All posts tagged: Missiles and Missile Defense Systems

Israeli Leader Says He and Trump Agree On Blocking an Iranian Nuclear Weapon

Israeli Leader Says He and Trump Agree On Blocking an Iranian Nuclear Weapon

Published by Sam Flores

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said on Sunday evening that he and President Trump remained united in their stance on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, in his first statement on an emerging peace deal. A senior U.S. official said on Sunday that the United States and Iran had agreed to a preliminary deal that would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and see Iran dispose of its stock of highly enriched uranium. He cautioned that a deal had not been signed and would have to be approved by President Trump and Iran’s supreme leader. Many of the most intractable problems between the countries, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program, were put off to future negotiations, the official added. Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks came more than 18 hours after Mr. Trump first announced the unfolding agreement on Saturday evening in Washington. Mr. Netanyahu’s long silence throughout most of the day on Sunday was not a sign of contentment, according to experts. Analysts said it reflected the uncertainties and anxiety inside Israel that this deal …

Kyiv, Ukraine, Hit in Russian Missile Attack

Kyiv, Ukraine, Hit in Russian Missile Attack

Published by Sam Flores

Russia unleashed a huge missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital early Sunday morning, with explosions rattling buildings for hours and igniting several fires throughout the city. The bombardment damaged two entryways to the subway system — which is used as an underground refuge for thousands of people during air attacks — including in a strike on or near Kyiv’s central Independence Square, known as the Maidan and a symbol of the country’s resistance to Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine had warned that Russia planned to launch an Oreshnik, a type of intermediate-range ballistic missile specifically designed to carry nuclear warheads. Russia had used these missiles twice previously on Ukraine — first in 2024 and then in January — but with dummy devices in place of explosives. Those earlier attacks were seen as a way to intimidate Ukraine or Western allies, rather than to inflict significant damage. The Oreshnik is fired as a form of nuclear saber rattling, as a political tool rather than an effective weapon. It was unclear early Sunday whether the …

How Cheap Drones Are Changing Wars Like the Ones in Ukraine and Iran

How Cheap Drones Are Changing Wars Like the Ones in Ukraine and Iran

Published by Sam Flores

A 3-D rendering of an Iranian Shahed-136 drone, a device with two triangle-shaped wings attached to a central fuselage. It has an engine the size of a small motorcycle’s and carries 110 pounds of explosives. Engine the size of a small motorcycle’s Carries 110 pounds of explosives One of the biggest takeaways of the war with Iran is that it has proven itself to be a surprisingly capable adversary against the United States. In addition to its willingness to go on the offensive, Iran has forced the U.S. and its regional allies to confront the rise of cheap drones on the battlefield. Iranian drones, made with commercial-grade technology, cost roughly $35,000 to produce. That is a fraction of the cost of the high-tech military interceptors sometimes used to shoot them down. Note: Estimated price of munitions per unit. In practice, multiple interceptors are fired when targeting a drone. For instance, with the $80 bullet fired by the Centurion Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM), 75 rounds are fired in a second. Sources: Department of Defense, Lockheed …

Why Reopening the Strait of Hormuz Will Be Difficult Without A Deal With Iran

Why Reopening the Strait of Hormuz Will Be Difficult Without A Deal With Iran

Published by Sam Flores

Hundreds of oil tankers are idling at either end of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, responding to attacks by the United States and Israel, has effectively blockaded it. As soaring oil prices rattle the global economy, President Trump has vowed to reopen the shipping route “one way or another.” But short of a deal with Iran or a dangerous, prolonged occupation, experts warn, it will be hard to fully restore traffic in the strait. Here’s why. Geography is strategy The strait is narrow and shallow, forcing ships within miles of Iran’s mountainous shores, a landscape that favors asymmetric warfare tactics, in which Iran uses weapons that are small, widely dispersed and hard for adversaries to eliminate completely. Sources: GEBCO (water depth); Vantor (satellite imagery). The New York Times “The Iranians have thought a lot about how to utilize the geography to their benefit,” said Caitlin Talmadge, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies Gulf security issues. The weapons may be relatively small, but that allows the Iranians to hide them in cliffs, …

Deep in China’s Mountains, a Nuclear Revival Takes Shape

Deep in China’s Mountains, a Nuclear Revival Takes Shape

Published by Sam Flores

In the lush, misty valleys of southwest China, satellite imagery reveals the country’s accelerating nuclear buildup, a force designed for a new age of superpower rivalry. One such valley is known as Zitong, in Sichuan Province, where engineers have been building new bunkers and ramparts. A new complex bristles with pipes, suggesting the facility handles highly hazardous materials. Another valley is home to a double-fenced facility known as Pingtong, where experts believe China is making plutonium-packed cores of nuclear warheads. The main structure, dominated by a 360-foot-high ventilation stack, has been refurbished in recent years with new vents and heat dispersers. More construction is underway next to it. Above the Pingtong facility entrance, a hallmark exhortation of China’s leader, Xi Jinping, appears in characters so large they are visible from space: “Stay true to the founding cause and always remember our mission.” Source: Satellite image from Airbus, Feb. 2. These are among several secretive nuclear-related sites in Sichuan Province that have expanded and undergone upgrades in recent years. China’s buildup complicates efforts to revive global …