The United States is a country in North America and a global superpower. Known for its military primacy, alliance leadership, and sustained role as the dominant external power in Middle East security arrangements. Recently, the U.S. has conducted direct military strikes on Iran, enforced a naval blockade of Iranian shipping, and pursued parallel diplomatic negotiations to resolve the conflict. Last updated 1 day ago
The U.S. House votes this week on the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, a sweeping sanctions measure championed by the late GOP Senator Lindsey Graham. The bill has already cleared the Senate.
The House Rules Comm...
The U.S. House votes this week on the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, a sweeping sanctions measure championed by the late GOP Senator Lindsey Graham. The bill has already cleared the Senate.
The House Rules Committee meets Monday afternoon to consider it, and approval by the Republican-majority panel would pave the way for a full floor vote later in the week. Senior House Democrats oppose the measure over its expanded presidential tariff powers, though several are expected to break rank and support it. - Reuters, Punchbowl News
SUDAN WAR UPDATE: Sudan is sliding toward partition.
The army, led by Abdel Fattah al Burhan and supported by Muslim Brotherhood aligned militias, controls Khartoum and most of northern, eastern and central Sudan. The RSF, led by Hemedti, ...
SUDAN WAR UPDATE: Sudan is sliding toward partition.
The army, led by Abdel Fattah al Burhan and supported by Muslim Brotherhood aligned militias, controls Khartoum and most of northern, eastern and central Sudan. The RSF, led by Hemedti, controls most of Darfur and operates a parallel government from Nyala.
Sudan is especially important because it sits along more than 800 kilometers of Red Sea coastline, overlooking the shipping route connecting the Suez Canal with Bab el Mandeb and the Indian Ocean.
Kordofan is now the decisive front. The army (SAF) has recently advanced in North Kordofan, while the RSF still holds positions farther west and uses drones to strike deep inside government territory.
At least 59,000 people have been killed, although the real toll is likely far higher. Around 13 million have been displaced, while parts of Darfur and Kordofan face famine.
Egypt, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey support the SAF. The RSF has been reported to receive support through networks linked to the UAE, Chad and Libya. The UAE denies arming it.
Saudi Arabia wants to host a national dialogue, frustrating Burhan, who wants the process held inside Sudan under his control. Meanwhile, the U.S. is pushing to expand the Darfur arms embargo across the entire country, covering the RSF and SAF, combat drones and loitering munitions.
Neither side is close to total victory. The immediate danger is a permanent division between an army controlled east and an RSF controlled west.
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced the discovery of 110 million tons of raw material containing uranium concentrations in the Medina region. The find comes after the United States and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark 30-year civil nuclear cooperation agreement.
Austria denied entry to Iran's nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami after U.S. pressure, blocking him from addressing the IAEA conference in Vienna, per Bloomberg.
"A U.S. Sailor signals to the pilot of an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter on the flight deck of USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) as the guided-missile destroyer continues enforcing the U.S. blockade against Iran. As of Sept. 13, U.S. forces have redirected 101 commercial vessels to ensure compliance."
President Trump, talking to press aboard Air Force One:
Q: On the topic of Xi, we recently reported that Chinese entities may have provided Iranians with satellite imagery of air bases in Jordan.
T: They do what we do. I think Xi has behaved reasonably well. We are behaving reasonably well.
You know, when they say that china is spying on us, you’re right, and we spy on them too.
Hossein Taeb, head of Iran's Basij militia, ordered the July attack on three merchant ships that collapsed the emerging U.S.-Iran understanding, three senior Iranian officials tell the New York Times.
The strike was decided by a hardline faction without the knowledge of the government or IRGC leadership.
Saudi Arabia is reorganizing its forces in response to Houthi advances in Yemen, per Kann News. Riyadh is contending with attacks into its territory, the shutdown of a key oil pipeline, and a cool American response to its requests for military aid.
US-supplied gear is among the equipment the Houthis are parading after their western coast takeover. The hardware had been sent by Saudi Arabia to allied forces who since collapsed.
"A U.S. Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter prepares to land on the flight deck aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4). Boxer is the flagship for the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group / 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which continues to enforce the U.S. blockade against Iran. As of Sept. 11, U.S. forces have redirected 99 commercial vessels to ensure total compliance."
The moment 25 years ago when Andrew Card whispered to President George W. Bush during a school lesson: "A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack."
"The Islamic Republic of Iran considers itself committed to ensuring the security of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, but naturally, as long as the aggressive actions and illegal interventions of the United States, including the maritime blockade and economic war, continue, the security of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed."
"The Islamic Republic of Iran considers itself committed to ensuring the security of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, but naturally, as long as the aggressive actions and illegal interventions of the United States, including the maritime blockade and economic war, continue, the security of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed."
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: "The U.S. Treasury Secretary has been gleefully boasting about wanting to impoverish Iranians and collapse our economy. Instead, he stands powerless and exposed as the world loses belief in the U.S. financial system. Meltdown over cost of funding U.S. debt is only the beginning."
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Syria:
You have the Sunni axis. Syria is already an ISIS state. Jolani [Ahmed al-Sharaa] put on a suit and disguised himself, and they like him a little in the United States, but Syria is problematic.
And its connection with Turkey -- that is a rising Sunni axis.
The UAE is revising plans for a 5-gigawatt AI data center project, one of the largest outside the U.S., after the Iran war prompted a rethink of critical infrastructure, six people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Originally planned ...
The UAE is revising plans for a 5-gigawatt AI data center project, one of the largest outside the U.S., after the Iran war prompted a rethink of critical infrastructure, six people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Originally planned as a single 10-square-mile campus in Abu Dhabi, it will likely become a network of data centers across the country. Authorities are considering air defenses and building some facilities underground to protect against drone and missile attacks.
The UAE-US AI Campus is central to the country's push to become a global AI powerhouse and is led by G42, controlled by national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al Nahyan.
The IDF has released new details on the three-month operation to capture the Ali Tahr Ridge in southern Lebanon.
Around 50 Hezbollah terrorists barricaded inside the underground tunnels chose to fight to the death. Israel offered them a ch...
The IDF has released new details on the three-month operation to capture the Ali Tahr Ridge in southern Lebanon.
Around 50 Hezbollah terrorists barricaded inside the underground tunnels chose to fight to the death. Israel offered them a chance to surrender through intermediaries in Lebanon. They refused and were eliminated.
Yahalom fighters found drones, anti-tank missiles and other weapons inside. Egoz fighters carried out ambushes near the shafts. Hezbollah's attempts to rescue or resupply the trapped men were disrupted.
Israel informed the U.S., which then notified the Lebanese government.
A Pakistani security official told Reuters that Iran's FM Abbas Araqchi and army chief Asim Munir discussed de-escalating the U.S.-Iran conflict, along with Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and a possible path back to diplomacy.
AXIOS REPORT: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump twice yesterday and urged him to attack the Houthis in Yemen, according to two senior American officials. The request came as the Iran-backed group approached a vital maritime crossing point in the Red Sea. Trump refused. Senior U.S. officials emphasized that as of now, the administration has no plans to intervene directly against the Houthis.
