Dozens Of Oil Tankers Divert To Red Sea As Saudis Reroute Crude Flows From Hormuz Chokepoint

Despite continued disruption at the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint, maritime traffic has not fully collapsed.

More ships transiting the Strait with transponders turned off https://t.co/PpEsenCVCE

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) March 10, 2026

On Tuesday afternoon, reports that a U.S. warship had escorted an oil tanker through the critical chokepoint helped push Brent crude futures down toward $81/bbl, reinforcing the view that paralysis on the waterway has, for now, begun to ease.

But even with signs that the critical maritime chokepoint is seeing a modest pickup in activity, this does not imply that normalcy will return this week. In fact, Bloomberg cites ship-tracking data showing uncertainty remains high, with at least 25 tankers diverted toward Saudi Arabia's Red Sea export hub at Yanbu.

Saudi Aramco is maxing out its east-west pipeline to Yanbu, which can carry 7 million barrels per day. CEO Amin Nasser said flows should reach capacity within days as tankers divert to the energy export hub in the Red Sea. The UAE is implementing a similar workaround in Fujairah, where exports have jumped to about 1.6 million bpd this month from a recent average of about 1.1 million bpd.

"We should reach capacity in a couple of days," Nasser said. "It's all building on the repositioning of tankers from the east to the west."

Bloomberg notes the conflict has already knocked about 6% off global oil output as traditional Hormuz transits remain disrupted.

Earlier, Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned that the Hormuz chokepoint will "either be a strait of peace and prosperity for all" or a "strait of defeat and suffering for warmongers" as President Trump threatens retaliation against Tehran for disrupting the flow of oil.

Tyler Durden Wed, 03/11/2026 - 02:45

Dozens Of Oil Tankers Divert To Red Sea As Saudis Reroute Crude Flows From Hormuz Chokepoint

Despite continued disruption at the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint, maritime traffic has not fully collapsed.

More ships transiting the Strait with transponders turned off https://t.co/PpEsenCVCE

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) March 10, 2026

On Tuesday afternoon, reports that a U.S. warship had escorted an oil tanker through the critical chokepoint helped push Brent crude futures down toward $81/bbl, reinforcing the view that paralysis on the waterway has, for now, begun to ease.

But even with signs that the critical maritime chokepoint is seeing a modest pickup in activity, this does not imply that normalcy will return this week. In fact, Bloomberg cites ship-tracking data showing uncertainty remains high, with at least 25 tankers diverted toward Saudi Arabia's Red Sea export hub at Yanbu.

Saudi Aramco is maxing out its east-west pipeline to Yanbu, which can carry 7 million barrels per day. CEO Amin Nasser said flows should reach capacity within days as tankers divert to the energy export hub in the Red Sea. The UAE is implementing a similar workaround in Fujairah, where exports have jumped to about 1.6 million bpd this month from a recent average of about 1.1 million bpd.

"We should reach capacity in a couple of days," Nasser said. "It's all building on the repositioning of tankers from the east to the west."

Bloomberg notes the conflict has already knocked about 6% off global oil output as traditional Hormuz transits remain disrupted.

Earlier, Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned that the Hormuz chokepoint will "either be a strait of peace and prosperity for all" or a "strait of defeat and suffering for warmongers" as President Trump threatens retaliation against Tehran for disrupting the flow of oil.

Tyler Durden Wed, 03/11/2026 - 02:45

European Taxpayers Warn Against Eurobonds: A Looming Fiscal Trap

Submitted by Thomas Kolbe

In public debate, the introduction of joint European bonds, Eurobonds, has so far often been dismissed as a fantasy. That the European Taxpayers’ Association has now issued a clear warning against joint debt issuance should give critics of the Commission pause. Are the plans for standardized EU bond issuances possibly more advanced than we have realized?

The TAE is the umbrella organization of national European taxpayers’ associations, a private law foundation, independent, market-liberal, and a critical observer of the fiscal power plays of the Brussels central authority. When it speaks out decisively on fiscal issues, it does so for a reason.

The seemingly advanced plans of the EU Commission have apparently convinced the TAE to dedicate a campaign to the issue of European financing. Under the program title Stop EU Taxes. Stop EU Debt, it presents a fiscal policy agenda that would be welcome in party politics among economically liberal parties.

The TAE fundamentally warns against the European Commission’s lack of democratic mandate and sees the danger of Brussels’ powerful central body arrogating ever more tax powers to itself, thus, one could paraphrase, growing into a kind of state above the states. From this, the advocates of European taxpayers derive their demand: There must be no joint debt issuance within the EU.

No matter how the budgetary situation in the European member states develops: That the EU’s two main pillars, Germany and France, will record budget deficits of at least five percent this year is a national problem. And it must be resolved there, in the national capitals. It is unacceptable to distribute money to the public with one hand while taking it from European taxpayers with the other through higher taxes or future debt indirectly via inflation.

With these demands, the TAE firmly stands on the subsidiarity principle consistently advocated by its largest member organization, the German Taxpayers’ Association. Budgetary policy is a national matter. Excessive centralization of political power leads to inefficiencies, opacity, corruption, and systematic mismanagement by an increasingly powerful central apparatus that ultimately cannot even control the flow of its own funds.

The warning of the taxpayers’ association may, however, come too late. The European Commission operates under the motto: “Never let a crisis go to waste.” Following this spirit, the first true joint European bond was issued during the lockdown five years ago. Under the program name NextGenerationEU, the European Commission raised approximately €800 billion on the capital markets, backed by Germany as the main rating anchor, which with a national debt of 65 percent continues to stabilize European capital markets.

On an EU level, a whole arsenal of crisis financing instruments has been established. The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) intervenes in acute crises, issuing bonds itself, and would be applied in a looming sovereign debt crisis just like the so-called SURE bonds set up to mitigate regional unemployment.

We are facing a slow, erosive process in which the EU is increasingly penetrating the capital markets, always with the guarantee of major economies and European taxpayers behind it. EU Green Bonds are a particularly vivid example: Here, the ideology of the green transformation merges with the practical implementation of joint debt issuance. Capital is directed into channels of a green crony economy that has already heavily damaged the overall economic structure.

And it came to pass as expected: The warning from taxpayer representatives was more than justified. Large parts of the borrowed debt were immediately funneled into the public budgets of Italy and Spain to mitigate precarious national fiscal conditions. Spain provides the clearest example: President Pedro Sánchez’s socialist government finances large portions of its state budget through these programs, enabling massive public sector employment growth. Much like in Germany, Spain’s labor market is shifting from the struggling private sector to the public sector, which acts as a final safety net for a gradually eroding middle class.

As if European statism were not already the costliest and economically most disastrous project of our time: productive forces are further stifled by this debt program, and the capital market is virtually drained by the public sector. Moreover, access to credit for small and medium-sized businesses becomes increasingly difficult when fewer funds are available.

This phenomenon can be observed across nearly all levels of European economic policy. What has unfolded under the program name Green Deal as a green transformation within a massive redistribution mechanism unfortunately establishes incentives that also attract productive private capital. Who would not prefer a government- or institution-guaranteed minimum return that exceeds market rates and is risk-free, as in the case of renewable energy investments?

The TAE does not state it explicitly, but if the EU Commission under Ursula von der Leyen continues to expand its fiscal powers, this path could accelerate Europe into economic third-class status.

Every major past crisis offered Brussels the opportunity to expand and consolidate its fiscal power. Whether the Dotcom bubble 25 years ago or the sovereign debt crisis fifteen years ago, which was quasi drowned by former ECB President Mario Draghi in fiat credit – all these events eventually culminated in the first European joint bond, the so-called NextGenerationEU.

It was the great original sin. A political bastard of the lockdown era. What else could this period have produced but further problems? We must assume, with Europeans’ response patterns in mind, that the looming EU sovereign debt crisis will inevitably feed into the Eurobond project.

It will spawn additional political bastards, such as the digital euro, designed as a capital flow control to prevent flight. A digital identity for monitoring public discourse is likely to be implemented. A minimum tax regime is also planned to finally eliminate tax competition in the EU. Welcome to Brussels, welcome to the hyperstate that will produce nothing but debt, behavioral control, and inflation.

* * * 

About the author: Thomas Kolbe, a German graduate economist, has worked for over 25 years as a journalist and media producer for clients from various industries and business associations. As a publicist, he focuses on economic processes and observes geopolitical events from the perspective of the capital markets. His publications follow a philosophy that focuses on the individual and their right to self-determination.

Tyler Durden Wed, 03/11/2026 - 02:00

European Taxpayers Warn Against Eurobonds: A Looming Fiscal Trap

Submitted by Thomas Kolbe

In public debate, the introduction of joint European bonds, Eurobonds, has so far often been dismissed as a fantasy. That the European Taxpayers’ Association has now issued a clear warning against joint debt issuance should give critics of the Commission pause. Are the plans for standardized EU bond issuances possibly more advanced than we have realized?

The TAE is the umbrella organization of national European taxpayers’ associations, a private law foundation, independent, market-liberal, and a critical observer of the fiscal power plays of the Brussels central authority. When it speaks out decisively on fiscal issues, it does so for a reason.

The seemingly advanced plans of the EU Commission have apparently convinced the TAE to dedicate a campaign to the issue of European financing. Under the program title Stop EU Taxes. Stop EU Debt, it presents a fiscal policy agenda that would be welcome in party politics among economically liberal parties.

The TAE fundamentally warns against the European Commission’s lack of democratic mandate and sees the danger of Brussels’ powerful central body arrogating ever more tax powers to itself, thus, one could paraphrase, growing into a kind of state above the states. From this, the advocates of European taxpayers derive their demand: There must be no joint debt issuance within the EU.

