(September 9, 2026)
British intelligence has been given assurances by its Israeli counterpart that information sharing with the UK will continue as before, Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, has said.
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Joint Letter to Chairmen Wicker and Rogers and Ranking Members Reed and Smith Opposing Further U.S.-Israel Defense Integration
Dear Chairmen Wicker and Rogers and Ranking Members Reed and Smith,
As you enter into conference to resolve the differences between the House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027 (H.R.8800) and the pending Senate bill (S.4784), We, the undersigned U.S. organizations, strongly urge you to reject the entrenchment of U.S. and Israeli defense collaboration, which goes against U.S. national interests and values, and would expand the risk of U.S. complicity in, and exposure to, human rights violations, war crimes, and genocide.
Specifically, we are deeply concerned by Section 219 in the House NDAA and Section 1217 in the Senate version, which establish a new U.S. Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative aimed at accelerating joint research, development, and integration of Israeli-origin and jointly developed defense technologies into U.S. military systems and programs of record. This would expand U.S-Israeli military integration across some of the most sensitive domains of emerging technology, including quantum computing, AI and autonomous systems, cyber and electronic warfare, directed energy, and defense industrial base co-production, while expediting pathways from R&D into procurement.
56 US groups urge Congress to drop Israel defence ties provision
The provision would deepen cooperation between the US and Israeli defence sectors by accelerating joint military technology development and other partnerships. The bill passed the House of Representatives in July and awaits Senate action.
The provision of the 2027 National Defence Authorisation Act, known as Section 219, seeks to set up frameworks for joint ventures, licensing agreements and US-based co-production partnerships with the Israeli industry.
In Thursday‘s letter addressed to leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, 56 groups said deeper integration with Israel‘s defence sector would be „exceptionally dangerous“ and urged lawmakers to remove the provision.
Araghchi Says Ukraineâs Attack on an Iranian Ship in the Caspian Sea âCannot Go Unansweredâ
The Iranian diplomat added that in calls with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kaja Kallas, the EUâs top foreign policy official, he âmade clear that what the freeloader in Kyiv did CANNOT GO UNANSWERED.â
The attack on the Iranian ship comes as Ukraine continues escalating its long-range drone attacks against Russia, which are carried out using intelligence provided by the US, and have been targeting Russian oil tankers and refineries, and have also been killing a significant number of civilians.
Unfortunately the Rule passed just now and no debate or vote was allowed on section 219, integration of US military technology and supply chains with Israelâs. The NDAA will receive a recorded vote tomorrow with section 219 in it. Iâll vote no.
7:11 PM · Jul 21, 2026
Tomorrow, the House will vote on the NDAA, which includes a provision to merge parts of our military with the IDF. This amendment is an existential threat to American sovereignty and democracy. Every member of Congress must vote NO.
12:49 AM · Jul 22, 2026
House Rule Advances 2027 NDAA With Section to Integrate US and Israeli Militaries
The House on Tuesday approved a procedural vote to advance the $1.15 trillion 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a section to further integrate the US and Israeli militaries, a plan that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said was his idea.
The rule to allow floor debate and a vote on the NDAA and several pieces of legislation passed in a 214-211 vote, and a final vote on the Houseâs version of the NDAA is expected to take place on Wednesday. The procedural step came after the House Rules Committee denied a vote on an amendment introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to strip Section 219, the Israeli integration plan, from the bill.
Satellite images show damage inside Iranâs Bushehr nuclear power plant
A comparison of European Sentinel-2 satellite images captured on July 7 and July 12 shows newly formed impact scars inside the Bushehr complex, along with another apparent strike site within nearby support facilities.
The open-source unit of Al Jazeera Network compiled satellite imagery, field footage and official data from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) to map the locations of US strikes across Iran between July 7 and July 15.
Senate Democrats Block Advancement of $1.1 Trillion NDAA Over Iran War
Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked the advancement of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, citing President Trumpâs war with Iran, which continues to rage following the collapse of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding.
The NDAA would provide the Pentagon with over $1.1 trillion in funding as part of the White Houseâs plan for a $1.5 trillion military budget for 2027, a nearly 50% increase from this year. The bill also includes an amendment, Section 1217, to further merge the US and Israeli militaries under a plan being pushed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A procedural vote of 50-46 fell well short of the 60 votes that it needed to advance the NDAA. Every Democrat, except two who werenât present for the vote â Senators Jon Fetterman (PA) and Alex Padilla (CA) â voted against advancing the sprawling military spending bill.
How Section 219, the US-Israel Military Merger, Would Thwart American Democracy
(July 13, 2026)
The House provision, which has a Senate version known as Section 1217, would also forbid the president of the United States from limiting intelligence collaboration with Israel over its human rights abuses. If the President ever wants to limit such collaboration, he or she must tell Congress and can only cite American national security as a basis.
In other words, these bills would connect the US and Israeli militaries in unprecedented ways and make it exceedingly difficult for any future president to unwind this partnership with a foreign government.
