Monday opened with two officials describing the same negotiation in incompatible terms. The American position is that talks with Iran are being kept deliberately quiet, that the pressure now is economic rather than diplomatic, and that Tehran is broke enough to have trouble paying its own soldiers. The Iranian foreign minister said, a few hours earlier, that there are no talks. Not stalled talks. None. He added that Iran will not sit down while Washington keeps breaking the June agreement.

The Trump administration notified Congress on June 24 that it intends to sell more than $700 million worth of GE Aerospace F-110 engines to Turkey, enough to power roughly 80 units for Ankara’s indigenous KAAN fighter program. Congress now has a narrow, fifteen-day statutory window to introduce a joint resolution of disapproval. That window is closing, and it should be used. The case against the sale is not abstract. Turkey still operates the Russian-made S-400 air defense system it purchased in 2019 — the same purchase that got Ankara expelled from the F-35 program in the first place and triggered CAATSA sanctions that remain in effect today.

Dear Mr. Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, When you referred to Ukrainian drone manufacturers as “Ukrainian housewives with 3D printers” you revealed just how deeply the European defense establishment still fails to understand the nature of modern warfare. This is not about emotion. It is about battlefield reality... pic.twitter.com/j7ha6uCBu7 — Oleksandr Yakovenko (@alex_chenkov) March 31, 2026 The exchange reflects a deeper structural tension that has been building throughout the war in Ukraine.

The current state of European defense infrastructure is the result of a decades-long “peace dividend” that has effectively hollowed out the continent’s military capabilities. Following the Cold War, most European nations systematically dismantled their armed forces, reducing troop numbers, decommissioning heavy armor, and allowing domestic ammunition production to atrophy. Despite the clear warning of 2014, the response from European capitals was largely performative, characterized by a continued refusal to meet basic NATO spending targets or modernize aging stockpiles.

Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Readiness Subcommittee, issued a scathing statement following President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s unprecedented gathering of the military’s top commanders. Garamendi described the event as “wasteful, pointless, and blatantly partisan,” stressing that in all his years of public service, he had never witnessed such an unnecessary display. He underscored that meetings of this scale, bringing together the nation’s most senior military leaders from across the globe, are almost unheard of and typically only convened under extraordinary circumstances tied to national security.

The Defense Department’s recent decision to eliminate dedicated workspaces for select media organizations within the Pentagon marks a decisive and commendable stride toward modernizing national security protocols and leveling the field for all journalists. This measure is not an attempt to muzzle the press but a strategic reorganization designed to ensure that every credentialed reporter adheres to the same rigorous access standards, thereby eliminating outdated practices that once granted preferential treatment to a few.

The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) has arrived in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations as of July 12. This strategic deployment aims to deter aggression, promote regional stability, and ensure the protection of the free flow of commerce within the region. The presence of the TRCSG underscores the United States’ commitment to maintaining security and stability in a critical part of the world, where the movement of goods and resources is vital to global economies.

The U.S. State Department has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) of Switchblade 300 Anti-Personnel and Anti-Armor Loitering Missile Systems and related equipment. This sale, valued at an estimated $60.2 million, was certified to Congress by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. TECRO has requested 720 Switchblade 300 All Up Rounds (including 35 for testing) and 101 fire control systems.