US military

Command decisions: CENTCOM chief Brad Cooper's ups and downs in shaping Trump's war on Iran

MILITARY AFFAIRS: New revelations on Iran's Hormuz blockade, Cooper's secret call to Zamir, US base vulnerabilities, missile threats, and CENTCOM's influence on the war's strategic goals.

US CENTRAL COMMAND chief Adm. Brad Cooper has played a pivotal role in shaping American military strategy toward Iran and the wider Middle East. Here, he testifies before lawmakers in Washington in May.
A Boeing C-17A globemaster III cargo plane of the US Air Force takes off from Ramstein Air Base on April 02, 2026 in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany.

Iran targeting US military bases in Germany, weeks after Israel warned partners - report

IDF Armored Corps soldiers deploy; illustrative.

IDF soldier killed in Lebanon, Trump vows he will not strike Iran before November

A US army autonomous vehicle is currently being tested at Camp Buehring, also known as Udairi, in Kuwait's desert on July 25, 2023; illustrative

Footage sheds light on Iranian attacks that drove US troops from Kuwait base - report


Trump asks Pentagon for Iran strike options before midterms - report

The White House has reportedly requested options for strikes before November 3, although no final decision has been made.

US President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as he arrives to speak at Anduril Industries in Sparrows Point, Maryland, on October 6, 2026; illustrative

Over 75 retired US military leaders, legal experts reject Gaza genocide allegations

Misapplying the standard, they argue, risks rewarding adversaries who deliberately place civilians in danger while undermining the ability of the United States and its allies to defend themselves.

Israeli soldiers stand next to armored personnel carriers (APCs) near the Gaza border, in Israel, September 16, 2025

US Senator Murphy says Pentagon denied him access to US base in Qatar

"I've never encountered anything like this in my time in the Senate," US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said regarding what he alleges to be the US attempting to conceal details of the Iran war.

US Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) speaks with reporters on the way to a vote on the "Stop Insider Trading Act" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, September 30, 2026.

Trump approves firing squad execution for Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, Pentagon says

Hasan killed 13 people in the 2009 attack. His execution would be the US military’s first since 1961.

In this photo released by the Bell County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who is charged with murder in the Fort Hood shootings, is seen in a booking photo after being moved to the Bell County Jail on April 9, 2010 in Belton, Texas; illustrative

Iranian drone attack leads to removal of US bombers as Trump says noone knows who's running Iran

National Security Council issues warning for Jews abroad on Oct. 7 anniversary • Katz threatens war on PA • Saudi Coalition intercepts Houthi ballistic missile

SCREENSHOT FROM a video released by Iranian media showing an encounter between the IRGC Navy and a US warship in the Strait of Hormuz, which they claim withdrew from the area after receiving a warning.

Japanese PM Takaichi protests to US after Marine accused of murder in Okinawa

Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, is suspected of killing Anna Yagi, 39, in a hotel in Naha, the capital of the southernmost prefecture, on Saturday.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers her policy speech at the parliament, in Tokyo, Japan, October 5, 2026.

US to send additional forces to Israel for potential escalation as both countries elections near

Some 3,000 US troops are currently stationed across Israel, whose duties include operating air defense systems, serving as pilots and support crews, handling logistics and headquarters operations.

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026, July 7, 2026.

Iran-backed militias in Iraq determined to retain arms after US withdrawal - interview

With the US military's complete withdrawal from Iraq, Baghdad projects a celebratory sense of “sovereignty” despite Iranian-backed militias retaining power there.

A stage with a banner for Sovereignty Day in Baghdad Wednesday, 30th September 2026

Portugal prosecutors probe legality of US use of Lajes base in Iran war

A longstanding agreement with the US allows Washington to use the base without prior authorisation during peacetime, but requires Portugal to give approval once hostilities begin.

Cattle graze in front of a row of some fifteen US Airforce KC-46 Pegasus tankers and one P-8 Poseidon tankers from the US Navy which are stationed at Lajes Air Base, Praia da Vitória, Terceira island, in the Azores archipielago in the Atlantic Ocean on February 23, 2026.

Pentagon planning for more naval forces in Mideast as Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran - report

US President Donald Trump's administration is deliberating on how to approach the Iran war, now in its eighth month, as US midterm elections approach in November.

A Eurocopter AS-332 Super Puma helicopter delivers supplies on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is supporting US military operations in the war with Iran, during a replenishment-at-sea with fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser August 16, 2026.