No matter how the budgetary situation in the European member states develops: That the EU’s two main pillars, Germany and France, will record budget deficits of at least five percent this year is a national problem. And it must be resolved there, in the national capitals. It is unacceptable to distribute money to the public with one hand while taking it from European taxpayers with the other through higher taxes or future debt indirectly via inflation.

With these demands, the TAE firmly stands on the subsidiarity principle consistently advocated by its largest member organization, the German Taxpayers’ Association. Budgetary policy is a national matter. Excessive centralization of political power leads to inefficiencies, opacity, corruption, and systematic mismanagement by an increasingly powerful central apparatus that ultimately cannot even control the flow of its own funds.

The warning of the taxpayers’ association may, however, come too late. The European Commission operates under the motto: “Never let a crisis go to waste.” Following this spirit, the first true joint European bond was issued during the lockdown five years ago. Under the program name NextGenerationEU, the European Commission raised approximately €800 billion on the capital markets, backed by Germany as the main rating anchor, which with a national debt of 65 percent continues to stabilize European capital markets.

On an EU level, a whole arsenal of crisis financing instruments has been established. The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) intervenes in acute crises, issuing bonds itself, and would be applied in a looming sovereign debt crisis just like the so-called SURE bonds set up to mitigate regional unemployment.

We are facing a slow, erosive process in which the EU is increasingly penetrating the capital markets, always with the guarantee of major economies and European taxpayers behind it. EU Green Bonds are a particularly vivid example: Here, the ideology of the green transformation merges with the practical implementation of joint debt issuance. Capital is directed into channels of a green crony economy that has already heavily damaged the overall economic structure.

And it came to pass as expected: The warning from taxpayer representatives was more than justified. Large parts of the borrowed debt were immediately funneled into the public budgets of Italy and Spain to mitigate precarious national fiscal conditions. Spain provides the clearest example: President Pedro Sánchez’s socialist government finances large portions of its state budget through these programs, enabling massive public sector employment growth. Much like in Germany, Spain’s labor market is shifting from the struggling private sector to the public sector, which acts as a final safety net for a gradually eroding middle class.

As if European statism were not already the costliest and economically most disastrous project of our time: productive forces are further stifled by this debt program, and the capital market is virtually drained by the public sector. Moreover, access to credit for small and medium-sized businesses becomes increasingly difficult when fewer funds are available.

This phenomenon can be observed across nearly all levels of European economic policy. What has unfolded under the program name Green Deal as a green transformation within a massive redistribution mechanism unfortunately establishes incentives that also attract productive private capital. Who would not prefer a government- or institution-guaranteed minimum return that exceeds market rates and is risk-free, as in the case of renewable energy investments?

The TAE does not state it explicitly, but if the EU Commission under Ursula von der Leyen continues to expand its fiscal powers, this path could accelerate Europe into economic third-class status.

Every major past crisis offered Brussels the opportunity to expand and consolidate its fiscal power. Whether the Dotcom bubble 25 years ago or the sovereign debt crisis fifteen years ago, which was quasi drowned by former ECB President Mario Draghi in fiat credit – all these events eventually culminated in the first European joint bond, the so-called NextGenerationEU.

It was the great original sin. A political bastard of the lockdown era. What else could this period have produced but further problems? We must assume, with Europeans’ response patterns in mind, that the looming EU sovereign debt crisis will inevitably feed into the Eurobond project.

It will spawn additional political bastards, such as the digital euro, designed as a capital flow control to prevent flight. A digital identity for monitoring public discourse is likely to be implemented. A minimum tax regime is also planned to finally eliminate tax competition in the EU. Welcome to Brussels, welcome to the hyperstate that will produce nothing but debt, behavioral control, and inflation.

* * * 

About the author: Thomas Kolbe, a German graduate economist, has worked for over 25 years as a journalist and media producer for clients from various industries and business associations. As a publicist, he focuses on economic processes and observes geopolitical events from the perspective of the capital markets. His publications follow a philosophy that focuses on the individual and their right to self-determination.

Tyler Durden Wed, 03/11/2026 - 02:00

We Must Invest In Civics For America's 250th

Authored by Hans Zeiger via RealClearEducation,

The second week of March is Civic Learning Week. It’s an annual observance marked by civics advocates with webinars, social media campaigns, and a big conference known as the National Forum, organized by the nonprofit iCivics. This year’s National Forum will take place in Philadelphia, as more than 600 civics leaders, educators, and students will gather to consider the theme of “Liberty and Learning: Civic Education at 250.”

Indeed, this year’s Civic Learning Week is an even bigger deal than usual, as we celebrate the nation’s quarter-millennium anniversary. Civics should be the top item on our national agenda.

Civic education should matter to every American. It is more than a set of facts that eighth graders should know for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (only 22 percent of eighth graders were proficient in civics, and 13 percent were proficient in history in the most recent scoring). Rather, civic education is best understood as a lifelong commitment to the study and practice of America’s distinctive political tradition of self-government.  

For all that should give us reason for worry in our country, the good news is that momentum is quickly growing in the movement for what the Princeton-based Institute for Citizens and Scholars calls “civic preparedness.” At all levels of education, institutions and philanthropists are partnering to support a renewed focus on civics.

In the fall, the U.S. Department of Education awarded more than $153 million to university-based and nonprofit initiatives to design and implement civics literacy programs in K-12 classrooms and to hold seminars for the nation’s teaching force on “primary documents, constitutional study, historical field experiences, civil discourse, and American achievement.” This represents a welcome federal commitment to civic education in the run-up to the 250th celebration. Among the grantees are ambitious new civics programs at public universities like Arizona State University, Florida State University, and Utah Valley University, along with civic-focused private universities like Pepperdine University and American University. The National Endowment for the Humanities has similarly prioritized investments in public and educational programs for the nation’s 250th birthday. 

In addition, major foundations and other philanthropic funders are stepping up to invest in civics. The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently reported on $56 million in philanthropic commitments to civics from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Stand Together, and the Bezos Family Foundation. Stand Together is supporting the Civic Star Challenge, a collaboration between iCivics and the Bill of Rights Institute to encourage student projects emphasizing themes from the Declaration of Independence. The Carnegie Corporation is supporting the Teaching America250 Teaching Awards at the Jack Miller Center, where I serve as president, to provide $5,000 awards for teacher-led projects focused on the Declaration of Independence in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

This is one among several projects we are tackling for the 250th at the Jack Miller Center, where we have been building a network of university professors who are focused on teaching America’s founding principles and history for two decades.

For America’s 250th, we are providing direct support to scholars in the Jack Miller Center network to help them organize campus conversations about the Declaration of Independence. These will include lecture series, reading groups, and debates— aimed at fitting the unique needs of campus communities. So far, we have committed to campus programs in 33 states and DC. We are partnering, for example, on a weeklong series of events at Arizona State University on the values of the Founding, a year-long undergraduate reading group on key primary sources of American political thought and their relation to the Declaration at Purdue University Fort Wayne, and an academic panel on the Declaration at the University of Georgia, at which students will question scholars regarding the Declaration while playing various historical figures. We look forward to building more partnerships with campuses and scholars in the months to come.   

We’re also doing what we can to bring the civics movement together as we get ready to convene hundreds of leaders and educators for the National Summit on Civic Education, May 18-19, as we consider “The Words that Changed the World” on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall. We’ll talk about the enduring impact of the Declaration and its importance for the future of American education.

As we celebrate America’s 250th, let’s all do our part to educate ourselves and the young people in our lives about the ideas that animate our country and fill our lives with opportunity. Let’s make civics the cause of the year.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 23:45

We Must Invest In Civics For America's 250th

Authored by Hans Zeiger via RealClearEducation,

The second week of March is Civic Learning Week. It’s an annual observance marked by civics advocates with webinars, social media campaigns, and a big conference known as the National Forum, organized by the nonprofit iCivics. This year’s National Forum will take place in Philadelphia, as more than 600 civics leaders, educators, and students will gather to consider the theme of “Liberty and Learning: Civic Education at 250.”

Indeed, this year’s Civic Learning Week is an even bigger deal than usual, as we celebrate the nation’s quarter-millennium anniversary. Civics should be the top item on our national agenda.

Civic education should matter to every American. It is more than a set of facts that eighth graders should know for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (only 22 percent of eighth graders were proficient in civics, and 13 percent were proficient in history in the most recent scoring). Rather, civic education is best understood as a lifelong commitment to the study and practice of America’s distinctive political tradition of self-government.  

For all that should give us reason for worry in our country, the good news is that momentum is quickly growing in the movement for what the Princeton-based Institute for Citizens and Scholars calls “civic preparedness.” At all levels of education, institutions and philanthropists are partnering to support a renewed focus on civics.

In the fall, the U.S. Department of Education awarded more than $153 million to university-based and nonprofit initiatives to design and implement civics literacy programs in K-12 classrooms and to hold seminars for the nation’s teaching force on “primary documents, constitutional study, historical field experiences, civil discourse, and American achievement.” This represents a welcome federal commitment to civic education in the run-up to the 250th celebration. Among the grantees are ambitious new civics programs at public universities like Arizona State University, Florida State University, and Utah Valley University, along with civic-focused private universities like Pepperdine University and American University. The National Endowment for the Humanities has similarly prioritized investments in public and educational programs for the nation’s 250th birthday. 

