and Hezbollah reenters the fray. What comes next could reshape the region. (Members Only)

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The Burden That Should Not Be Theirs: How Congress Turned the Military into the Last Check on Illegal War Congress has unintentionally shifted the burden of preventing an unconstitutional war squarely onto the military. By failing to exercise its war powers,

Democrats on the Hill say the U.S. military should refuse illegal orders. They might be right on the law, according to this former Air Force lawyer, but it's not that simple. Not even close.

In Brief: Increasing Tensions Between China and Japan Create Risks for the Region Tensions between China and Japan have been heating up in recent months, sparked in November by a statement from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi

Military activity, economic coercion, and nationalist sentiment are all in play as China and Japan spar. Where could this trajectory lead? (Members Only)

The Velocity Gap Between Pakistan and India In contemporary South Asian crises, velocity matters more than military power. Velocity means how fast responsibility is assigned, actions are authorized,

India may hold conventional superiority, but structural delays can blunt that advantage. In limited wars, timing and synchronization increasingly determine who retains leverage.

Twice Bombed, Still Nuclear: The Limits of Force Against Iran’s Atomic Program On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched coordinated but separately named military campaigns against Iran — the United States under Operation

Can military force in Iran succeed against Iran's atomic program where diplomacy did not?

Missed Signals and Middle East Shockwaves 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.

In Ukraine, the war is fought on more than one front. This week’s arguments show how much is at stake beyond the battlefield.

Foundry, Fleet, and Fight: Hedging the U.S. Navy The U.S. Navy got some serious nautical miles under its belt during the first year of this administration, with combat operations from the Caribbean to

From maintenance backlogs to drone swarms, the Navy’s latest strategy confronts hard truths about readiness and risk. Writing the plan was the easy part.

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The key question now is whether the Iranian regime can survive. If U.S. or Israeli forces sustain an aerial presence to target repressive forces, it could shape what follows. (Members Only)

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As the war widens, Hizballah has stepped in alongside Tehran. The risks are multiplying across the region. (Members Only)


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A Proxy Without a Purpose: Hizballah and the Iran Crisis What use to Iran is Hizballah in the event of all-out war against the regime? In principle, a great deal. In practice, not so much. The ongoing U.S. and

In practice, "what use to Iran is Hizballah in the event of all-out war against the regime?" ask Faysal Itani and Dania F. Arayssi.

The Deluge, the Paper Cup, and Washington’s Lack of Urgency on Guam As I conclude nearly four decades of military and public service, including as lieutenant governor of Guam, a line from the 1986 Crowded House song “Don’t

Homeland defense looks different from 6,000 miles away. On Guam, it is immediate.

Foundry, Fleet, and Fight: Hedging the U.S. Navy The U.S. Navy got some serious nautical miles under its belt during the first year of this administration, with combat operations from the Caribbean to

Adm. Daryl Caudle has laid out a hedge strategy built on foundry, fleet, and fight. Whether it reshapes the Navy or joins a shelf of unrealized reforms depends on follow-through.

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Get exclusive insights from Michael Kofman on The Russia Contingency and Afshon Ostovar on The Iran Reckoning: only for War on the Rocks members. Join today.

Missed Signals and Middle East Shockwaves 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.

Four years after the invasion, consensus is hard to find. Ukrainian voices are openly challenging the path forward. (Members Only)