Don’t call it a ‘quagmire’: defense secretary refuses to speculate on length of Iran war
The questions over the war’s future come as a 60-day deadline approaches Thursday under the War Powers Act.
Pentagon & Congress
Iran war has cost $25 billion so far, Pentagon official says
Acting comptroller Jules Hurst III, testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, said that the bulk of the figure has been devoted to ordnance.
Pentagon asks Congress to codify ‘Department of War,’ estimates $52 million cost
Only Congress has the authority to permanently rename executive department names, and it has not yet changed the title of the Department of Defense.
Utility shutoffs, mounting debt — Coast Guard endures hardships in ongoing shutdown
Coast Guard members and civilian employees are wondering whether they will get paid as the partial government shutdown continues.
Trump showcases US military in King Charles White House visit
Hundreds of U.S. service members took part in welcoming King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the White House on Tuesday.
Pentagon’s FY27 budget seeks 85 F-35s, but most ride on reconciliation
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2027 budget request seeks 85 F-35 Lightning II fighters across the joint force, up from 47 in fiscal 2026.
Pentagon seeks funds for Golden Dome, drones, AI in largest-ever budget request
According to Pentagon officials, the president's key priorities include the Golden Dome, drones, AI, data infrastructure and the defense industrial base.
Advocates press for preventive programs, VA benefits for struggling vets
Representatives from specialty courts and veterans’ legal organizations pressed Congress Wednesday for expansion of the Veterans Treatment Courts system.
Starlink outage hit drone tests, exposing Pentagon’s growing reliance on SpaceX
Last August, a global outage across Elon Musk’s satellite network left U.S. Navy unmanned surface vessels bobbing off California, halting operations.
White House offers no hint of Iran war cost as it seeks military funding surge
"I don't have a ballpark," White House budget director Russell Vought told lawmakers Wednesday about the cost of the Iran war.
Amid focus on Strait of Hormuz, experts sound warning on Yemen’s Houthis and Red Sea
Foreign policy experts warn that the strait is not the only potential choke point that Iran and its proxies could leverage amid the war.
Pentagon’s women-in-combat review reassigned; deadline extended
A Pentagon-ordered review on the effectiveness of women in combat is now under new management, Military Times has learned.
US blockade of Iran will be major military endeavor, experts say
The U.S. military has not offered basic details yet about the blockade, including how many U.S. warships will enforce it.
US Navy to blockade Strait of Hormuz ‘effective immediately,’ Trump says
“Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!” the president wrote on Sunday.
US military begins clearing Strait of Hormuz, Trump says
Reports emerged Saturday about the presence of U.S. Navy ships in the strait.
Pentagon, FAA sign agreement on deploying anti-drone laser system near Mexico
The agreement came after the FAA conducted testing in New Mexico on the laser system used by the Pentagon and Homeland Security Department.
Trump weighs pulling some US troops from Europe amid NATO strains, official says
U.S. President Donald Trump has discussed with advisers the option of removing some U.S. troops from Europe, a senior White House official told Reuters.