In addition, major foundations and other philanthropic funders are stepping up to invest in civics. The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently reported on $56 million in philanthropic commitments to civics from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Stand Together, and the Bezos Family Foundation. Stand Together is supporting the Civic Star Challenge, a collaboration between iCivics and the Bill of Rights Institute to encourage student projects emphasizing themes from the Declaration of Independence. The Carnegie Corporation is supporting the Teaching America250 Teaching Awards at the Jack Miller Center, where I serve as president, to provide $5,000 awards for teacher-led projects focused on the Declaration of Independence in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

This is one among several projects we are tackling for the 250th at the Jack Miller Center, where we have been building a network of university professors who are focused on teaching America’s founding principles and history for two decades.

For America’s 250th, we are providing direct support to scholars in the Jack Miller Center network to help them organize campus conversations about the Declaration of Independence. These will include lecture series, reading groups, and debates— aimed at fitting the unique needs of campus communities. So far, we have committed to campus programs in 33 states and DC. We are partnering, for example, on a weeklong series of events at Arizona State University on the values of the Founding, a year-long undergraduate reading group on key primary sources of American political thought and their relation to the Declaration at Purdue University Fort Wayne, and an academic panel on the Declaration at the University of Georgia, at which students will question scholars regarding the Declaration while playing various historical figures. We look forward to building more partnerships with campuses and scholars in the months to come.   

We’re also doing what we can to bring the civics movement together as we get ready to convene hundreds of leaders and educators for the National Summit on Civic Education, May 18-19, as we consider “The Words that Changed the World” on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall. We’ll talk about the enduring impact of the Declaration and its importance for the future of American education.

As we celebrate America’s 250th, let’s all do our part to educate ourselves and the young people in our lives about the ideas that animate our country and fill our lives with opportunity. Let’s make civics the cause of the year.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 23:45

$330 Million In U.S. Reaper Drones Suffer Grim Fate In Operation Epic Fury

CBS News sources confirmed that over the eleven-day course of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. lost eleven General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones. At roughly $30 million apiece, the losses likely cost taxpayers more than $330 million.

The report is based on information from two U.S. officials, who said that losses of the drones, which are designed for long-endurance surveillance and precision strike missions, have reached eleven so far.

There has been OSINT coverage on X of these MQ-9s in action over Iran, as well as alleged footage of crashes.

A U.S. MQ-9 Reaper was reportedly shot down by IRGC Aerospace forces today Over Hormozgan Province, Iran. pic.twitter.com/g0ER9J19R7

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 7, 2026

Footage from on the ground near the Southern Iranian city of Shiraz captured an MQ-9 Reaper with the U.S. Air Force firing an AGM-114 “Hellfire” Air-to-Surface Missile against a ballistic missile launcher that had revealed itself and was preparing to launch against Israel or… pic.twitter.com/RocAHQSD9F

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 1, 2026

Footage of a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper UAV engaging an Iranian missile launcher with an AGM-114 Hellfire via @hey_itsmyturn. pic.twitter.com/vwjePW6ivU

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 1, 2026

MQ-9s have a flight endurance of 27 hours and can operate at altitudes of 50,000 feet with an airspeed of 240 knots. Payload capacity is 3,850 pounds, including external storage pods for weapons and sensors.

The best available figure for how many of these drones U.S. forces operate comes from the Air Force’s FY2026 budget documents, which show there are 424 in total. The loss of eleven drones would represent about 2.6% of the overall inventory.

Related:

• U.S. Military-Industrial Complex Agrees To Quadruple Bomb Production As Operation Epic Fury Rages On

At the start of the week, U.S. CENTCOM revealed that U.S. forces struck around 5,000 IRGC targets, including 50 naval ships. CENTCOM stated that it targeted the Iranian military’s command-and-control centers and other hubs, integrated air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, warships and submarines, anti-ship missiles, military communications facilities, and plants for ballistic missile and drone manufacturing.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 23:20

$330 Million In U.S. Reaper Drones Suffer Grim Fate In Operation Epic Fury

CBS News sources confirmed that over the eleven-day course of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. lost eleven General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones. At roughly $30 million apiece, the losses likely cost taxpayers more than $330 million.

The report is based on information from two U.S. officials, who said that losses of the drones, which are designed for long-endurance surveillance and precision strike missions, have reached eleven so far.

There has been OSINT coverage on X of these MQ-9s in action over Iran, as well as alleged footage of crashes.

A U.S. MQ-9 Reaper was reportedly shot down by IRGC Aerospace forces today Over Hormozgan Province, Iran. pic.twitter.com/g0ER9J19R7

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 7, 2026

Footage from on the ground near the Southern Iranian city of Shiraz captured an MQ-9 Reaper with the U.S. Air Force firing an AGM-114 “Hellfire” Air-to-Surface Missile against a ballistic missile launcher that had revealed itself and was preparing to launch against Israel or… pic.twitter.com/RocAHQSD9F

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 1, 2026

Footage of a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper UAV engaging an Iranian missile launcher with an AGM-114 Hellfire via @hey_itsmyturn. pic.twitter.com/vwjePW6ivU

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 1, 2026

MQ-9s have a flight endurance of 27 hours and can operate at altitudes of 50,000 feet with an airspeed of 240 knots. Payload capacity is 3,850 pounds, including external storage pods for weapons and sensors.

The best available figure for how many of these drones U.S. forces operate comes from the Air Force’s FY2026 budget documents, which show there are 424 in total. The loss of eleven drones would represent about 2.6% of the overall inventory.

Related:

• U.S. Military-Industrial Complex Agrees To Quadruple Bomb Production As Operation Epic Fury Rages On

At the start of the week, U.S. CENTCOM revealed that U.S. forces struck around 5,000 IRGC targets, including 50 naval ships. CENTCOM stated that it targeted the Iranian military’s command-and-control centers and other hubs, integrated air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, warships and submarines, anti-ship missiles, military communications facilities, and plants for ballistic missile and drone manufacturing.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 23:20

ADHD May Not Be A Disorder After All

Authored by Amy Denney via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Isaac’s energy level, enthusiasm, and talkativeness were too much—at least for a traditional classroom.

He had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); one psychologist explained that he had a high IQ but low maturity.

Illustration by Lumi Liu

It wasn’t until Heather Rodden began homeschooling him in fifth grade that she realized what years of frustrated teachers couldn’t put their fingers on—what looked like a liability in one setting can flourish in another.

Like Rodden, other parents, researchers, and professionals are moving away from treating ADHD purely as a disorder that 1 in 10 kids have.

The word “deficit” in ADHD, they argue, obscures strengths—such as creativity, hyperfocus, and cognitive flexibility—that often accompany the condition.

“‘Different wiring’ isn’t automatically bad,” Dr. Daniel G. Amen, a psychiatrist and founder of Amen Clinics, brain-body clinics that use imaging instead of checklists for mental health issues, told The Epoch Times in an email. “Sometimes it’s simply diversity in how people think and create. ADHD isn’t a character flaw—it’s a brain pattern.”

At the heart of the matter is finding where and how people with ADHD will thrive.

An ADHD Brain

One frustration for people with ADHD is that it’s rarely lack of knowledge that holds them back. It is that their brains don’t consistently concentrate.

Focus requires a coordinated effort between the brain’s frontal control system, which helps you stay organized and resist distractions, the basal ganglia, which regulates motivation by using the reward chemical dopamine, and the cerebellum, which coordinates timing and attention. In ADHD brains, that coordination is inconsistent—not absent—but unreliable under demand.

“That helps explain inconsistent performance,” Amen said. “It’s called a disorder because it can disrupt performance at school, work, and home.”

While most research focuses on the deficits of ADHD, some studies suggest that many who have symptoms also have specific strengths.

Those with ADHD outperformed others in divergent thinking, particularly in fluency (generating many ideas quickly) and flexibility (combining concepts in unexpected ways), according to findings reported in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

A study published in Comprehensive Psychiatry found small to moderate positive correlations among ADHD traits of hyperfocus, sensory processing sensitivity, and cognitive flexibility (the ability to rapidly switch tasks, behaviors, or perspectives).

Hyperfocus is becoming absorbed in a task, sometimes to the point of losing track of time and surroundings—called flow in someone who doesn’t have ADHD, Claire Sira, a neuropsychologist who specializes in coaching adults with ADHD, told The Epoch Times.

Sensory processing sensitivity is typically thought of as a low sensory threshold—being overwhelmed by stimuli such as light, sound, and smell. However, in the study, sensory processing sensitivity was defined differently—a sensory appreciation for aesthetics, nature, or architecture, for example.

Another study of adults with ADHD published in Frontiers in Psychiatry noted that impulsivity and hyperactivity are seen as positive by some people with an ADHD diagnosis.

In an analysis published in BMJ Open, adults with ADHD reported dual benefits in weakness traits. A 30-year-old woman noted that being overly active allows her to do more than her peers in less time: “Then I get to experience more.” Another woman reported that her inattention has led to overhearing “amusing conversations.”

Traits such as impulsivity and hyperactivity can become strengths, rather than liabilities, by focusing on neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new neural connections—possibly even after injury and later in life, Amen noted. Meditation, breathing exercises, physical activity, and learning new skills are all associated with improved neuroplasticity.

“Focusing only on deficits misses the point,” he added. “The real goal is to help people build a better brain so they can access their strengths consistently—especially when life demands concentration and follow-through.”

A Classroom Problem

Life’s demands, however, may partially explain the prevalence of ADHD, which some argue may be more of an environmental problem than a brain disorder.

An article published in BJPsych Advances noted that children of generations past were not expected to sit rigidly and concentrate on academics for several hours a day.

“My feeling has been for a long time that we make ADHD into a disease state or abnormality that really runs along a continuum in different directions,” retired pediatric neurologist Dr. Andrew Zimmerman told The Epoch Times.

