Inside the Taliban’s New Military Formation on the Durand Line

The Diplomat  |  Sarah Adams

Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada approved the creation of the 4,000-member Hebati Unit, a new military formation deployed on the Durand Line, amidst a simmering conflict with Pakistan. This development follows Pakistan's shift to a more proactive campaign against militant networks operating from Afghan territory. Pakistani security forces have escalated efforts, targeting militant infrastructure with airstrikes in Nangarhar, Khost, and Paktika in February 2026, launching Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, and conducting precision strikes in Khost, Kunar, and Paktika in June 2026.

With the Military Ascendant, Is This the End for Imran Khan?

The Diplomat  |  Kunwar Khuldune Shahid

Pakistan's military leadership, under Field Marshal Asim Munir, has significantly consolidated power, leading to questions about the political future of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The Election Commission Gilgit-Baltistan announced the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won nine out of 21 seats in the June 7 polls, a result the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleges was rigged by the military, mirroring claims from the 2024 general elections.

China's PLA 'Manned + Unmanned' Battlefield

The PLA Brief

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is extensively integrating unmanned systems into combined arms tactical operations, moving beyond mere technological acquisition to focus on effective employment. PLA commentator Li Jiyong outlines four integration forms: "Linked Integration" (higher echelon assets), "Embedded Integration" (organic to infantry units), "Hand-in-Hand Integration" (dedicated unmanned units attached), and "Fusion Integration" (flexible human-machine groupings).

As Chinese Tech Pulls Ahead, U.S. Fears It Will Become Dependent

The New York Times  |  Ana Swanson

China is rapidly advancing in key technological sectors, leading to U.S. concerns about potential dependency. At Contemporary Amperex Technology Company Ltd. (CATL) in southeastern China, the world's largest and most advanced cluster of battery factories, robot arms produce batteries destined for cars and data centers globally. This site exemplifies a significant shift where China, once a manufacturing hub for U.S.

How China’s ‘Red Lines’ Are Quietly Shaping Global News Reporting

The Diplomat  |  Reza Hasmath

China's Communist Party (CCP), under Xi Jinping, has significantly expanded its control over political language, directly challenging journalism's fundamental task of accurate global reporting. News organizations increasingly face a stark trade-off between maintaining access to China and upholding editorial accuracy, leading to widespread self-censorship. For instance, Bloomberg's editor-in-chief Matthew Winkler spiked an investigation into the hidden wealth of China’s elite in 2013 to protect the company's interests.

Why the US remains ‘fragmented’ in a critical copper clash against China

South China Morning Post | Mia Nurmamat

The United States and China are engaged in a critical, albeit quieter, contest to secure copper, a metal central to advanced technology and defense systems, as part of their broader competition for leadership in AI, energy, and other strategic sectors. Washington's efforts to rebuild its domestic copper industry are directly colliding with China's established dominance in this critical global supply chain.

Army aims to sync two divisions using next-gen C2 by year’s end

Defense One  |  Lauren C. Williams

The U.S. Army plans to integrate its next-generation command-and-control (NGC2) system across two infantry divisions by the end of the year, aiming to digitally share key battle data. Anduril will lead this effort, bringing the 25th Infantry Division and the 4th Infantry Division to a common NGC2 configuration.

Another Top General Is Out at the Pentagon

The Atlantic | Nancy A. Youssef and Missy Ryan

General Chris “C. D.” Donahue, who led Army forces in Europe and Africa and was the last U.S. soldier to leave Afghanistan in 2021, is departing his post after 18 months. This abrupt exit is part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s ongoing purge of senior military ranks, targeting leaders who do not align with his vision, including those involved in the 2021 Kabul withdrawal.

To protect the Iran peace talks, will Trump finally restrain Netanyahu?

The Guardian  |  Mohamad Bazzi

US Vice-President JD Vance publicly criticized Israeli critics of the Iran deal on June 18, 2026, emphasizing that the US is Israel's only powerful ally and provides two-thirds of its defensive weapons. President Trump and his advisers have expressed frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's resistance to a ceasefire with Iran, with Trump reportedly calling Netanyahu "fucking crazy" and stating, "I call all the shots."

