Top 5     Iran issues warning to Gulf states: US must desist or you’ll be hit hard (Reuters) Iran has made a concerted diplomatic push with Gulf states, warning them explicitly that Tehran will hit their oil, power and water plants unless they persuade Donald Trump to end U.S. strikes on Iran and instead seek a negotiated end to the war.       Senator introduces bill to stop VA from recouping military separation pay from disabled vets (Military Times) An Arizona lawmaker introduced a bill Thursday that would prevent veterans from being surprised when the Department of Veterans Affairs docks their disability payments to recoup military separation pay they received at the end of active-duty.       Sailors and Marines to be counseled after 6 months of medical shaving waivers (Task & Purpose) Sailors and Marines who have medical waivers for shaving will receive counseling after six months, according to the latest updates to the Navy and Marine Corps’ grooming standards.       Trump denies US low on key munitions in war with Iran after reports of shortages (The Guardian) Donald Trump has lashed out at reports that the US is running short of key munitions in its war with Iran, threatening long prison sentences for officials who leak information about the military’s weapons stocks.       Major VA study to examine effectiveness of psilocybin on depression, PTSD (Military Times) The Department of Veterans Affairs is launching research to determine whether psilocybin — the psychoactive ingredient in “magic mushrooms” — can be used safely and effectively to address veterans’ treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.   Operation Timeline     The human impact of policy changes at the DOD and VA (The War Horse) An ongoing timeline of the Trump administration’s actions focusing on the military and veterans.   Your Military     SOUTHCOM replaces Southern Spear with Western Hemisphere task force targeting criminal networks (Military Times) U.S. Southern Command has activated Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, a new operational headquarters the command says will synchronize U.S. military operations with allies and partners across the region, replacing Operation Southern Spear.   Navy     Navy removes the head of its drone program just 8 months into her tenure (Military Times) Eight months after her appointment as the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Robotic and Autonomous Systems in December 2025, Rebecca J. Gassler was removed from the position on Wednesday, per a Navy release.       Navy’s head auditor harassed, ridiculed subordinates, probe finds (Military Times) The official in charge of tracking the Navy’s finances mocked the smell, weight and appearance of subordinates and made hiring decisions that appeared to show bias in favor of other African American women, a new report from the Pentagon’s top watchdog finds.   AIr Force     An Air Force robot made the C-17 part no vendor would (Military Times) A C-17 Globemaster III that was facing two years out of service is airborne again after the U.S. Air Force built a replacement part itself, using a robot.   National Guard     North Carolina National Guard settles lawsuit over blocking Facebook critic (Military Times) The North Carolina National Guard settled a federal lawsuit with a former guardsman who alleged the service violated his First Amendment rights by blocking him on Facebook for criticizing its leadership.   Veterans     VA will provide phones, rideshares to homeless vets facing ‘outreach’ gaps (Task & Purpose) One of the biggest challenges in getting homeless veterans connected to resources, advocates say, is often simply staying in touch with the thousands who live on the streets.       Veterans in this GI Bill scam played along and pocketed millions (Washington Post) Prosecutors went after “ghost” school operators but rarely pursued students who enrolled just to collect housing subsidies, a Post investigation found.   Defense Industry     Boeing wins first production contract for jet-powered JDAM (Military Times) The U.S. Air Force has committed $75 million to an initial production run of a jet-powered guided bomb that can fly more than 300 nautical miles, Boeing said Wednesday.       Rheinmetall scales down 2026 sales outlook on scrapped frigate program (Reuters) German defense company Rheinmetall lowered its 2026 sales outlook on Thursday after the German government canceled a delayed frigate program that the company had been widely expected to win.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace issues first building contract – for a military base (The Guardian) Louisiana firm awarded tender to build rudimentary outpost to house Moroccan troops.   International     Houthis stage large-scale attack on Saudi-aligned forces in Yemen (The Associated Press) Through this year’s military drills, Taiwan has chosen to emphasize its army’s and society’s flexibility and resilience as opposed to primarily putting advanced weapons on display. Experts say the exercises’ structure indicates closer ties with the U.S. military in the face of China’s ongoing military threat.       (The War Zone) The Houthi rebels of Yemen have launched one of their biggest attacks on Saudi-aligned forces in that country in years. The strikes are a flare-up in what up until recently has been a largely dormant conflict. They took place in eastern Yemeni provinces of Marib and Hadhramaut, which are areas controlled by local forces opposed to the Houthis. This unfolded as the Iranian-backed rebel group is also expanding its campaign against Saudi shipping in the Red Sea region and its oil production infrastructure.       US military says there was no white phosphorus leak at its air base in South Korea (The Associated Press) The U.S. military said Thursday its investigations confirmed there were no white phosphorus leak at one of its air bases in South Korea, days after local authorities urged residents to evacuate over concerns about a suspected leak.       