“And we tend to see it as abnormal because we want to see children sit still in class and do their schoolwork.”

Adjusting schools and workplaces will not only lift the stigma and shame of ADHD but also benefit everyone by making space for the skills and talents those with ADHD bring, according to psychiatrist and researcher Annie Swanepoel. “We need to recognize that variations are the spice of life,” she wrote in an article published in Clinical Neuropsychiatry.

Everyone would likely benefit from school and workplace adjustments aimed at improving focus, Sira said. Yet there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, she added.

For some, working in an open, busy office environment can offer accountability and motivation. For others, the visual distractions and noise can make work too challenging. They may need to work from home or behind an office door, Sira said.

“It would be way better if we could match the environment to the person.”

Zimmerman noted that children suspected of ADHD deserve a thorough evaluation, because in some cases, inattention and hyperactivity have underlying causes such as fetal alcohol syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and premature birth that are not always identified in schools.

However, in most cases, he said, ADHD is overdiagnosed and overtreated, when the real solution could be a different style of schooling altogether.

“If I had a child in that situation nowadays, I would certainly look for [an alternative school] where they could express themselves,” he said. “So much of what is important is relationships—it’s social development, to have kids learn fairness, and how to get along—all maybe more important than calculus.”

Are We Overdiagnosing?

In less than two decades, the prevalence of ADHD diagnoses among children increased from 6.1 to 10.2 percent. Today, it’s 11.4 percent of children aged 3 to 17. Adult ADHD diagnoses—though they represent about 1 percent of the population—nearly doubled from 2007 to 2016.

Zimmerman has reviewed studies recently that show overlap of symptoms between clearly defined ADHD patients and typical children. He added that even children with typical brain patterns have shown to have improved focus and less hyperactivity on medication.

Such overlap blurs the line of certainty when it comes to who has ADHD and who doesn’t, he said. “It’s a question of: Are we unfairly treating the kids? Are we penalizing them, in a sense, by making them take medication? It makes the kids look better, but it doesn’t necessarily make them perform better or certainly not feel better.”

One reason for the uptick in ADHD, Sira said, is simply the expansive demands on attention in the modern world, including screen usage, larger classrooms, and physical and emotional distractions that make it harder to stay focused.

The key is to teach the brain to shift into focus mode when needed, Amen said. “The problem comes when the focus-and-follow-through network—especially the prefrontal cortex and its partners—doesn’t reliably come online when it’s needed.”

The brain can be supported with a healthy diet, good sleep, and regular exercise, Sira said. “If you wanted to actively build your ability to regulate your own attention, meditation practices do this because that’s literally what meditation is—learning to recognize when your attention has wandered and bring it back—whatever is happening with sensory awareness and mindful movement.”

For children, martial arts and dance can teach discipline with mindful movement and improve attention. Adults can also grow those skills and should, she said, as neuroplasticity should be a lifelong goal.

Read the rest here...

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 22:55

ADHD May Not Be A Disorder After All

Authored by Amy Denney via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Isaac’s energy level, enthusiasm, and talkativeness were too much—at least for a traditional classroom.

He had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); one psychologist explained that he had a high IQ but low maturity.

Illustration by Lumi Liu

It wasn’t until Heather Rodden began homeschooling him in fifth grade that she realized what years of frustrated teachers couldn’t put their fingers on—what looked like a liability in one setting can flourish in another.

Like Rodden, other parents, researchers, and professionals are moving away from treating ADHD purely as a disorder that 1 in 10 kids have.

The word “deficit” in ADHD, they argue, obscures strengths—such as creativity, hyperfocus, and cognitive flexibility—that often accompany the condition.

“‘Different wiring’ isn’t automatically bad,” Dr. Daniel G. Amen, a psychiatrist and founder of Amen Clinics, brain-body clinics that use imaging instead of checklists for mental health issues, told The Epoch Times in an email. “Sometimes it’s simply diversity in how people think and create. ADHD isn’t a character flaw—it’s a brain pattern.”

At the heart of the matter is finding where and how people with ADHD will thrive.

An ADHD Brain

One frustration for people with ADHD is that it’s rarely lack of knowledge that holds them back. It is that their brains don’t consistently concentrate.

Focus requires a coordinated effort between the brain’s frontal control system, which helps you stay organized and resist distractions, the basal ganglia, which regulates motivation by using the reward chemical dopamine, and the cerebellum, which coordinates timing and attention. In ADHD brains, that coordination is inconsistent—not absent—but unreliable under demand.

“That helps explain inconsistent performance,” Amen said. “It’s called a disorder because it can disrupt performance at school, work, and home.”

While most research focuses on the deficits of ADHD, some studies suggest that many who have symptoms also have specific strengths.

Those with ADHD outperformed others in divergent thinking, particularly in fluency (generating many ideas quickly) and flexibility (combining concepts in unexpected ways), according to findings reported in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

A study published in Comprehensive Psychiatry found small to moderate positive correlations among ADHD traits of hyperfocus, sensory processing sensitivity, and cognitive flexibility (the ability to rapidly switch tasks, behaviors, or perspectives).

Hyperfocus is becoming absorbed in a task, sometimes to the point of losing track of time and surroundings—called flow in someone who doesn’t have ADHD, Claire Sira, a neuropsychologist who specializes in coaching adults with ADHD, told The Epoch Times.

Sensory processing sensitivity is typically thought of as a low sensory threshold—being overwhelmed by stimuli such as light, sound, and smell. However, in the study, sensory processing sensitivity was defined differently—a sensory appreciation for aesthetics, nature, or architecture, for example.

Another study of adults with ADHD published in Frontiers in Psychiatry noted that impulsivity and hyperactivity are seen as positive by some people with an ADHD diagnosis.

In an analysis published in BMJ Open, adults with ADHD reported dual benefits in weakness traits. A 30-year-old woman noted that being overly active allows her to do more than her peers in less time: “Then I get to experience more.” Another woman reported that her inattention has led to overhearing “amusing conversations.”

Traits such as impulsivity and hyperactivity can become strengths, rather than liabilities, by focusing on neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new neural connections—possibly even after injury and later in life, Amen noted. Meditation, breathing exercises, physical activity, and learning new skills are all associated with improved neuroplasticity.

“Focusing only on deficits misses the point,” he added. “The real goal is to help people build a better brain so they can access their strengths consistently—especially when life demands concentration and follow-through.”

A Classroom Problem

Life’s demands, however, may partially explain the prevalence of ADHD, which some argue may be more of an environmental problem than a brain disorder.

An article published in BJPsych Advances noted that children of generations past were not expected to sit rigidly and concentrate on academics for several hours a day.

“My feeling has been for a long time that we make ADHD into a disease state or abnormality that really runs along a continuum in different directions,” retired pediatric neurologist Dr. Andrew Zimmerman told The Epoch Times.

“And we tend to see it as abnormal because we want to see children sit still in class and do their schoolwork.”

Adjusting schools and workplaces will not only lift the stigma and shame of ADHD but also benefit everyone by making space for the skills and talents those with ADHD bring, according to psychiatrist and researcher Annie Swanepoel. “We need to recognize that variations are the spice of life,” she wrote in an article published in Clinical Neuropsychiatry.

Everyone would likely benefit from school and workplace adjustments aimed at improving focus, Sira said. Yet there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, she added.

For some, working in an open, busy office environment can offer accountability and motivation. For others, the visual distractions and noise can make work too challenging. They may need to work from home or behind an office door, Sira said.

“It would be way better if we could match the environment to the person.”

Zimmerman noted that children suspected of ADHD deserve a thorough evaluation, because in some cases, inattention and hyperactivity have underlying causes such as fetal alcohol syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and premature birth that are not always identified in schools.

However, in most cases, he said, ADHD is overdiagnosed and overtreated, when the real solution could be a different style of schooling altogether.

“If I had a child in that situation nowadays, I would certainly look for [an alternative school] where they could express themselves,” he said. “So much of what is important is relationships—it’s social development, to have kids learn fairness, and how to get along—all maybe more important than calculus.”

Are We Overdiagnosing?

In less than two decades, the prevalence of ADHD diagnoses among children increased from 6.1 to 10.2 percent. Today, it’s 11.4 percent of children aged 3 to 17. Adult ADHD diagnoses—though they represent about 1 percent of the population—nearly doubled from 2007 to 2016.

Zimmerman has reviewed studies recently that show overlap of symptoms between clearly defined ADHD patients and typical children. He added that even children with typical brain patterns have shown to have improved focus and less hyperactivity on medication.

Such overlap blurs the line of certainty when it comes to who has ADHD and who doesn’t, he said. “It’s a question of: Are we unfairly treating the kids? Are we penalizing them, in a sense, by making them take medication? It makes the kids look better, but it doesn’t necessarily make them perform better or certainly not feel better.”

One reason for the uptick in ADHD, Sira said, is simply the expansive demands on attention in the modern world, including screen usage, larger classrooms, and physical and emotional distractions that make it harder to stay focused.

The key is to teach the brain to shift into focus mode when needed, Amen said. “The problem comes when the focus-and-follow-through network—especially the prefrontal cortex and its partners—doesn’t reliably come online when it’s needed.”

The brain can be supported with a healthy diet, good sleep, and regular exercise, Sira said. “If you wanted to actively build your ability to regulate your own attention, meditation practices do this because that’s literally what meditation is—learning to recognize when your attention has wandered and bring it back—whatever is happening with sensory awareness and mindful movement.”

For children, martial arts and dance can teach discipline with mindful movement and improve attention. Adults can also grow those skills and should, she said, as neuroplasticity should be a lifelong goal.

