Top 5     Trump pivots back to sanctions for Iran as other strategies to end his war fizzle (The Associated Press) President Donald Trump likes to say that he started his war with Iran after 50 years of economic pressure had failed to stop its nuclear weapons ambitions — but he’s now betting that another financial squeeze can bring an end to that war.       DARPA developing hypersonic cruise missile to evade enemy air defenses (Military Times) As U.S. air defenses intercept Iranian missiles, the Pentagon is concerned that American missiles are vulnerable to enemy air defenses.       Veterans unemployment stable despite job market cratering in July, report shows (Military Times) A volatile month of July saw employers shed 23,000 jobs and lay off another 153,000, according to the monthly jobs report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday. Amid the plunge, the unemployment rate for veterans appeared to stabilize at 4.2% despite the impact of artificial intelligence, tariffs and the war in Iran.       Pentagon revokes security clearance from Biden’s Air Force secretary (Military Times) The Pentagon revoked a former U.S. Air Force secretary’s security clearance, alleging that he shared classified information regarding Air Force One’s capabilities to a news outlet.       DOGE said it saved $1.7 billion by terminating a military health IT contract. GAO found the contract was never terminated. (Defense News) DOGE reported $1.76 billion in savings from terminating a Defense Health Agency information technology contract providing IT services to more than 700 military treatment facilities worldwide.   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.   Pentagon     US not disengaging from Asia, seeks ‘partners, not protectorates,’ says Pentagon official (Reuters) The United States is not disengaging from Asia and is instead “digging in” to maintain a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, but wants its partners to shoulder more responsibility for their defense, a senior Pentagon official said on Monday.   Congress & Politics     Trump used elaborate ruse to fly out of Turkey following summit because of Iran threat, report says (The Associated Press) President Donald Trump secretly flew out of last month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on an alternate military aircraft while the White House made it appear that the Republican president was flying on Air Force One, according to a report published by The Washington Post on Monday.   Army     US Army general in Europe suddenly removed from command (Military Times) The U.S. Army abruptly removed the three-star general leading their forces in Europe, the service confirmed Monday.   Navy     Navy restricts process for anonymously reporting harassment and discrimination (Military Times) The U.S. Navy announced new policy guidance for complaints about harassment and discrimination that changes how those complaints will be managed.       ‘Thanks, it has pockets!’: Service Khaki slacks featuring back pockets now available to female sailors (Military Times) While hands may still not be surreptitiously placed in the pockets yet, female sailors may now purchase the newly designed Service Khaki slacks replete with back pockets and “modern fit sizing,” according to a recent U.S. Navy release.       USS Thomas Hudner returns home from Operation Epic Fury, Southern Spear deployments (Military Times) A U.S. Navy warship that most recently deployed in support of military operations in Iran returned to its Florida homeport on Sunday.       Navy removes California-based medicine and readiness CO (Military Times) After just over a year on the job, the Navy relieved Capt. Mathew Loe, the commanding officer of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Lemoore, the service announced on Friday.       USS Theodore Roosevelt becomes first carrier with built-in Unmanned Air Warfare Center (Defense News) The USS Theodore Roosevelt is now the first Navy carrier to be equipped with an Unmanned Air Warfare Center that will support the Boeing-made MQ-25A, the first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft.   AIr Force     Former Air Force Secretary says he’ll sue Trump administration to restore his security clearance (The Associated Press) Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on Monday said he’ll sue to force the Trump administration to restore his security clearance, which it revoked Friday after claiming he had disclosed sensitive information about the Qatari-gifted jet now serving as Air Force One.       South Carolina base renamed to Joint Base Lindsey Graham (Military Times) Joint Base Charleston is now officially Joint Base Lindsey Graham, honoring the late senator from South Carolina who served for decades in the U.S. Air Force.   National Guard     ‘A significant impact’: National Guard wraps up first year of deployment to DC (Stars and Stripes) The presence of the National Guard on the streets of the nation’s capital in the past year has become a normal part of life in the city.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     US soldiers, Marines test explosive drones in South Korea (Military Times) U.S. troops in Korea practiced turning small drones into weapons with live ordnance last week as the Army works to incorporate unmanned capabilities into the lowest levels of unit formations.       Drone sightings are happening at Diego Garcia, America’s remote strategic island outpost (The War Zone) Drones of an unknown origin were reportedly sighted over the remote joint U.S.