Congressional Proposal Could Deepen US Complicity
(June 16, 2026)
Buried in the US$1.15 trillion National Defense Authorization Act is a provision that would deepen US military cooperation with Israel while walling that cooperation off from further congressional oversight.
Section 219 (formerly section 224) creates the role of an âexecutive agentâ focused on folding Israeli technology into US weapons programs, and vice versa, including in missile and air defense technologies as well as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyberwarfare, and autonomous systems. Once implemented, the provision would speed efforts to embed Israeli technologies into US weapons systems in ways almost never codified into law, even for allies. As the protracted experience with unwinding Turkish participation in the F-35 program shows, practically, integration binds the United States to rely on producers in ways that become next to impossible to walk back later, even if lawmakers want to.
(…)
Section 219 also calls for âdata fusion.â In defense doctrine, data fusion means combining feeds from many sensors and intelligence sources into a single targeting picture. The United States would be absorbing Israeli data, which may have been collected under problematic mass surveillance programs. Moreover, section 219 would be reinforced by section 622 of the intelligence appropriations bill, which mandates intelligence sharing and would further promote combining US intelligence streams with Israeli ones that could then be used by the Israeli military for targeting.
âSixty seconds, thatâs all it tookâ: the clinical Israeli-US operation to kill Ali Khamenei
(March 1, 2026)
The timing of the assassination was determined by information the CIA gleaned about a meeting of top Iranian officials at a leadership compound in the heart of Tehran scheduled for Saturday morning. Most critically, the CIA was able to tell Israeli counterparts that Khamenei would be at the site and the timing of the meeting, according to the New York Times.
Israeli spies had also been tracking Khamenei for many years, building a minutely detailed file on his daily routine and those of his family members, associates, allies and those charged with keeping him safe.
Trump hails Russia, China for being âneutralâ on Iran
Trump has thanked Chinaâs Xi Jinping and Russiaâs â Vladimir Putin for being âneutralâ during the US-Israel war on Iran.
âI just want to thank them because they made it â a lot better,â Trump said, adding that China was âterrificâ and made efforts to help settle the conflict.
Trump says deal with Iran is ‚very close‘
US President Donald Trump has told NBC News that a deal with Iran is „very close“.
âWe have a couple of points. They donât even seem like big points,â Trump said. âTheyâve conceded the fact that they will not have nuclear weapons. We had a clause in there that [they] will not develop nuclear weapons. And everybody was very happy with it except me.â
Trump says the U.S. will work with Iran to destroy its uranium if they can make a deal
(June 7, 2026, 1:00 PM GMT)
The two sides are âvery closeâ to signing a pact, Trump said, but he is pushing for Iran to go further in abandoning its nuclear ambitions.
âWe have a couple of points. They donât even seem like big points,â he said. âTheyâve conceded the fact that they will not have nuclear weapons. We had a clause in there that [they] will not develop nuclear weapons. And everybody was very happy with it except me.â
Trump said he wanted an additional provision to ensure Iran canât execute an end run around a deal.
âAnd I said, âWell, what happens if they, not develop, but they go out and purchase, they acquire? I want to put the word, âif they buy, purchase or acquire,ââ he said. âYou know, youâve got to have that in there, too, because thatâs not developing. So, they donât have the right to develop or purchase, acquire or buy.â
Exclusive: UK adopts SpaceX‘s Starshield for military operations, sources say
(June 2, 2026)
Britain has begun using SpaceX‘s militarised satellite network Starshield, according to two people familiar âwith the matter, making it among the first countries outside the United States to adopt Elon Musk‘s government-focused variant âof Starlink.
Starshield, developed for the U.S. government, is designed for military and intelligence missions with enhanced security features, while SpaceX‘s standard Starlink broadband service is aimed at consumer and commercial use.
Exclusive: Pentagon spars with SpaceX over Starlink price hike during Iran war
(May 26, 2026)
The ongoing disputes, which have not previously been reported, underscore how the Pentagonâs growing reliance on SpaceX is handing Musk greater leverage over a critical layer of U.S. national security â at a time when SpaceX âis seeking to boost revenue ahead of an IPO next month that could be among the biggest in history.
Unlike consumer Starlink terminals available at stores including Walmart, SpaceX sells a military-specific version called Starshield to the Pentagon under a 2023 agreement. Starshield terminals can connect to both commercial Starlink âsatellites and a separate, more secure constellation, also called Starshield, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Are Orbital Data Centers the Next Frontier of AI Infrastructure?
(June 2, 2026)
The race to put computing infrastructure in orbit is accelerating as hyperscalers across cloud, AI, and space compete to see who will emerge winners in what many believe will fuel the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The last few months have been a flurry of orbital data announcements, from SpaceX filing for a constellation of up to 1 million satellites to create an orbital data center and collaborating with AI giant Anthropic. Google is exploring Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) clusters in space. Starcloud has plans for an 88,000-satellite constellation aimed at delivering on-orbit compute at scale, to name a few.