Read the rest here...

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 22:55

Trump Willing To Kill New Ayatollah If He Doesn't Cede To US Demands

It remains increasingly difficult to interpret President Trump, or to take his words at face value, especially when it comes to back-and-forth with reporters on the Iran war and future aims and plans.

For example, on Monday, the president was asked at a news briefing in Florida whether Iran's new leader was a target, to which Trump replied: "The new leader, you mean the son?… I was disappointed to see their choice," before adding, "I don’t want to say whether he has (a target on his back)." 

When later pressed in a follow-up question, he reiterated his broader frustration and then conceded that the Iranian people are "an amazing people but the system they have only leads to failure." This slightly softened or tempered rhetoric in terms of war aims is a far cry from the "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" demand of merely a few days ago.

Already, the White House seems to have completely backed off listing "regime change" as an official objective of Operation Epic Fury, perhaps belatedly realizing the severe limitations of a purely aerial campaign. On Tuesday, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is in front of cameras saying Trump is always willing to talk, even to the Iranians, however "the question is whether or not it is worth it."

AFP via Getty Images/People

As for the potential for another regime 'decapitation strike' - it's ironic (and a tad confusing) that on the very day Trump refrained from saying he would take out the new Ayatollah, The Wall Street Journal issued a headline and quotes suggesting the opposite: Trump Open to Khamenei Being Killed if He Doesn’t Cede to U.S. Demands. It said:

President Trump has told aides he would back the killing of new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei if he proves unwilling to cede to U.S. demands, such as ending Iran’s nuclear development, current and former U.S. officials said.

The White House declined to comment, but Trump on Monday told the New York Post he was “not happy” that Khamenei was selected to lead Iran after previously calling him “unacceptable.” Trump last week on social media said he wanted a say in picking a “great and acceptable” ruler for Iran following its “unconditional surrender.”

“I’m not going through this to end up with another Khamenei,” Trump told Time magazine last week.

But the same report reveals a consensus among Israeli officials that Israel would like precisely to go ahead and take out the younger Khamenei too - and perhaps even any replacement after that.

"The younger Khamenei is viewed in Washington as a hard-line successor to his father who was hand-picked by Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the current and former U.S. officials said," WSJ said. "The officials said they don't expect Khamenei is likely to give up Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons or negotiate an end to the conflict on terms favorable to the U.S."

It took the US 20 years to replace the Taliban with the Taliban, but only 9 days to replace Khamenei with Khamenei

— Curt Mills (@CurtMills) March 9, 2026

This obviously sets up for an escalation trap dilemma: pursue full regime change which would likely require boots on the ground to dismantle and secure Iran's nuclear program (while risking 'endless' quagmire)?

Or keep the regime/system in place, which avoids a ground quagmire, but then risks a future nuclear-armed Islamic Republic. The more days and weeks which pass in the conflict, the more acute this dilemma will become.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 22:30

Why Fusion Energy Needs To Be American Born - Now More Than Ever

Authored by Lawrence Kadish via the Gatestone Institute,

The Strait of Hormuz is closed to shipping. Qatar's energy minister -- who, not surprisingly, appears to be lobbying on the side of Iran -- is warning that the conflict to prevent it from gaining nuclear weapons could "bring down the economies of the world" and that Gulf nations might shut down their production of oil and gas. Meanwhile, intelligence sources say that Russia, perhaps trying to lure the US into a larger war, is providing Iran with the means to target American military forces in the region. Kudos to President Trump for refusing to take the bait.

Pictured: President Donald Trump holds up an executive order on the rapid development, deployment and use of advanced nuclear technologies, on May 23, 2025, in the White House. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

If ever there was a case to be made for America's pursuit of unlimited energy through fusion power, it is this war and its global implications.

China is investing literally billions of dollars to master this technology. Fortunately, the Trump administration recognizes the enormous threat of being an "also ran" and appears committed to pursuing a breakthrough in this sector.

Additional progress came this past week as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published a draft rule regarding guidelines to handle the byproducts of fusion. It is the type of roadmap the American nuclear industry needs as they continue to put resources, time, and talent into unlocking this pollution-free energy source.

The enormous potential of nuclear fusion has the president's attention, and he is placing his Trump Media & Technology Group solidly into the fusion business with the announcement of a $6 billion merger with TAE Technologies, an energy research firm. Not surprisingly, that company counts Google among its major investors and partners: clearly, this corporate powerhouse appreciates the technology's importance.

The NRC has been a key player in this field. Last year it voted to place nuclear fusion devices under a less stringent framework than the more commonly used nuclear fission reactors, because fusion, unlike fission, does not create radioactive nuclear waste. If approvals and research continue on track, fusion researchers believe they can be generating commercial electric power for our nation within the next decade.

Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 22:05

Why Fusion Energy Needs To Be American Born - Now More Than Ever

Authored by Lawrence Kadish via the Gatestone Institute,

The Strait of Hormuz is closed to shipping. Qatar's energy minister -- who, not surprisingly, appears to be lobbying on the side of Iran -- is warning that the conflict to prevent it from gaining nuclear weapons could "bring down the economies of the world" and that Gulf nations might shut down their production of oil and gas. Meanwhile, intelligence sources say that Russia, perhaps trying to lure the US into a larger war, is providing Iran with the means to target American military forces in the region. Kudos to President Trump for refusing to take the bait.

Pictured: President Donald Trump holds up an executive order on the rapid development, deployment and use of advanced nuclear technologies, on May 23, 2025, in the White House. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

If ever there was a case to be made for America's pursuit of unlimited energy through fusion power, it is this war and its global implications.

China is investing literally billions of dollars to master this technology. Fortunately, the Trump administration recognizes the enormous threat of being an "also ran" and appears committed to pursuing a breakthrough in this sector.

Additional progress came this past week as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published a draft rule regarding guidelines to handle the byproducts of fusion. It is the type of roadmap the American nuclear industry needs as they continue to put resources, time, and talent into unlocking this pollution-free energy source.

The enormous potential of nuclear fusion has the president's attention, and he is placing his Trump Media & Technology Group solidly into the fusion business with the announcement of a $6 billion merger with TAE Technologies, an energy research firm. Not surprisingly, that company counts Google among its major investors and partners: clearly, this corporate powerhouse appreciates the technology's importance.

The NRC has been a key player in this field. Last year it voted to place nuclear fusion devices under a less stringent framework than the more commonly used nuclear fission reactors, because fusion, unlike fission, does not create radioactive nuclear waste. If approvals and research continue on track, fusion researchers believe they can be generating commercial electric power for our nation within the next decade.

Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 22:05

South Korea Angry Over US Plan To Redeploy Critical Air Defense System To Mideast

We previously highlighted that Zelensky's biggest current worry is that the Iran war and ongoing major US operations there will starve Ukraine of critical arms, and especially long sought-after and expensive anti-air systems and munitions.

It's not just Ukraine expressing alarm, but now South Korea too, with President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday loudly complaining about Washington's plans to redeploy Patriot air defense batteries from the Korean Peninsula to the Middle East in order to bolster regional defenses against Iran.

Launchers From THAAD Anti-Missile System

Lee voiced his clear opposition, but his political intervention didn't work. "The USFK may dispatch some air defense systems abroad in accordance with its own military needs. While we have expressed opposition, the reality is that we cannot fully push through our position," the Korean leader told reporters.

He did temper his remarks by saying that withdrawal of some systems "does not hinder deterrence strategy towards North Korea" - given superiority of these systems over what Pyongyang has in its arsenal.

Nearly 30,000 American troops are maintained and rotated across bases in South Korea, along with missile defense systems, for decades seeking to provide a 'check' on the nuclear-armed north.

At times the US has even docked advanced nuclear submarines at peninsula ports, which has raised the temperature higher - often with surprise North Korean missile tests.

Meanwhile, some local media indicate several Patriot missile batteries have already been moved out of Osan Air Base, potentially heading to American outposts in Saudi Arabia or the UAE, though officials in Seoul have not confirmed this.

Korean media precisely lays blame on the new US operation launched against Iran:

The United States, engaged in a war with Iran, has begun relocating part of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system deployed in South Korea to the Middle East, the Washington Post (WP) reported on the 9th (local time), citing two U.S. Department of Defense officials.

According to the WP, the U.S. military expended $5.6 billion (approximately 8.26 trillion Korean won) worth of ammunition in the first two days of airstrikes against Iran, rapidly depleting advanced weaponry. As advanced weapon stockpiles neared exhaustion, the U.S. military has been redeploying air defense assets from the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, Patriot interceptor missiles are being diverted from other regions to counter Iran’s drone and ballistic missile attacks.

However, the same report highlighted that the Pentagon seeks to control the narrative: "These measures are not due to a shortage of weapons in the Middle East but are preventive steps in anticipation of the Iran crisis potentially prolonging," one US official was cited in WaPo as saying.

Had seen unconfirmed reports that Iran destroyed a huge, expensive radar system central to Patriot/THAAD in Qatar: here Foreign Policy casually confirms it, says it will take 5-8 years to rebuild, and that another destroyed in Bahrain will take 12-24 monthss to replace. https://t.co/sHlMjtVB6v pic.twitter.com/aHrcaCQxm2

— Richard Seymour (@leninology) March 6, 2026

This after the past week has seen several reports that Iranian ballistic missiles took out a number of extremely expensive anti-air systems in the Gulf region, and even all the way over to Jordan. But the extent of damage and potential destruction of these systems, after ten days of Operation Epic Fury, remains in question and the Pentagon is likely going to keep much information classified. 