US-Iran war headed for the gray zone

Asia Times  |  Bamo Nouri, Inderjeet Parmar

The US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed on June 17 at the G7 summit, aimed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ease sanctions, and begin a 60-day negotiation process. However, its fragility emerged swiftly with US President Donald Trump’s renewed military threats and concerns over Iranian negotiators' security, jeopardizing diplomatic progress.

Capital Wars: How Gaza and Lebanon Became the System’s Most Profitable Laboratory

FrameTheGlobeNews

Israel operates as a forward operating position for the Financial, Military, and Technological Industrial Complex, serving for weapons testing, land clearance, and military integration with the United States. Since October 2023, over 73,000 Palestinians have died, and more than 800,000 Lebanese have been displaced, with over 4,000 killed since March 2026, intensified by Operation Arrows of Fire on May 31.

How Britain lost the art of economic warfare

Engelsberg Ideas

The United Kingdom currently lacks a comprehensive economic security strategy, contrasting sharply with the robust approaches adopted by the United States and Europe. While Britain historically professionalized economic coercion, developing plans to paralyze the German economy before WWI, it now operates with an outdated 'just-in-time' attitude to supply chains and energy.

Iran Just Proved It Can Choke the World’s Oil. Now the Gulf Is Quietly Building Ways to Make Sure It Never Can Again

National Security Journal  |  Jack Buckby

Iran demonstrated its capability to choke off a fifth of the world’s oil supply via the Strait of Hormuz during a recent war. This strategic vulnerability has prompted Gulf states to quietly develop alternative energy export routes to mitigate Iran's leverage permanently. Iraq is significantly increasing fuel exports through Syria, while Saudi Arabia has expanded its oil shipments via a 40-year-old pipeline to the Red Sea.

The New Energy War: Why The AI Grid Is The New Battleground

Forbes  |  Ken Silverstein

Ukraine's drone strike on Moscow's Kapotnya Oil Refinery highlighted Russia's physical energy vulnerabilities, while an invisible cyber war unfolds. Russia retaliates against Western allies through coordinated cyber intrusions targeting power systems, exploiting a paradox: the West's shift to digitized clean energy and AI's demands create a vast, vulnerable digital attack surface.

N.S.A. Lost Access to Powerful A.I. Model Amid Anthropic Dispute

The New York Times  |  Dustin Volz, Julian E. Barnes

The National Security Agency (N.S.A.) has lost access to a powerful A.I. model, Mythos 5, developed by Anthropic, amidst the Trump administration’s dispute with the start-up. This deprivation removes a tool that had impressed N.S.A. analysts with its proficiency in finding software weaknesses. The Trump administration imposed export controls on Anthropic this month, citing national security concerns, which compelled the company to pull back the release of its most advanced models, Mythos 5 and Fable 5.

AI as Statecraft: How Asia Is Rewriting the Rules of Technology Power

E-International Relations  |  Mark Esposito and Bruno S. Sergi

Asian economies are actively rewriting the rules of technology power by adopting distinct state-led strategies for artificial intelligence, contrasting sharply with the European Union's liability-focused approach. While the EU views AI as a liability problem to manage, Asia frames it as a coordination problem requiring deliberate state intervention to accelerate demand and adoption.

We Need an International Treaty to Ban Superintelligence

Persuasion  |  Andrea Miotti

Anthropic's Mythos model, withheld from wide release in April 2026 due to unprecedented cyberattack capabilities, demonstrated its ability to breach classified U.S. systems in hours. This incident highlights the urgent, unaddressed threat of superintelligent AI, which leading companies are actively developing. Such AIs would be vastly more capable than humans, fully autonomous, and able to overpower national security institutions, posing an extinction risk to humanity.

Not all Shaheds are alike.

