Ankit Panda

The Program on Science and Global Security invites applications for the Princeton School on Science and Global Security to be held July 27-31, 2026 at the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy. Applications close on April 17, 2026 sgs.princeton.edu/school2026

Iranians rethink the price of regime change Destructive US and Israeli war and Islamic republic’s resilience have alarmed even those who supported foreign intervention

"The scale of destruction and the apparent resilience of the Islamic regime, which appointed Khamenei’s son Mojtaba as the new supreme leader in an act of defiance, has prompted many Iranians to rethink hopes that foreign intervention might bring about its end." www.ft.com/content/4e04...

Iran signaling it may deploy mines to disrupt Strait of Hormuz, U.S. sources say Iran is using smaller crafts to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, two U.S. officials said.

Concerning reports that Iran is attempting to mine the Strait of Hormuz. 1/
www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-mi...

See Where U.S. Sites Have Been Damaged in War With Iran A New York Times analysis of satellite imagery and verified videos shows damage to more than a dozen American military sites and installations from Iran’s retaliatory strikes.

Many people are saying: "The intensity of the retaliatory strikes has signaled that Iran was more prepared for the war than many in the Trump administration had anticipated, U.S. military officials say." www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Iran war lifts K-defence company offering cheap Patriot rival LIG Nex1’s Cheongung-II success in real-war situation set to foster demand for Korean security tech

"A South Korean missile defence specialist has emerged as a beneficiary of the US-Israel war on Iran, with demand for LIG Nex1’s cheaper system pushing its shares higher and shining a spotlight on the country’s thriving security sector."
www.ft.com/content/658c...

Macron can't keep getting away with this.

I was in a 2 hour briefing today on the Iran War. All the briefings are closed, because Trump can't defend this war in public.

I obviously can't disclose classified info, but you deserve to know how incoherent and incomplete these war plans are.

1/ Here's what I can share:

Iran’s Cheap, Plentiful Weaponry Puts US Military Under Unprecedented Strain As the conflict extends towards a third week, an arsenal of attack drones and ballistic missiles has helped make Tehran unlike any adversary the US has faced.

“The US appears to have underestimated Iran's tolerance for pain and its ability to inflict it in return” www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Now we all await the arrival of the Hegelian synthesis

Nailed it.

Thanks John!

North Korea Is Getting Serious About Space Weapons The new chapter in defense planning seems like a direct response to Trump’s Golden Dome.

Important piece from @nktpnd.bsky.social:

"Whatever doubt exists about the Golden Dome’s scope, costs, and technical feasibility, North Korea has to presume the worst." foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/09/n...

Strong "Twilight of the British Empire" vibes from this headline.
edition.cnn.com/2026/03/09/b...

Among the many reasons why the poor state of discourse in DC on the US-Israel relationship matters is because it obscures the deep strategic divergences that actually exist on issues where they nominally agree (such as Iran).

The learning continues.

This is going to be politically toxic to the US-ROK alliance under a progressive administration in Seoul: South Korea took the brunt of PRC sanctions for this deployment back in 2016-2017, only to have assets relocated for a war of choice in the Middle East that threatens its energy security.

(LEAD) Pentagon says USFK remains focused on 'combat-credible' force posture in Korea amid THAAD redeployment report | Yonhap News Agency (ATTN: ADDS more info in last para)By Song Sang-ho WASHINGTON, March 10 (Yonhap) -- The ...

"Citing two officials, The Washington Post reported on the movement of parts of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system stationed in South Korea" en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2026...

How the United States Can Address Its Shortage of Missile Interceptors The United States faces a challenge to maintain adequate stockpiles of missile interceptors amid rising demand and limited production capacity. The strain

Source (paywalled): warontherocks.com/2025/11/how-...

Revisiting this from last November: my comments for @warontherocks.bsky.social on how the US should address missile defense interceptor shortages. Turns out ... we did not do any of this.

Indonesia Says It Has Finalized BrahMos Missile Purchase From India The country will become the second Southeast Asian nation to acquire the powerful Indo-Russian weapons system, after the Philippines.

Indonesia Says It Has Finalized BrahMos Missile Purchase From India thediplomat.com/2026/03/indo...

"According to a government source on Saturday, a large number of U.S. military heavy transport aircraft, including C-17s that had been stationed at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on March 5 and 6, have already departed the base" www.donga.com/en/article/a...

North Korea Is Getting Serious About Space Weapons The new chapter in defense planning seems like a direct response to Trump’s Golden Dome.

My latest in @foreignpolicy.com: with a war in the Middle East, the world appears to have missed that North Korea is now officially getting into the space weapons game (with strong incentives to put nukes in space). My analysis: foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/09/n...

Regarding Iran's threats to the Strait, Trump claims, "We have the greatest mine sweeping ability." Um, no. 1/4

The US Navy faces a very plausible risk of significant surface combatant losses in a future great power conflict. Not the precedent you want to be setting here.

If Putin facilitates the US-Iran ceasefire, the Norwegian Nobel Committee will have the opportunity to do the funniest thing imaginable.

Don't make me tap the sign.

I don't know who needs to hear this, but Tomahawk Block IV can dive vertically.

From my NKPro commentary written last June. Unfortunate to be right in this case.

Rubio’s Promise to “Unleash Chiang” Won’t Land Well in China The secretary of state's odd reference to regime change in China likely damaged prospects for nuclear arms talks.

'It’s not difficult to imagine that Xi and other Chinese leaders could interpret Rubio’s public call to “unleash Chiang” as a warning of what is waiting for them if they don’t play ball with the Trump administration' blog.ucs.org/gregory-kula...