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 21:40

South Korea Angry Over US Plan To Redeploy Critical Air Defense System To Mideast

We previously highlighted that Zelensky's biggest current worry is that the Iran war and ongoing major US operations there will starve Ukraine of critical arms, and especially long sought-after and expensive anti-air systems and munitions.

It's not just Ukraine expressing alarm, but now South Korea too, with President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday loudly complaining about Washington's plans to redeploy Patriot air defense batteries from the Korean Peninsula to the Middle East in order to bolster regional defenses against Iran.

Launchers From THAAD Anti-Missile System

Lee voiced his clear opposition, but his political intervention didn't work. "The USFK may dispatch some air defense systems abroad in accordance with its own military needs. While we have expressed opposition, the reality is that we cannot fully push through our position," the Korean leader told reporters.

He did temper his remarks by saying that withdrawal of some systems "does not hinder deterrence strategy towards North Korea" - given superiority of these systems over what Pyongyang has in its arsenal.

Nearly 30,000 American troops are maintained and rotated across bases in South Korea, along with missile defense systems, for decades seeking to provide a 'check' on the nuclear-armed north.

At times the US has even docked advanced nuclear submarines at peninsula ports, which has raised the temperature higher - often with surprise North Korean missile tests.

Meanwhile, some local media indicate several Patriot missile batteries have already been moved out of Osan Air Base, potentially heading to American outposts in Saudi Arabia or the UAE, though officials in Seoul have not confirmed this.

Korean media precisely lays blame on the new US operation launched against Iran:

The United States, engaged in a war with Iran, has begun relocating part of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system deployed in South Korea to the Middle East, the Washington Post (WP) reported on the 9th (local time), citing two U.S. Department of Defense officials.

According to the WP, the U.S. military expended $5.6 billion (approximately 8.26 trillion Korean won) worth of ammunition in the first two days of airstrikes against Iran, rapidly depleting advanced weaponry. As advanced weapon stockpiles neared exhaustion, the U.S. military has been redeploying air defense assets from the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, Patriot interceptor missiles are being diverted from other regions to counter Iran’s drone and ballistic missile attacks.

However, the same report highlighted that the Pentagon seeks to control the narrative: "These measures are not due to a shortage of weapons in the Middle East but are preventive steps in anticipation of the Iran crisis potentially prolonging," one US official was cited in WaPo as saying.

Had seen unconfirmed reports that Iran destroyed a huge, expensive radar system central to Patriot/THAAD in Qatar: here Foreign Policy casually confirms it, says it will take 5-8 years to rebuild, and that another destroyed in Bahrain will take 12-24 monthss to replace. https://t.co/sHlMjtVB6v pic.twitter.com/aHrcaCQxm2

— Richard Seymour (@leninology) March 6, 2026

This after the past week has seen several reports that Iranian ballistic missiles took out a number of extremely expensive anti-air systems in the Gulf region, and even all the way over to Jordan. But the extent of damage and potential destruction of these systems, after ten days of Operation Epic Fury, remains in question and the Pentagon is likely going to keep much information classified. 

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 21:40

Millennial Men Face Low Testosterone Crisis, Doctors Warn

Authored by George Citroner via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Your phone, your food, and your shower gel may be conspiring against your testosterone. At least, that’s what a growing number of urologists are telling their youngest patients.

Testosterone-deprived 'man' 'lifts' weights in his mother's basement in front of a chemical symbol (illustration: Epoch Times, Shutterstock)

Men in their 30s and 40s are arriving at urology clinics with hormone profiles that would once have been unremarkable in men twice their age. Doctors say the pattern is new, the numbers are worsening, and the causes are hiding in plain sight.

“We have not seen such a decline in men in their 30s and 40s, of testosterone, sexual function, sperm quality, sperm number in generations compared to generations prior to the Millennium group,” Geo Espinosa, a board-certified naturopathic doctor and integrative urologist, presented his findings at the recent Integrative Health Symposium. “They’re suffering quietly—I’m not mincing words, this is an absolute crisis.”

A Silent Decline in Testosterone

Testosterone—the hormone responsible for libido, muscle mass, and overall vitality—is dropping at rates specialists describe as alarming. Some men in their 30s are presenting with levels typically associated with men in their 60s or 70s.

Low testosterone (hypogonadism) is detrimental for young men because it functions as a master regulator for both physical and mental health. While levels naturally decline by 1 to 2 percent per year after age 30, abnormally low levels in younger men can trigger a vicious cycle of metabolic, sexual, and psychological issues.

Recent research confirms this additional, age-independent decline in men.

A modest decline of around 1 percent per decade is considered normal with age, but researchers and clinicians say that the baseline is being dramatically undercut in younger men by a convergence of factors: poor sleep, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and daily exposure to environmental chemicals.

The problem is often invisible on standard lab work. Many affected men show total testosterone within normal ranges, masking a deficit in free testosterone—the biologically active form the body can actually use.

Espinosa urged clinicians to look beyond standard panels and assess free testosterone alongside hormone receptor health and testosterone-to-estradiol ratios.

Most of the men he sees report low libido, erectile dysfunction, and early signs of prostate issues—symptoms they are frequently told are stress-related, or normal for their age.

The Screen Problem

Espinosa pointed to technology’s role in exacerbating hormonal decline, particularly digital overstimulation and sleep deprivation.

Men in their 30s and 40s often report spending up to nine hours daily on their phones, engaging in social media, or watching pornography - habits that flood the brain with dopamine, desensitizing arousal pathways and disrupting sleep cycles.

Even one week of sleep loss can reduce testosterone in young men by 10 to 15 percent, and constant exposure to screens and late-night digital activity interferes with melatonin production, which is crucial for sleep and hormone regulation.

“Testosterone levels are higher in men who are overall more healthy,” Dr. William T. Berg, assistant professor of urology at Stony Brook Medicine and director of its Men’s Health Program, told The Epoch Times. “Sleep is important to overall health, and that ties directly into testosterone.”

Men who have sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, which causes frequent nighttime awakenings, often show decreased testosterone levels, he noted.

Berg cautioned that switching to night mode on your phone is insufficient, since you’re still shining a bright light into your eyes.

“And then all of the social media and anxiety that comes with phones and emails and text messages, right?” Berg added. “It all feeds into our overall lifestyle these days that is contributing to declining testosterone.”

What’s in Your Plastics?

An unsettling part of the picture involves what men are absorbing without knowing it. Phthalates and parabens, which Espinosa described as “endocrine disruptors,” interfere with the body’s hormone receptors. These chemicals, found in plastics, personal care products, and even processed foods, can block testosterone production and increase estrogen activity, further impairing hormonal health.

“We live, unfortunately, in a very toxic environment, and we’re only really starting to learn what that means,” Berg said. “We’ve had decades of exposure to microplastics and different plastic compounds.”

He pointed to a 2024 study that found microplastics in both canine and human testicular tissues and said that while researchers don’t fully understand their effects on the body, we have to assume they have some effects.

Beyond microplastics, he pointed to the food that we eat.

“What we call ultra-processed foods,” Berg said. “That’s not natural, I think it’s kind of obvious to everyone, the red and orange Cheetos are probably not healthy for you. Our bodies were not evolutionarily designed to ... handle these kind of chemical onslaughts.”

Rising Prostate Cancer–Related, or Part of a Larger Pattern?

Alongside falling testosterone, prostate cancer rates are climbing.

According to the American Cancer Society’s 2025 prostate cancer statistics report, prostate cancer diagnoses rose 3 percent annually starting in 2014, after declining 6.4 percent per year in the decade before—with the steepest increases seen for advanced-stage disease, which rose 6.2 percent annually.

The two trends—declining testosterone and rising cancer rates—might seem linked, but the relationship is more complicated than it appears.

“The cause of prostate cancer isn’t necessarily linked to testosterone itself,” Berg said.

Men taking high doses of supplemental testosterone to treat a deficiency don’t seem to have higher rates of prostate cancer, he noted.

“But if we block testosterone levels, make it very low or close to zero, that helps control prostate cancer,” Berg added. “So if testosterone levels are lower, the rates of prostate cancer would actually go down, but that’s not the case.”

What both trends may share, he suggested, is a common upstream cause: Chronic exposure to environmental toxins, poor nutrition, and the broader deterioration of metabolic health that characterizes modern life. “We’re just increasingly exposed to more toxins, more chemicals, and poorer quality food,” he said.

What Doctors Are Recommending

Espinosa advocates for proactive screening of millennial men, including checking free testosterone, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and metabolic health markers. Early intervention can prevent more serious issues like prostate cancer, which he notes is seeing an increase in aggressive cases among men under 55.

He urges health care providers to consider routine PSA testing starting at age 40, especially for men with family histories. Lifestyle modifications, targeted supplements, and addressing environmental exposures are key strategies in reversing the decline.

Espinosa urged men and practitioners alike to have honest, non-judgmental dialogues about digital habits, environmental toxins, sleep, and hormonal health. He emphasized that addressing these interconnected factors holistically can restore vitality and prevent long-term health consequences.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 21:15

Millennial Men Face Low Testosterone Crisis, Doctors Warn

Authored by George Citroner via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Your phone, your food, and your shower gel may be conspiring against your testosterone. At least, that’s what a growing number of urologists are telling their youngest patients.

Testosterone-deprived 'man' 'lifts' weights in his mother's basement in front of a chemical symbol (illustration: Epoch Times, Shutterstock)

Men in their 30s and 40s are arriving at urology clinics with hormone profiles that would once have been unremarkable in men twice their age. Doctors say the pattern is new, the numbers are worsening, and the causes are hiding in plain sight.

