An explosive maritime drone intercepted beside a strategic Romanian gas project is the latest in a series of incidents forcing NATO to rethink how it protects its borders and critical infrastructure. BUCHAREST — Romania has destroyed an explosive maritime drone near one of Europe’s most strategically important new gas projects,
With the Strait of Hormuz still severely disrupted, the Trump administration is intensifying Iran sanctions and wider economic pressure and warns countries that continue to support Tehran. The next phase could test U.S. relations with China and Gulf partners as much as Iran itself. WASHINGTON / MUSCAT / TEHRAN —
WASHINGTON/TEHRAN: The U.S.-Iran truce framework, a 60-day diplomatic window intended to turn a temporary U.S.-Iran cessation of hostilities into a broader settlement has expired without a deal. President Donald Trump has ruled out extending the framework, Iran is warning that it could adopt a more offensive military posture, and Trump
SDG News Defense Brief | August 18, 2026 President Donald Trump’s abrupt order to substantially scale back joint military exercises with South Korea is moving toward implementation, raising new questions over readiness and deterrence as North Korea expands its military capabilities and deepens ties with Russia. U.S. Forces Korea Commander
A NATO fighter jet shot down an unidentified drone over Latvia on Friday, underscoring a wider security challenge with implications well beyond Europe: governments are being forced to adapt national air-defense systems to an era in which relatively inexpensive unmanned aircraft can cross borders, disrupt civilian activity and generate military
Tehran says it is preparing to join the BRICS-backed New Development Bank, potentially expanding its access to development finance as war and sanctions constrain Iran’s economy — while testing how effectively emerging-market institutions can broaden financing options for countries facing international restrictions. Iran says it is moving toward membership in
A ship reportedly paid nearly $4 million to jump the Panama Canal queue as Middle East conflict disrupts major maritime routes just as falling water levels threaten capacity at one of the world’s most important trade arteries. PANAMA CITY — The Panama Canal is emerging as a critical pressure point
Six people were killed near the Bab el-Mandeb as the Iran war puts simultaneous pressure on two of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. The Iran war entered a more dangerous maritime phase this week after an attack by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis killed six people near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan’s new mutual-defense pact underscores a broader shift toward overlapping security partnerships as conflicts increasingly cross borders and challenge traditional alliance structures. Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed a landmark defense agreement Friday committing the three countries to regard an armed attack against one as an
As the United States and Iran cautiously explore a new diplomatic path to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the negotiations are highlighting how disruption to global commerce has become an increasingly important dimension of modern geopolitical conflict. The latest diplomatic effort follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that negotiations would