LinkedIn

Shahed drones, contrary to a monolithic perception, are not all alike, representing a diverse family of unmanned aerial systems. The CSIS Missile Defense Project has meticulously catalogued these varied drones, providing a detailed analysis of their distinct missions, operational ranges, and inherent capabilities. This comprehensive effort underscores the critical importance of understanding the specific characteristics of each Shahed variant, moving beyond generalized assumptions about their performance.

Conflict and the security of nuclear facilities in the Middle East

IISS | Tomisha Bino

The recent US/Israel–Iran conflicts in 2025–26 and Russia's occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP in Ukraine since 2022 have intensified concerns regarding the security of nuclear facilities. Gulf states, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, pursuing nuclear energy for economic and energy strategies, must now seriously assess these heightened risks.

Homo Post Machina: How AI and Decision Analytics Can Revolutionize Leader Performance for the Future Force

Small Wars Journal | Nathan Fry, Daniel Yeboah

The U.S. military, particularly the Army, overinvests in hardware and AI-enabled software, treating them as "deus ex machina" solutions, while underinvesting in human cognitive development and leadership. The Russo-Ukrainian war demonstrated that human competence, not just equipment, is decisive, with Russian tactical paralysis stemming from soldier and leader deficiencies despite sophisticated gear.

Iran just outlasted the world’s most powerful military. What can Australia learn from its strategies?

The Conversation | David Kilcullen

Iran emerged undefeated after a four-month war against nuclear-armed Israel and the United States, maintaining control of its territory and population despite economic suffering and leadership losses. Its industrial base continued producing missiles and drones, with surviving leaders determined to drive advantageous negotiations. Australia can learn crucial lessons from Iran's strategies for middle powers.

NECESSITY, NOT PREFERENCE: WHY MILITARY STRATEGY TRANSCENDS CULTURE

War Room | LORIS LEPRI

Military strategy is primarily dictated by operational necessity and the balance of power, rather than cultural preference, challenging the notion of a distinct "Eastern way of war." Henry Kissinger's assertion of a unique Chinese military theory, often linked to Sun Tzu and Mao Tse-tung's emphasis on indirect warfare and deception, is re-evaluated as a response to specific battlefield environments and force differentials.

How The Trump–Iran Agreement And The Lebanon Crisis Are Redrawing The Rules Of Global Power – Analysis

Eurasia Review  |  Miral Sabry AlAshry

The recently proposed 14-point Trump–Iran agreement signifies a transformative shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics, moving the U.S.-Iran relationship from active military confrontation to negotiated competition. This agreement formally recognizes Iran as a regional power, with Washington acknowledging its civilian nuclear capabilities and regional influence. For Gulf states, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz alleviates economic anxiety, as it is crucial for global oil trade and economic stability.

The Afghanistan Reckoning

Foreign Affairs  |  Carter Malkasian

The 20-year American war in Afghanistan concluded ingloriously five years ago, marked by the United States' final withdrawal of 2,500 troops beginning in April 2021, with a target completion by September. This departure swiftly triggered the collapse of the U.S.-backed government and military infrastructure. Within weeks of the initial U.S.

Stop Calling It the “Gray Zone”: How China Exploits the Language of Ambiguity

Irregular Warfare

China benefits when democracies describe its coercive activities below the threshold of armed conflict as "gray zone" operations, a term that implies ambiguity and unintentionally legitimizes its behavior. These actions, including those in the South China Sea, around Taiwan, and against the Philippines, are deliberate political warfare operations designed to alter behavior, undermine sovereignty, and fracture alliances without triggering conventional military retaliation.

China is turning the waters east of Taiwan grey

Lowy Institute  |  Jing Ge

China is actively employing a “presence as claim” strategy, utilizing coast guard operations and maritime law enforcement to assert jurisdiction in the waters east of Taiwan, mirroring tactics previously seen around the Senkaku Islands and in the South China Sea. China's opposition to the Japan-Philippines maritime boundary delimitation talks, conducted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), serves as a pretext to extend its jurisdictional claims into this strategically vital area.

