Globalsecurity.org

At the behest of Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot, the Quai d'Orsay's Secretary-General summoned the Islamic Republic of Iran's chargé d'affaires today following the extremely serious act of intimidation targeting two French Embassy staffers in Iran on July 19.

France's Foreign Ministry summoned Iran's charge d'affaires on July 21 after two French Embassy staff members were detained by Iranian security services in Tehran, with one allegedly physically assaulted.

Some blame Tehran. Others blame Washington. But pretty much everyone on Iran's southern coast can agree on one thing: The renewal of air strikes between the United States and Iran is hitting hard, bringing a summer without electricity, fuel, or a way to make a living.

For years, policymakers in Washington have viewed Asia primarily through the lens of Taiwan, the South China Sea, and China's military rise. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has only reinforced that perspective, cementing Europe and East Asia as the principal arenas of geopolitical competition.

At 8:15 p.m. ET on July 21, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) successfully completed the 11th consecutive evening of strikes against Iran.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on July 21 that its forces had diverted eight commercial ships in the past week since the naval blockade of Iran resumed.

The US Department of Defense says that dozens of American soldiers have been injured in Iranian attacks over the past two weeks.

The United States cannot protect its 50,000 troops stationed in the Middle East from attacks by Iran, whose arsenal of missiles and drones remains substantial, the Wall Street Journal reported.

US President Donald Trump said on July 21 that the United States was not finished with Iran and warned that the US military could soon target a deeply buried nuclear site near Natanz known as Kuh-e Kolang.

The United States military will soon "very heavily" strike Iran's Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La Mountain, otherwise known as "Pickaxe," US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

Secretary of War Pet Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Capitol Hill today, where the two leaders spoke in support of President Donald J. Trump's June 24 supplemental budget request to Congress.

The Navy-Marine Corps team of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) concluded a dynamic six-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations, as the 31st MEU offloaded in Okinawa, July 22, 2026.

Pacific Partnership 2026 (PP26) mission personnel arrived in Sibolga, Indonesia, aboard the Royal Australian Navy Bay-class landing ship dock HMAS Choules (LSD 100) on July 20, 2026, marking the second mission stop of the U.S. Navy's largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific.

Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldiers, alongside Guam National Guard and Malaysian Forces, sharpened their warfighting skills during a force-on-force training exercise using the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) as part of Keris Strike 2026 near Kota Belud, Malaysia, July 19.

Soldiers assigned to Civil Affairs Team Botswana, Bravo Company, Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) conducted country program monitoring assessments of 14 medical clinics in various locations throughout Botswana, May 5-19.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) gave the following statement on the House floor during consideration of H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27 NDAA).

NATO countries are running short of the cotton linter needed to make explosives for ammunition, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Indonesia's House of Representatives approved the ratification of defense cooperation agreements with Turkiye and Malaysia on Tuesday, strengthening strategic ties with both countries, according to Antara.

During their meeting on 18 April 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership by 2026.

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