Starlink Has Privatized Geopolitics
(March 20, 2026)
Starlink is far more than a commercial connectivity service. It is strategic infrastructure that increasingly shapes how wars are fought, how states manage internal unrest, and how criminal networks operate in ungoverned spaces. What makes Starlink so politically consequential is not just its globe-spanning reach but also the governance model behind it.
A private company is now a gatekeeper in orbit, helping decide who connects as well as where, under what conditions, and with what technical constraints. In a growing number of conflicts, these decisions carry military and political effects that states struggle to replicate or control. If many strategic supply chains now depend on private firms, Starlink is an unusually concentrated case of private discretion over public security functions.
Leaked US plan reveals new coalition to reopen Strait of Hormuz
The Wall Street Journal has obtained leaked diplomatic cables showing that the US plans to form a âMaritime Freedom Architectureâ coalition to restart shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The plan focuses on intelligence sharing, diplomatic coordination, and simultaneous sanctions.
USA planen internationale Allianz fĂŒr StraĂe von Hormus
Welche LĂ€nder teilnehmen sollen und ob etwa Deutschland angefragt wurde, wurde nicht bekannt gegeben.
Nach Informationen des Wall Street Journal handelt es sich nicht um eine militĂ€rische Koalition. Die US-Botschaften im Ausland seien jedoch gebeten worden, ihre jeweiligen Ansprechpartner zu fragen, ob sie in der neuen Allianz ein „diplomatischer und/oder militĂ€rischer Partner“ sein möchten.
US military: ‚locked and loaded‘ to strike Iran‘s power plants, energy industry if ordered
„We are reloading with more power than ever before, and better intelligence,“ Hegseth âsaid at a Pentagon news briefing. „We are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, â on your remaining power generation, and on your energy industry. We‘d rather not have to do it.“
Based on its independent analysis of new satellite imagery and detailed knowledge of the site, the IAEA can confirm recent impacts of military strikes close to Iranâs Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), including one just 75 metres from the site perimeter.
The BNPP itself has not been damaged, the IAEAâs analysis of the 5 April imagery shows.
Once again, IAEA Director General @rafaelmgrossi warns that continued military activity near the BNPP – an operating plant with large amounts of nuclear fuel – could cause a severe radiological accident with harmful consequences for people and the environment in Iran and beyond.
Regardless of the nature of the intended targets, DG Grossi says such attacks pose a very real danger to nuclear safety and must stop. DG Grossi reiterates call for all parties to fully respect the 7 indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during a conflict. A nuclear facility and surrounding areas should never be struck, DG Grossi says.
IAEA confirms impact of recent strikes near Iran‘s Bushehr nuclear power plant
The UN atomic watchdog âsaid that the confirmation was based on its independent analysis âof new satellite âimagery and detailed knowledge of the âsite, â adding that one strike had hit only 75 metres from the site âperimeter.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy commander killed, Israeli defense minister claims
âLast night, in a precise and lethal operation, the IDF eliminated the commander of the IRGC Navy, Tangasiri, along with senior naval command officials,â Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday. âWe will continue operating in Iran with full force to achieve the warâs objectives.â
Larijani‘s Visit To Daughter‘s House Sealed His Fate. How He Was Located
The security chief kept changing his location, constantly moving to new secret hideouts over the last two weeks, the report suggests. That would mean, by the time Israeli intelligence located Larijani‘s hideout, he would have already moved to another.
Larijani was ultimately located when he was visiting his daughter on Tuesday. He was eliminated in a strike on his daughter‘s house in Pardis in Tehran‘s suburbs, reported the Iranian semi-official Fars news agency. His son, a deputy, and several bodyguards were also killed in the attack.
Viral satellite imagery of U.S. military assets around Iran NOT taken by Chinese satellites: Hu Bo
(February 27, 2026)
Hu Bo, Director of SCSPI and Research Professor and Director of the Center for Maritime Strategy Studies, Peking University (and a longtime friend of our newsletters!) tells me he is â100% sureâ these recent images released by MizarVision on current US-Iran military posture originated from U.S. and European satellites, not Chinese ones.
Hu says his judgment can be confirmed by the satellite ephemeris, which SCSPI mentioned in its tweet.
How Did Israel Deceive Iran For The Second Time Within A Year?
(February 28, 2026)
Shortly before the attack, the Chinese satellite company MizarVision, which has published imagery of U.S. force buildups in the Middle East, reported that American fighter jets in the region were âall in positionâ and that there were no signs of large-scale activity. The company also suggested that any Israeli preemptive strike would likely be carried out independently. Both assessments appeared to be incorrect after it became clear the campaign was a coordinated Israeli-U.S. operation.
Cuba Is Struggling to Keep Lights On Amid Trumpâs Oil Blockade
(January 13, 2026)
Just weeks into a US pressure campaign to halt all oil shipments to the Caribbean island, a Bloomberg News analysis of satellite imagery finds the level of light at night has dropped as much as 50%
Swarm probes weakening of Earthâs magnetic field
(May 20, 2020)
Over the last 200 years, the magnetic field has lost around 9% of its strength on a global average. A large region of reduced magnetic intensity has developed between Africa and South America and is known as the South Atlantic Anomaly.
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