Dave Patterson

The Iran-sponsored Houthis, a Yemeni militant terrorist organization, control much of northern Yemen and remain a persistent problem in the Middle East. Houthis are engaged in regional upheaval using asymmetric attacks, including cruise missiles, drones, anti-ship missiles, and general maritime harassment. On July 20, the Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi oil exports from Yanbu, located halfway up the western Saudi Arabian coast along the Red Sea, through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into the Gulf of Aden. Saudi officials have pledged to protect their shipping. Will the United States get dragged into this conflict? That is the question.

President Donald Trump's Department of Energy has signed a 30-year civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia. The nuclear accord, referred to as the Section 123 agreement, is accompanied by a bilateral safeguards document that establishes mechanisms to manage non-proliferation risks. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman jointly signed the agreement on July 22, 2026. President Trump believes the deal will be approved, but there is one last hurdle to leap first. The deal is contingent on Saudi Arabia becoming a member of the Abraham Accords.

New phase in US air attacks expands number and type of targets. Jul 27, 2026 New phase in US air attacks expands number and type of targets.

President Trump has let it be known that he is not putting up with Tehran's negotiating games. In response to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's (IRGC) surprise attack, launching numerous ballistic missiles at American military facilities in Jordan on Tuesday night (July 28), America's commander-in-chief said the strikes would be answered with ferocity. All incoming missiles were intercepted, and no damage was done, nor were US service members killed or injured. What the attack did accomplish, however, was to motivate the US president to act decisively. As Fox News reported: “The United States resumed airstrikes inside Iran Wednesday night in retaliation for Tehran's attempted surprise ballistic-missile attack on American forces, as an Iran expert warned that the regime has become increasingly willing to test Washington despite its weakened military capabilities.”

A key part of President Donald Trump's comprehensive 20-point peace plan for Gaza was the establishment of the Board of Peace. It appears the international organization has made progress. Trump announced a breakthrough in the negotiations with the terrorist group Hamas on July 30. In what is being called a “landmark agreement,” Hamas and other armed Palestinian factions in Gaza have agreed to complete disarmament.

Tehran wants to force Washington back to the negotiating table. Iran is attempting to coerce Gulf allies into stopping the US from continuing airstrikes.

It is no secret that the Pentagon wants the defense industrial base to turn out weapons and munitions faster. Now, the five-sided building wants the defense industry to develop plans to do that. It's a good idea to have the companies charged with achieving faster weapons fielding develop a way to make that happen. It's clear that when the Department of War has attempted to meet warfighter needs more quickly, the programs have met with limited success.

Historically, the behemoth battleship was a juggernaut. However, after World War II, the operational utility of the huge warship with its sixteen-inch guns seemed anachronistic. US Navy warships needed to be faster and equipped with more accurate and deadly missiles. Furthermore, the upkeep on the existing battleships was becoming prohibitively expensive. The juice just simply wasn't worth the squeeze. Now, President Trump is pushing to have the nuclear Trump-class battleship in the US Navy's fleet of warships.

The US Air Force's forward-thinking initiative to achieve air superiority into the 2030s and beyond is the new Boeing F-47. The new crewed sixth-generation fighter will be the centerpiece of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family, replacing the aging F-22 Raptor fleet and designed to engage peer adversaries and dominate contested environments.

Forces outside the US continue to attempt to influence Americans' daily life. A growing threat to the US is getting little notice.