“We have not seen such a decline in men in their 30s and 40s, of testosterone, sexual function, sperm quality, sperm number in generations compared to generations prior to the Millennium group,” Geo Espinosa, a board-certified naturopathic doctor and integrative urologist, presented his findings at the recent Integrative Health Symposium. “They’re suffering quietly—I’m not mincing words, this is an absolute crisis.”

A Silent Decline in Testosterone

Testosterone—the hormone responsible for libido, muscle mass, and overall vitality—is dropping at rates specialists describe as alarming. Some men in their 30s are presenting with levels typically associated with men in their 60s or 70s.

Low testosterone (hypogonadism) is detrimental for young men because it functions as a master regulator for both physical and mental health. While levels naturally decline by 1 to 2 percent per year after age 30, abnormally low levels in younger men can trigger a vicious cycle of metabolic, sexual, and psychological issues.

Recent research confirms this additional, age-independent decline in men.

A modest decline of around 1 percent per decade is considered normal with age, but researchers and clinicians say that the baseline is being dramatically undercut in younger men by a convergence of factors: poor sleep, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and daily exposure to environmental chemicals.

The problem is often invisible on standard lab work. Many affected men show total testosterone within normal ranges, masking a deficit in free testosterone—the biologically active form the body can actually use.

Espinosa urged clinicians to look beyond standard panels and assess free testosterone alongside hormone receptor health and testosterone-to-estradiol ratios.

Most of the men he sees report low libido, erectile dysfunction, and early signs of prostate issues—symptoms they are frequently told are stress-related, or normal for their age.

The Screen Problem

Espinosa pointed to technology’s role in exacerbating hormonal decline, particularly digital overstimulation and sleep deprivation.

Men in their 30s and 40s often report spending up to nine hours daily on their phones, engaging in social media, or watching pornography - habits that flood the brain with dopamine, desensitizing arousal pathways and disrupting sleep cycles.

Even one week of sleep loss can reduce testosterone in young men by 10 to 15 percent, and constant exposure to screens and late-night digital activity interferes with melatonin production, which is crucial for sleep and hormone regulation.

“Testosterone levels are higher in men who are overall more healthy,” Dr. William T. Berg, assistant professor of urology at Stony Brook Medicine and director of its Men’s Health Program, told The Epoch Times. “Sleep is important to overall health, and that ties directly into testosterone.”

Men who have sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, which causes frequent nighttime awakenings, often show decreased testosterone levels, he noted.

Berg cautioned that switching to night mode on your phone is insufficient, since you’re still shining a bright light into your eyes.

“And then all of the social media and anxiety that comes with phones and emails and text messages, right?” Berg added. “It all feeds into our overall lifestyle these days that is contributing to declining testosterone.”

What’s in Your Plastics?

An unsettling part of the picture involves what men are absorbing without knowing it. Phthalates and parabens, which Espinosa described as “endocrine disruptors,” interfere with the body’s hormone receptors. These chemicals, found in plastics, personal care products, and even processed foods, can block testosterone production and increase estrogen activity, further impairing hormonal health.

“We live, unfortunately, in a very toxic environment, and we’re only really starting to learn what that means,” Berg said. “We’ve had decades of exposure to microplastics and different plastic compounds.”

He pointed to a 2024 study that found microplastics in both canine and human testicular tissues and said that while researchers don’t fully understand their effects on the body, we have to assume they have some effects.

Beyond microplastics, he pointed to the food that we eat.

“What we call ultra-processed foods,” Berg said. “That’s not natural, I think it’s kind of obvious to everyone, the red and orange Cheetos are probably not healthy for you. Our bodies were not evolutionarily designed to ... handle these kind of chemical onslaughts.”

Rising Prostate Cancer–Related, or Part of a Larger Pattern?

Alongside falling testosterone, prostate cancer rates are climbing.

According to the American Cancer Society’s 2025 prostate cancer statistics report, prostate cancer diagnoses rose 3 percent annually starting in 2014, after declining 6.4 percent per year in the decade before—with the steepest increases seen for advanced-stage disease, which rose 6.2 percent annually.

The two trends—declining testosterone and rising cancer rates—might seem linked, but the relationship is more complicated than it appears.

“The cause of prostate cancer isn’t necessarily linked to testosterone itself,” Berg said.

Men taking high doses of supplemental testosterone to treat a deficiency don’t seem to have higher rates of prostate cancer, he noted.

“But if we block testosterone levels, make it very low or close to zero, that helps control prostate cancer,” Berg added. “So if testosterone levels are lower, the rates of prostate cancer would actually go down, but that’s not the case.”

What both trends may share, he suggested, is a common upstream cause: Chronic exposure to environmental toxins, poor nutrition, and the broader deterioration of metabolic health that characterizes modern life. “We’re just increasingly exposed to more toxins, more chemicals, and poorer quality food,” he said.

What Doctors Are Recommending

Espinosa advocates for proactive screening of millennial men, including checking free testosterone, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and metabolic health markers. Early intervention can prevent more serious issues like prostate cancer, which he notes is seeing an increase in aggressive cases among men under 55.

He urges health care providers to consider routine PSA testing starting at age 40, especially for men with family histories. Lifestyle modifications, targeted supplements, and addressing environmental exposures are key strategies in reversing the decline.

Espinosa urged men and practitioners alike to have honest, non-judgmental dialogues about digital habits, environmental toxins, sleep, and hormonal health. He emphasized that addressing these interconnected factors holistically can restore vitality and prevent long-term health consequences.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 21:15

As SAVE Act Vote Looms, FBI Expands 2020 Election Probe To Arizona

The federal government's post-2020 election reckoning has arrived in Arizona. Warren Petersen, the Arizona Senate President, confirmed Monday that federal investigators came knocking — and he answered. 

"Late last week I received and complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records relating to the Arizona State Senate's 2020 audit of Maricopa County," Petersen wrote on X. "The FBI has the records. Any other report is fake news." 

The records in question trace back to the infamous Cyber Ninjas audit, the Republican-commissioned hand-count of Maricopa County ballots that election experts widely dismissed as partisan theater. Many mainstream media outlets reported that the audit vindicated Joe Biden, when in fact, the audit found that there were “sufficient discrepancies among the different systems that, in conjunction with some of our findings, suggest that the delta between the Presidential candidates is very close to the potential margin of error for the election.” There were 57,734 impacted ballot—which was larger than Biden’s margin of victory in the state, which was just under 10,500.

The Arizona subpoena marks the second known federal probe into 2020 election administration, following the FBI's January raid on a Fulton County, Georgia, election hub, where agents carted off truckloads of voting documentation. 

Multiple U.S. officials told Fox News that the DOJ examined Arizona election data spanning both 2020 and 2024. The White House redirected press inquiries to the FBI, which declined to comment.

While President Donald Trump expressed enthusiasm for the news in a post on Truth Social, Democrats are less than thrilled.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, disputed the investigation's legitimacy.

"What the Trump administration appears to be pursuing now is not a legitimate law enforcement inquiry," she claimed.

"It is the weaponization of federal law enforcement in service of crackpots and lies." 

The Arizona development lands amid escalating tension over election security heading into the 2026 midterms. 

On Sunday, Trump issued a blunt legislative ultimatum, declaring on Truth Social that he would refuse to sign any bill until the Senate passed the SAVE America Act. "It must be done immediately. It supersedes everything else. MUST GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE," Trump posted. The legislation would require physical proof of citizenship for federal voter registration, a photo ID to vote, and would restrict mail-in voting to military personnel and a narrow set of extenuating circumstances.

Democrats in Washington, DC, have blasted the legislation as voter suppression, but a Harvard/Harris poll found that 71% of Americans support the bill, including 69% of independents, and 50% of Democrats. 

Poll after poll shows overwhelming support for voter ID laws across the political spectrum. According to the Pew Research Center, 83% of Americans support voter ID requirements, including large majorities of Democrats, independents, whites, blacks, and Latinos. Gallup reports similar findings, with 84% backing voter ID—98% of Republicans, 84% of independents, and even 67% of Democrats. The same survey found that 83% support requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. Rasmussen Reports puts support at 75%, noting that backing for voter ID has steadily increased over the past decade.

While support for the SAVE Act is bipartisan, Democrats in Congress are rabidly opposed to it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has repeatedly called the SAVE Act “Jim Crow 2.0,” and made unsubstantiated claims that it would “disenfranchise tens of millions of people.”

Schumer also said, "If Trump is saying he won't sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate. Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances." 

The SAVE Act is Jim Crow 2.0. It would disenfranchise tens of millions of people.

If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate.

Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any… https://t.co/AyANQFGMxD

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 8, 2026

Unfortunately, the SAVE Act requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been cool to the idea of nuking the procedural rules to enforce a talking filibuster. 

“This particular approach in terms of the process is much more complicated and risky than people are assuming at the moment,” Thune told reporters on Monday. He also warned that trying to implement a talking filibuster without pushing through a formal rules change — which there aren’t enough votes for — could tie up the Senate floor for months.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 20:50

As SAVE Act Vote Looms, FBI Expands 2020 Election Probe To Arizona

The federal government's post-2020 election reckoning has arrived in Arizona. Warren Petersen, the Arizona Senate President, confirmed Monday that federal investigators came knocking — and he answered. 

"Late last week I received and complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records relating to the Arizona State Senate's 2020 audit of Maricopa County," Petersen wrote on X. "The FBI has the records. Any other report is fake news." 