-U.K. Diego Garcia installation located deep in the Indian Ocean.   Defense Industry     US Army exploring 50mm cannon to destroy drones (Defense News) The U.S. Army is looking for companies that can provide a 50mm cannon and ammunition for counter-drone defense.       US Navy tests AI-powered submarine hunter (Military Times) The U.S. Navy tested artificial intelligence-powered sonar to target submarines during the multinational Rim of the Pacific exercise in July.       ICBM killer passes two key tests ahead of design review, Lockheed says (Defense One) Lockheed Martin’s new ICBM killer, ordered two years ago to supersede the oft-troubled GMD interceptor, hit two major milestones this week and is expected to clear the design phase later this year, company officials said.       Australia to buy sophisticated US air-to-air missiles (Defense News) Australia will become the first export customer for the AIM-260A Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), an air-to-air missile that will be integrated onto the country’s full fleet of fighter platforms.       CMP approved to sell more than 100,000 surplus M14 rifles (Military Times) The Civilian Marksmanship Program, a federally chartered non-profit created to promote firearm training, announced that it received special authorization to sell more than 100,000 surplus M14 rifles.       Pentagon launches online marketplace for counter-UAS technology (Defense News) The Department of Defense launched a counter-unmanned aerial system, or C-UAS, marketplace last week designed to make it easier for military and government agencies to find and acquire vetted counter-drone technology.       Marine Corps to get ‘production-ready’ microwave drone swarm killer (Defense News) The Marine Corps has inked an $11 million contract with electronic warfare company Epirus for a vehicle-mounted weapon that can take down dozens of drones in a single zap.   Ukraine     Ukraine drone strike on oil refinery deep inside Russia kills at least 13 (The Guardian) Attack hundreds of miles from border would be among deadliest of war as Kyiv aims to strangle Russian economy   International     Japan’s 2026 defense white paper highlights ‘new era of crisis’ in Indo-Pacific (Defense News) Japan releases defense white papers each year, but its 2026 edition marked important shifts in the country’s approach to defense strategy, procurement and production.       Car bomb kills eastern Libyan military intelligence chief, sources say (Reuters) The head of military intelligence for eastern Libya's Libyan National Army ?was killed on Monday when an ?explosive device detonated in his car outside his home in the Hawari area of Benghazi, ?two security sources told Reuters.   Commentary & Analysis     What America learned about democracy When it gained stealth (War on the Rocks) On the night of 24 March 1999, U.S. pilots flying 15,000 feet or more above the Balkans released precision-guided munitions, or “smart bombs,” onto military targets in Yugoslavia, beginning Operation Allied Force. The U.S.-led NATO operation carried out 10,000-plus strike sorties over 78 days and, despite the Yugoslav military’s robust air defense network, lost only two airplanes.       The Houthis’ external and internal crises converge: Can a tactical solution fix a strategic problem? (The Cipher Brief) As they fire dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles against Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemeni government-controlled areas, the Houthis are escalating on two major external fronts. This comes at a time when they are already facing internal crises regarding the economy and the tribes of northern Yemen. The temptation is to attribute escalation abroad to an effort to distract from the crises at home.       Op-Ed: Strait of Hormuz tests the limits of the law of the sea (The Maritime Executive) Every escalation in the Strait of Hormuz raises the same question: can international law keep one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints o...       Flip-flopping Netanyahu rejects Gaza plan but cannot placate all his allies (The Guardian) Israeli prime minister faces incompatible demands from his far-right government ministers and from Donald Trump.       Why military cooperation in the Indian Ocean still falls short (War on the Rocks) The United States has bluntly signaled a deprioritization of the Indian Ocean at a peculiar time. The reversion of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to its former name, U.S. Pacific Command, signifies no material change in force posture or organizational responsibilities, but it unavoidably signals less focus on the Indian Ocean, presumably in favor of its consistent top priority in the western Pacific, although it’s not clear anyone really knows.       America, North Korea, and the search for peace (The Cipher Brief) The South Korean Buddhist monk, the Venerable Pomnyun Sunimin, in his book “What is Happiness?” introduces us to his philosophy of life: “Everyone born into this world has the right to be happy … and being helpful to the world and to others around us increases our own personal happiness.”       Why conflict gold sanctions fail (War on the Rocks) In April 2026, over a month after the United States launched its attack on Iran, leading to thousands of reprisal strikes across the Gulf, the United Arab Emirates shut down a network of money changers connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.