Leipzig drone bomb was found near Ukrainian plane carrying ammunition, say police (The Guardian) A catastrophe with multiple casualties was possibly narrowly averted by the discovery of a drone carrying explosives at Leipzig airport, German officials said, as they examined whether a foreign state could be behind the plot.       North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile, South Korea says (Reuters ) North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile on Thursday towards the sea off the ?peninsula's eastern coast, South Korea's military said, the first such launch in ?more than 40 days after a series of weapons tests earlier this year.   Video     Recruiting and retention at the forefront: a conversation with top enlisted leaders (Defense News) The Military Officers Association of America gathered senior enlisted leaders from across the services for conversation on topics ranging from recruitment to AI.       New fitness standard takes hold across the Army | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 7.14.26 (Defense News) The Army implements the new waist-to-height ratio system amid a Pentagon push for revamped standards. Plus, new tech on the scene at Eurosatory 2026.       Are changes coming to veterans’ benefits? | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 7.21.26 (Defense News) A leader at the center of Congress’ efforts to revamp some veterans’ benefits weighs in on the changes. Plus, testosterone tests for troops.       Step inside the soon-to-open Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial (Defense News) Get a sneak peek of the new memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as it prepares to open to the public in October.       New Navy Reserve bonuses and the Osprey closes a chapter | Headlines (Defense News) The Navy Reserve looks to source and keep sailors with large incentives, while the Pentagon unveils a new service medal and the Osprey hits a milestone.       Come with Fox Company Marines on a night time attack (Defense News) Join a live-fire exercise at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California   Commentary & Analysis     Attacks, deals, and discontent (War on the Rocks) Welcome to The Adversarial. Every other week, we’ll provide you with expert analysis on America’s greatest challengers: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and jihadists. Read more below.***IranOver the last two weeks, President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened major attacks on Iran. Going into the weekend, multiple news outlets reported that he was mulling a major bombing campaign — which would almost certainly result in retaliatory strikes against U.S. bases and allies around the region. But late Saturday night, Trump asserted that a deal was in the works to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, based on which he would hold fire for the       Military readiness depends on getting Basic Allowance for Housing right (Federal News Network) Housing uncertainty should not be another obstacle for families who already accept the unique demands of military life.       How the US squandered its strategic advantage (The Atlantic) The United States is running out of missiles. After five months of war with Iran, stockpiles of long-range weapons are so low, current and former U.S. defense officials told us, that they don’t believe the U.S. has enough to combat a threat in Asia. The remaining supplies, depending on the munition, are as low as 20 percent of what the Pentagon would like to have in hand. And stores of sophisticated interceptor missiles, such as Patriots and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles, are too depleted to give or sell the weapons to Ukraine or effectively defend against Iran’s launch of ballistic missiles. Even when troops see Iranian missiles approaching, they are forced to decide in a matter of seconds whether to expend a limited number of interceptors or hope for the best, the defense officials told us.       The arsenal and the statehouse: New defense firms, venture capital and state industrial policy (War on the Rocks) When Anduril announced a $910 million drone production facility in Ohio, it was not politics as usual. The main message came from Ohio’s governor, Mike DeWine, while Representative Mike Carey’s press release thanked the governor. Members of Congress usually take substantial credit for defense industrial jobs, but Carey did not because he could not. Anduril sited Arsenal-1 near Columbus partially because of state subsidies.New defense firms backed by venture financing and state economic development subsidies have given states a political stake in the most innovative portion of federal defense procurement. New entrants promise and sometimes deliver fast, commercial solutions. Subsidies       Under Hegseth, women’s share of top military promotions plunged this year (The New York Times) The percentage of high-ranking officer nominations going to women is currently at its lowest level in over two decades.       The blood price: In Israel, military sacrifice is becoming political power (War on the Rocks) In late June, cadets at the Israeli military’s officer training school sat through a lecture by Ofer Winter, a retired brigadier general and a polarizing figure in the Israel Defense Forces. According to Haaretz, Winter told the future officers that “there are no uninvolved civilians in Gaza” and accused two former chiefs of staff of politically blocking his career. Regulations prohibit political activity in training programs, and the Israeli military later called the episode a failure. The cadets who spoke to Haaretz, however, described this politically charged lecture as part of a pattern of guest speakers drawn overwhelmingly from the       Their military careers were cut short in combat. Now they’re fighting Congress for their full benefits. (The War Horse) The fall lasted only seconds, but the consequences would span a lifetime.