No Sea for the Fish: Religion, Violence, and the Failure of the Tibetan Resistance

Small Wars Journal | LTC Phillip J. McCormick

The Tibetan resistance of the late 1950s, despite possessing difficult terrain, motivated fighters, popular grievance, and covert CIA support, ultimately failed to achieve lasting military or political success against the People’s Liberation Army. This failure stemmed not merely from material inferiority, but from a deeper inability to reconcile Buddhist legitimacy, political authority, and organized violence.

Who Is China?

Foreign Affairs  |  Ian Johnson

Western observers widely acknowledge China's rise as an indisputable fact, with commentators like investor Steven Rattner praising its 'model of state-directed capitalism' for dominating global manufacturing and achieving extraordinary progress in technology-oriented fields. Economic historian Adam Tooze further asserts that China serves as 'the master key to understanding modernity.'

How China Turned the Strait of Hormuz Crisis into an Advantage

National Interest | Morgan Bazilian, and Jamie Webster

China has developed a distinct energy security model, positioning it to absorb the Strait of Hormuz crisis more effectively than other Asian importers and to commercially profit from the accelerated energy transition. Despite 84% of Hormuz crude bound for Asia, with China as the largest destination (5.4 million barrels/day before the war), Beijing built a strategic petroleum reserve of 1.2

Heartland vs. Rimland

Foreign Affairs  |  Michael Beckley, Hal Brands

Today’s strategic map reveals a familiar pattern: a bloc of land-based powers, concentrated in central Eurasia, is challenging a liberal, maritime order anchored by an offshore superpower. This continental alliance, comprising China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, and supported by autocracies from Belarus to Myanmar, mirrors historical continental empires like Napoleonic France, imperial Germany, and the Soviet Union in their ambition to dominate Eurasia and project global power.

A Democracy Safe for the World

Foreign Affairs  |  Sheri Berman

Democratic backsliding in the United States has accelerated "much faster" than "any other democracy in modern times" over the past year, according to the Varieties of Democracy think tank, driven by severe internal divisions, political dissatisfaction, and institutional dysfunction. This rapid deterioration reflects a broader global trend where concerns about democracy’s future have moved to the center of political debate over the past decade or two.

Brexit isn’t working: British voters are ready for a European future

ECFR | Mark Leonard

New ECFR polling from May 2026 reveals that British voters overwhelmingly view Brexit as a disaster, with three-quarters desiring a closer relationship with the EU. This sentiment is driven by concerns over the economy, security, and migration, leading to a willingness to reconsider previously firm red lines, including freedom of movement and even participation in a European nuclear deterrent.

Ukrainian Strikes Highlight Russian Vulnerabilities As Pressure For Compromise Grows – Analysis

Eurasia Review  |  Pavel K. Baev

Ukrainian strikes on Moscow’s Kapotnya refinery on June 17 and 18 significantly undermined Russian President Vladimir Putin’s narrative of steady victory, forcing official explanations for the failure of Moscow’s air defense system. These attacks, following previous ignored drone and missile hits, shocked the public, with Kremlin reassurances failing to alleviate concerns despite predictions of Ukraine's "completely catastrophic" situation.

Trump gets his deal, but Netanyahu gets a nightmare

The Hill  |  Douglas E. Schoen, Saul Mangel

President Trump's memorandum of understanding for a ceasefire with Iran addresses a political vulnerability for him but creates a significant political nightmare for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While the war with Iran has been unpopular among Americans, Israeli opinion polling indicates 79 percent of Israelis overwhelmingly support continuing the conflict.

Caught in its Own Doctrine: Why Israel Cannot Win, Stop, or Endure the Iran War

Small Wars Journal | Tahir Azad

Israel's war with Iran, launched in February 2026 with Operation Epic Fury, has created a structural trap, making victory, withdrawal, or sustained conflict impossible. Despite initial tactical successes like 900 strikes, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and damaging 80% of missile facilities, Israel failed to achieve political objectives; Khamenei's son succeeded him, Iran retained enriched uranium, and the IRGC remains intact.