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How the Air Force Plans to Keep the F-22 Raptor Relevant in the Drone Age

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  The F-22 Raptor fighter jet is being integrated with the MQ-20 Avenger drone—leading to hopes that the two might pair up in future air combat. The United States Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor has often been touted as the world’s leading air superiority fighter, even though it has never engaged in air-to-air combat with a manned aircraft. Its role in combat has been limited—but that could soon change, as flight-tracking data showed at least a dozen F-22s deployed to the Middle East as part of the US military’s build-up in the region. If Iran does not acquiesce to President Donald Trump’s demands regarding the state of the country’s nuclear program, the US is expected to conduct strikes on Iran in the weeks to come. The F-22 would almost certainly play a role in any attacks, along with the multirole F-35 Lightning II. The deployment of the Raptors is significant. “It indicates preparation for a more aggressive stance toward Iran and potential cooperation with Isr...
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Is Ireland Finally Investing in Its Own Defense?

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  Ireland is not a member of NATO, and invests only 0.2 percent of its GDP in defense—leading to widespread accusations of “free-riding” on European security guarantees. Since gaining its independence from the United Kingdom after World War I, the Republic of Ireland—officially established in 1949—has maintained a policy of neutrality. Even as a member of the European Union, Dublin maintains a “neutrality clause” that allows it to opt out of common defense actions. During the Cold War, Ireland didn’t join NATO or the Non-Aligned Movement. Yet, it did establish a relationship with NATO within the framework of the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program, which it joined in 1999. As the global situation continues to evolve, Dublin shows no signs of joining NATO—as did historically neutral nations such as Finland and Sweden—but it may look to establish closer ties with the alliance to ensure its maritime security. There are even calls for the Irish Defense Forces to tak...
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How America Can Leverage Iraq’s West Qurna Oil Field

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  Sanctions did more than punish Russia—they reshaped control of a key oil field in Iraq. While energy analytics have focused on Washington’s campaigns in Venezuela and Iran, a no less significant development for the energy sector occurred in southern Iraq. By late autumn 2025 American sanctions pressure on Russia’s largest private oil firm—Lukoil—led to the firm declaring force majeure, leading to Iraq nationalizing operations at the firm’s flagship oil project with intent to sell, which could have far reaching repercussions for the energy sector beyond this one field, and act as a litmus test for a shift in US overseas energy policy. For context, West Qurna 2 produces around 470,000 oil barrels daily—about 0.5 percent of world oil production and about 9 percent of Iraq’s total. The broader West Qurna complex, which said field is a part of, contains 43 billion barrels of recoverable reserves, thus belonging to the top five largest oil f...
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Mission Possible: The NRC’s Shift Is More Than Symbolic

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  After decades defined by safety dominance, the NRC may be recalibrating toward a renewed balance between oversight and expansion. The history of nuclear energy in the United States illustrates the difficulties of balancing two goals: expanding nuclear energy and regulating it. Today, the revival of nuclear energy in the United States moves beyond reactor design, fuel-cycle safety, and disposal technology. It is being tested in the most crucial area—with its regulator, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which was established as an independent agency in 1974 to oversee the civilian nuclear energy industry in the United States. A significant increase in electricity demand is renewing pressure to commission new reactors. As a result, the NRC faces realignment of its objectives with the imperatives of new energy demand and policies. This tension remains as complex a topic today as it was some 50 years ago.  Origins of the NRC  A ...
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How the US Can Sustain Deterrence After Khamenei

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  The end of the Islamic Republic is a tremendous opportunity for Iran and poses serious risks for regional stability. The United States should be prepared. President Donald Trump has long argued that deterrence of US adversaries, once eroded, must be restored decisively. In confronting the Iranian regime and eliminating   Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, he acted consistently with that doctrine. When intelligence assessments concluded that Tehran was stalling diplomatically while expanding destabilizing activity, and after US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff’s high-stakes negotiations in Geneva that helped shape the president’s judgment on Iranian seriousness, the administration recalibrated. Its objective was clear: reestablish credible deterrence and signal that gray-zone aggression would no longer go unanswered. That clarity matters. But restoring deterrence is only the first step. Strategy cannot end at retaliation. It must anticipate what comes next. ...
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How the White House Is Keeping Russia out of the South Caucasus

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  After successfully expanding US influence in Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Trump administration should set its sights on Georgia. Vice President JD Vance’s historic visit to the South Caucasus ended in controversy. Vance deleted a post on X that showed him paying respects at the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, along with second lady Usha Vance. That made headlines and brought on accusations of “genocide denial.” But focusing on the deleted post misses the point entirely. Vance is the first vice president and most senior US official to visit Armenia, and his trip forms an integral part of the Trump administration’s concerted effort to cement US influence and box out Russia in a region where Moscow was long the dominant player. Above all, Vance sought to build on last August’s White House summit, where Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a peace agreement aimed at ending nearly 40 years of conflict. Vance focused on fulfilling some of the bilateral trade deals promise...
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Two Redlines for a Post-Islamic Republic Iran.

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  With the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the temptation is strong to redraw Iran’s borders or install a friendly despot. The US should resist it. The US-Israel assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has brought the Islamic Republic of Iran to its most uncertain power transition since the revolution in 1979. Within hours of the announcement, maps began circulating in Washington and on exile channels: a federal Iran with autonomous Kurdish, Arab, Baluch, and Azeri regions; a confederal Iran drifting toward soft partition; even a patchwork of mini‑states carved from the Islamic Republic’s collapse. Now that the succession crisis is real, the temptation to redesign Iran from the outside will only grow. That temptation is exactly what the United States must resist. With the regime’s command structure shaken and rival factions maneuvering for control, the worst American instinct would be to arrive with a ready‑made constitutional b...
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