War on the Rocks

As War With Iran Rages, the Axis of Resistance is in Survival Mode In Beirut, Baghdad, and across the Middle East, the same pattern repeats: a leader is killed, a funeral fills the streets, and within weeks someone new is

After years of strikes and sanctions, Iran’s allies are still in the fight. What explains their staying power?

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.

If you’re working where defense meets innovation, @Cogs0fWar is for you. Follow our dedicated vertical on defense technology and industrial base issues for cutting-edge analysis.

AI and the New Blueprint of Terrorism Advanced violence is democratizing.  AI, in conjunction with dramatic improvements in robotics, energy production, and sensors, will increasingly enable

Policymakers often focus on dramatic AI scenarios. The quieter transformations may prove just as consequential.

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Technology may be changing warfare, but experience and judgment still sit at the center of every critical decision. (Members Only)

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AI-Ready Biodata Is America’s Next Strategic Infrastructure There is little doubt in Washington that AI is a powerful technology that will help determine which country rules the 21st century. Policymakers from the

AI-enabled biotech will reshape medicine, supply chains, and military power. Yet the United States still is not organized to compete as China races ahead.

How to Contribute to Cogs of War Cogs of War is our dedicated vertical on defense technology and defense industrial base issues produced in partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton. Read on

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Pakistan’s latest strikes in Afghanistan mark a new phase in a familiar conflict. But the consequences may look very different this time. (Members Only)

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AI and the New Blueprint of Terrorism Advanced violence is democratizing.  AI, in conjunction with dramatic improvements in robotics, energy production, and sensors, will increasingly enable

"AI and the new blueprint of terrorism" @warontherocks.bsky.social by Brian Fishman warontherocks.com/2026/03/ai-a...

The explosions tell only part of the story. The real contest in this war is unfolding in missile factories, command rooms, and underground tunnels.

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As War With Iran Rages, the Axis of Resistance is in Survival Mode In Beirut, Baghdad, and across the Middle East, the same pattern repeats: a leader is killed, a funeral fills the streets, and within weeks someone new is

The axis of resistance has taken blow after blow. So why hasn’t it collapsed?

New today for War on the Rocks members:


Behind the Green Door: Intelligence, Influence, and the Fight to Be Heard


France Changes Its Nuclear Doctrine


Fighting Between Pakistan and Afghanistan Intensifies warontherocks.com/ca...

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.

Behind closed doors, conversations about Europe’s nuclear future have been building for years. Macron just brought them into the open.

Listen here: warontherocks.com/ep...

AI and the New Blueprint of Terrorism Advanced violence is democratizing.  AI, in conjunction with dramatic improvements in robotics, energy production, and sensors, will increasingly enable

As AI capabilities spread, the balance between states and small groups is shifting. The implications could challenge long-standing assumptions about security.

AI-Ready Biodata Is America’s Next Strategic Infrastructure There is little doubt in Washington that AI is a powerful technology that will help determine which country rules the 21st century. Policymakers from the

America has world-class scientific data. What it lacks is the infrastructure to turn it into strategic power.

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Today in War on the Rocks:

AI and the New Blueprint of Terrorism


As War With Iran Rages, the Axis of Resistance is in Survival Mode

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The war in Ukraine is forcing Russian strategists to rethink the battlefield. But not everyone agrees on what comes next. (Members Only)

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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.

Quenching the Nuclear Stockpile’s Thirst for Tritium Most accounts of the Manhattan Project tell a familiar story: American scientists relentlessly racing to design and build the fission bombs that would

Washington’s nuclear modernization effort depends on one nuclear isotope with a commercial global supply that could fit in a duffel bag.

The Adversarial: War in Iran Shapes Adversaries' Calculations Welcome to The Adversarial. Every other week, we’ll provide you with expert analysis on America’s greatest challengers: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea,

A widening war in the Middle East is forcing America’s rivals to make quiet calculations. From Russia to North Korea, the strategic picture is shifting. (Members Only)

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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Why Washington’s Kurdish Gambit Could Backfire in Iran The Trump administration should abandon any plans to arm Iranian Kurdish forces before the first fighter crosses the Iraqi-Iranian border. Not refine it.

Washington is weighing a risky new lever against Tehran. The consequences could reach far beyond Iran’s borders.

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.

Fighting an Economic War Without Fused Intelligence Editor’s note: This article is the third in an 11-part series examining how the United States should organize, lead, and integrate economic statecraft

National security decisions are being made in boardrooms without the intelligence to price the risk. How can leaders assess what the system is not built to show them?