News

NATO prepares for largest drills since Cold War

Published

2 years ago

January 19, 2024

Ahron Young

NATO is gearing up for its most extensive military exercises since the Cold War era, designed to simulate how U.S. forces can swiftly reinforce European nations bordering Russia and the alliance’s eastern flank in the event of a potential conflict with a “near-peer” adversary.

Leading the effort is NATO’s top commander, Chris Cavoli, who announced that approximately 90,000 troops will participate in the Steadfast Defender 2024 exercises, scheduled to extend through May.

The exercise will involve over 50 naval vessels, ranging from aircraft carriers to destroyers, along with more than 80 fighter jets, helicopters, drones, and a fleet of at least 1,100 combat vehicles, including 133 tanks and 533 infantry fighting vehicles, according to NATO.

Cavoli emphasized that these drills will serve as a rehearsal for the implementation of NATO’s regional defense plans, marking the alliance’s first such plans in decades.

These plans outline NATO’s response strategies in the event of a potential Russian attack, although NATO did not explicitly mention Russia in its official announcement. Nevertheless, NATO’s top strategic document identifies Russia as the primary and most direct threat to the security of its member nations.

The stated objective of Steadfast Defender 2024 is to demonstrate NATO’s capability to rapidly deploy forces from North America and other parts of the alliance to bolster Europe’s defense in a simulated scenario involving a “near-peer adversary,” as explained by Cavoli during a press conference in Brussels following a two-day meeting of national chiefs of defense.

Massive undertaking

The magnitude of this exercise has not been seen since the Cold War, with the last similar-scale drills being Reforger in 1988, involving 125,000 participants, and Trident Juncture in 2018, with 50,000 participants.

Participating troops will hail from NATO member countries, including Sweden, which aspires to join the alliance in the near future. The regional defense plans were ratified at the 2023 Vilnius summit, marking the end of an era during which NATO had no substantial need for large-scale defense plans. This period coincided with Western countries engaging in smaller conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, during which it was believed that post-Soviet Russia no longer posed an existential threat.

News

Iran live updates: Trump Says Iran strikes to continue for four to five weeks

Published

22 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Ahron Young

What’s happening in the Middle East?

President Donald Trump says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed, with Iran now entering a transitional period under a three man leadership council
Trump says U.S. strikes on Iran could last four to five weeks, outlining objectives including destroying missile capabilities, dismantling Iran’s navy and preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon
The U.S. military confirms four American service members have been killed, and the White House says U.S. forces have destroyed and sunk nine Iranian naval ships
Iran says it sees “no limit” to its right to self defence and will not negotiate, as missile and drone attacks continue across Israel and Gulf states
More than 500 Iranians have been killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes, with additional deaths reported in Lebanon, Israel and the UAE
Shipping, aviation and energy markets have been disrupted, Qatar has halted LNG production, UAE stock markets have closed temporarily, and oil and gas prices have surged

News

Israel strikes Tehran anew as conflict escalates and global markets react

Israel strikes Tehran after Khamenei’s death; U.S. warns of prolonged conflict as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

Published

22 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Israel strikes Tehran after Khamenei’s death; U.S. warns of prolonged conflict as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

Israel has launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran, following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned the campaign could last up to a month, framing the operation as a move to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.

Iran has retaliated with missile attacks, while its Revolutionary Guards claim responsibility for assaults on oil tankers in the Gulf. The escalating hostilities are already disrupting global shipping lanes and air travel, sending shockwaves through international markets.

With reports of the first U.S. casualties emerging and Washington declaring the Tehran operation a success, tensions across the Middle East are intensifying rapidly. The question now is how far this conflict could spread — and at what cost.

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News

U.S. and Israel strike Iran as missiles hit Gulf bases and oil surges

U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.

Published

2 days ago

March 1, 2026

Ahron Young

U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.

The United States and Israel have launched a sweeping military operation against Iran, striking leadership targets and more than 500 military sites in what President Trump has dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

Explosions have rocked Tehran, with civilians fleeing the capital as U.S. sea and air assets carry out sustained attacks. Washington says the mission is designed to prevent a nuclear armed Iran and has even called on Iranians to rise up against the regime.

Iran has retaliated with a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. While many projectiles were intercepted, a U.S. base in Bahrain sustained damage.

Gulf states long seen as stable hubs for global business are now directly in the firing line, raising fears of a wider regional war.

Oil prices are climbing and tankers are diverting from the Strait of Hormuz as markets react to the escalating conflict. U.S. aircraft carriers, advanced fighter jets and missile destroyers remain in position, signalling more strikes could follow.

With global leaders scrambling diplomatically, the world is watching to see whether this spirals further or shifts back to negotiations.