The records in question trace back to the infamous Cyber Ninjas audit, the Republican-commissioned hand-count of Maricopa County ballots that election experts widely dismissed as partisan theater. Many mainstream media outlets reported that the audit vindicated Joe Biden, when in fact, the audit found that there were “sufficient discrepancies among the different systems that, in conjunction with some of our findings, suggest that the delta between the Presidential candidates is very close to the potential margin of error for the election.” There were 57,734 impacted ballot—which was larger than Biden’s margin of victory in the state, which was just under 10,500.

The Arizona subpoena marks the second known federal probe into 2020 election administration, following the FBI's January raid on a Fulton County, Georgia, election hub, where agents carted off truckloads of voting documentation. 

Multiple U.S. officials told Fox News that the DOJ examined Arizona election data spanning both 2020 and 2024. The White House redirected press inquiries to the FBI, which declined to comment.

While President Donald Trump expressed enthusiasm for the news in a post on Truth Social, Democrats are less than thrilled.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, disputed the investigation's legitimacy.

"What the Trump administration appears to be pursuing now is not a legitimate law enforcement inquiry," she claimed.

"It is the weaponization of federal law enforcement in service of crackpots and lies." 

The Arizona development lands amid escalating tension over election security heading into the 2026 midterms. 

On Sunday, Trump issued a blunt legislative ultimatum, declaring on Truth Social that he would refuse to sign any bill until the Senate passed the SAVE America Act. "It must be done immediately. It supersedes everything else. MUST GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE," Trump posted. The legislation would require physical proof of citizenship for federal voter registration, a photo ID to vote, and would restrict mail-in voting to military personnel and a narrow set of extenuating circumstances.

Democrats in Washington, DC, have blasted the legislation as voter suppression, but a Harvard/Harris poll found that 71% of Americans support the bill, including 69% of independents, and 50% of Democrats. 

Poll after poll shows overwhelming support for voter ID laws across the political spectrum. According to the Pew Research Center, 83% of Americans support voter ID requirements, including large majorities of Democrats, independents, whites, blacks, and Latinos. Gallup reports similar findings, with 84% backing voter ID—98% of Republicans, 84% of independents, and even 67% of Democrats. The same survey found that 83% support requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. Rasmussen Reports puts support at 75%, noting that backing for voter ID has steadily increased over the past decade.

While support for the SAVE Act is bipartisan, Democrats in Congress are rabidly opposed to it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has repeatedly called the SAVE Act “Jim Crow 2.0,” and made unsubstantiated claims that it would “disenfranchise tens of millions of people.”

Schumer also said, "If Trump is saying he won't sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate. Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances." 

The SAVE Act is Jim Crow 2.0. It would disenfranchise tens of millions of people.

If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate.

Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any… https://t.co/AyANQFGMxD

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 8, 2026

Unfortunately, the SAVE Act requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been cool to the idea of nuking the procedural rules to enforce a talking filibuster. 

“This particular approach in terms of the process is much more complicated and risky than people are assuming at the moment,” Thune told reporters on Monday. He also warned that trying to implement a talking filibuster without pushing through a formal rules change — which there aren’t enough votes for — could tie up the Senate floor for months.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 20:50

Japan's Strategic Awakening

Authored by Lamont Colucci via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Japan’s strategic awakening is no longer theoretical—it’s unfolding in real time.

In recent weeks, Tokyo confirmed plans to deploy advanced surface-to-air missile systems on Yonaguni Island, Japan’s westernmost inhabited territory and only about 70 miles from Taiwan. The deployment is part of a broader effort to strengthen defenses along Japan’s southwestern island chain, territory that sits directly along the fault line of the emerging Indo-Pacific balance of power.

Yonaguni Island, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island, about 111 kilometers from Taiwan, is pictured in Yonaguni, Japan, on April 13, 2022. Japan’s southwestern islands lie close to Taiwan, and any conflict there could threaten Japan’s sea lanes, airspace, and U.S. bases on its territory. Carl Court/Getty Images

Yet Japan’s security transformation did not begin with this deployment. The origins of today’s strategic shift reach back more than a century and a half. History is a window into the future.

In 1854, American warships under Commodore Matthew Perry, including his flagship, the USS Susquehanna, forced Japan to open its isolationist system, initiating one of the most consequential geopolitical encounters in modern history. That moment did more than open Japanese ports—it permanently altered Japan’s trajectory and forged one of the most important strategic relationships in the modern world.

As Japan expands its military capabilities and reassesses the constraints of its postwar security posture, it is not abandoning its past. It is responding to the strategic realities of a changing Indo-Pacific.

To understand Japan’s transformation today, one must understand the long arc of the U.S.–Japan relationship. This is an arc that is as unique as it is full of contradictions.

Following Perry’s arrival, the country embarked on a remarkable period of modernization. Determined to avoid subjugation by Western powers, it rapidly studied foreign military systems, industrialized its economy, and constructed a state built for survival in a competitive international system. It also created a darker side of militarism and imperialism.

By the early 20th century, the island nation had emerged as a major power. That trajectory ultimately culminated in catastrophic conflict with the United States during World War II.

Defeat in 1945 marked a profound strategic reset. The imperial era ended, and a new security structure emerged under American leadership. Japan renounced war in its constitution, while the United States guaranteed its security.

The arrangement produced extraordinary results. Japan became one of the largest economies in the world, democratic institutions endured, and the U.S.–Japan alliance became the cornerstone of stability in East Asia. Japan became America’s unsinkable carrier.

The postwar settlement rested on two assumptions: that American dominance in the Pacific would remain uncontested and that regional threats would remain manageable. Those assumptions are now eroding.

China is rapidly transforming itself into a formidable military power across maritime, missile, cyber, and space domains. Beijing continues to increase defense spending as part of a long-term effort to modernize the People’s Liberation Army and expand its regional reach.

North Korea possesses operational nuclear weapons and long-range missile capabilities, while Russia continues to modernize its Pacific military posture.

Japan now sits between three nuclear-armed states. All of them pose an existential threat to both Japan and the American order.

For decades, Tokyo relied heavily on the American nuclear umbrella and maintained limited conventional forces. That arrangement allowed the country to concentrate on economic growth while American power anchored the regional order.

That strategic environment is being tested.

Extended deterrence alone cannot sustain stability without deeper integration, stronger conventional capabilities, and greater operational coordination between the United States and its allies. Japan is not seeking nuclear weapons. Instead, it is strengthening deterrence through missile defense, counterstrike capabilities, alliance consultation, and integrated military planning.

In a more dangerous strategic environment, credibility requires capability. These are the twin pillars of real deterrence.

The geography of Japan’s southwestern islands makes this reality clear. Tokyo has begun strengthening military infrastructure on these islands, deploying advanced missile defenses, and expanding surveillance capabilities. These islands form a natural barrier along China’s access routes into the Pacific.

Geography places Japan directly astride the strategic gateway between the East China Sea and the broader Pacific Ocean.

As with many major conflict scenarios in Asia, attention turns to Taiwan. Any conflict involving Taiwan would immediately implicate Japanese territory and American bases located there. Chinese military planners understand this well. Operations against Taiwan would almost certainly involve strikes against bases in Okinawa and surrounding areas.

For Tokyo, Taiwan is not peripheral. It is central to Japan’s security.

Japan’s evolving defense posture reflects several reinforcing priorities: strengthening the defense of its southwestern islands, dispersing military infrastructure, enhancing maritime and air denial capabilities, and deepening joint operational planning with the United States.

This is not militarism. It is the tyranny of geography.

The immediate danger, however, lies in North Korea.

Pyongyang possesses nuclear warheads, mobile launch systems, and increasingly sophisticated missile technology. North Korean missile tests routinely pass over Japanese territory, reinforcing the urgency of Japan’s missile defense and civil preparedness efforts.

Deterrence in Northeast Asia must be layered, because the threats themselves are layered.

Japan’s strategic transformation did not occur overnight. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe played a decisive role in laying the institutional foundation for Japan’s modern security posture. Abe established Japan’s National Security Council, expanded the legal basis for collective self-defense, and strengthened strategic coordination with the United States and regional partners.

Today’s leadership is building upon that foundation. Japan is increasing defense spending to levels comparable to those of other major democracies while strengthening economic security policies and reinforcing supply chains for critical technologies. Prime Minister Takaichi has advocated revising Article 9 from an exclusive focus on self-defense to “proactive defense.”

Japan is moving from debating strategy to executing it.

External pressure—gaiatsu—once again facilitates domestic reform. The Meiji Restoration followed the shock of Western intrusion. The Cold War alliance emerged from the strategic realities of postwar reconstruction. Today, the rise of China and the instability of the regional security environment are again accelerating internal change.

For American policymakers, Japan’s transformation carries enormous strategic significance.

Future contingencies in the Indo-Pacific will depend heavily on Japanese infrastructure, logistics, and political resolve. Without Japan, American power projection in the Western Pacific becomes extremely difficult. With Japan, deterrence remains credible.

Japan’s awakening, therefore, strengthens the balance of power across the Indo-Pacific.

From Perry’s black ships to the Cold War alliance and the strategic competition of the 21st century, Japan’s evolution has unfolded in continuous interaction with American power.

The alliance is now entering a new phase. We cannot only focus on the hard realities of geopolitics, but also on the moral dimension: that rising democratic Japan, combined with democratic Taiwan and South Korea, serves not only American values but also human rights and freedom. This is a bulwark against the tyranny in China, North Korea, and Russia.

Japan is no longer simply shielded by the United States. It is preparing to help sustain the regional order alongside it.

The future stability of the Indo-Pacific will not be determined in Washington or Beijing alone. It will depend on the strength and resilience of the U.S.–Japan partnership—first forged in 1854, reshaped in 1945, and now entering one of the most consequential periods in its history.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/10/2026 - 20:25