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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 22m

As the U.S. mission in Iraq winds down further, regional actors are taking note.

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 48m

America can’t prevent every crisis, but it can build a strategy that survives one.

Resilience in American Strategy Is More Important Than Ever

In 2021, Erica Lonergan wrote, “A Grand Strategy Based on Resilience,” where she argued the United States should focus more time and resources on

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 1h

Your insider access to world-class national security content. Premium experience starts with War on the Rocks.

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War On The Rocks Platinum An All-Access Pass to War on the Rocks Newsletter Sign Up Keep up to date The latest articles and podcasts from War on the

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 1h

“The great-power contest is not unfolding on battlefields or carrier decks, but inside data halls cooled by air conditioning, far from America’s shores,” argues Kody McKinley.

Silicon Statecraft: How U.S.-Gulf AI Deals Project Power

The great-power contest is not unfolding on battlefields or carrier decks, but inside data halls cooled by air conditioning, far from America’s shores.

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 2h

Dual-use tech is booming, but inflated valuations and shaky defense budgets could spell trouble. What does it take to succeed?

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 3h

Two years after Oct. 7, Israel and Gaza are still reeling, and the Middle East has changed around them.

The Ripple Effects of the Oct. 7 Attack on Israel

This is a special edition of our members-only newsletter, In Brief, where each week, experts will dig deep into a single issue happening in the world to

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 4h

The war that was supposed to ignite the region instead exposed Iran’s limits.

The 12 Days of War That Didn’t Ignite the Middle East or the World

For decades, predictions about a war with Iran carried an air of inevitability: Analysts warned a conflict would close the ranks of the Iranian military

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 4h

Is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization a security bloc, an economic club, or something else entirely?

Is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Just a Talking Shop?

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization convened for its 25th summit in Tianjin on Sept. 1, the largest gathering of leaders in the organization’s history.

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 5h

Today in War on the Rocks:

Is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Just a Talking Shop?

The 12 Days of War That Didn't Ignite the Middle East or the World

The Ripple Effects of the Oct. 7 Attack on Israel

War on the Rocks

A platform for analysis, commentary, debate and multimedia content on foreign policy and national security issues through a realist lens.

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 6h

War on the Rocks brings together the best minds in strategy and defense. Join us in shaping the conversation.

Events and Sponsorships - War on the Rocks

War on the Rocks is in a category of its own in terms of audience, reach, and convening power. Our audience is composed of policymakers, current and

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 7h

What if China doesn’t invade Taiwan the way we expect?

A Wargame to Take Taiwan, from China’s Perspective

In August 2025, 25 international experts gathered at Syracuse University to do something unusual: plan China's invasion of Taiwan. For two days,

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 7h

Stay sharp. Stay informed. War on the Rocks delivers the insights serious professionals rely on. Join now.

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War On The Rocks Platinum An All-Access Pass to War on the Rocks Newsletter Sign Up Keep up to date The latest articles and podcasts from War on the

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 8h

Live from London: Can Europe’s defense reset really deliver, or is it too little, too late?

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 9h

Data centers, not bases, are the new frontline of U.S. power in the Gulf.

Silicon Statecraft: How U.S.-Gulf AI Deals Project Power

The great-power contest is not unfolding on battlefields or carrier decks, but inside data halls cooled by air conditioning, far from America’s shores.

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 10h

Some firms will thrive at the intersection of defense and commercial markets. Many won’t. Here’s why.

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 10h

The strikes on Iran opened a narrow window. Will Washington use it wisely?

Sequencing Over Simultaneity: How to Avert a Two-Front War

America’s crippling strikes against Iran’s nuclear program in June have created a narrow window to avoid a strategic nightmare: namely, fighting China,

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 11h

Every shutdown sends one message abroad, and America’s adversaries are listening.

The Shutdown and the Spy

Author’s Note: The following story is a fictitious depiction of a plausible scenario that is meant to illustrate the real damage done to critical

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 12h

The rush to field new weapons risks leaving intelligence behind, and that’s dangerous.

Beyond Decision Superiority: The Role of Intelligence in Innovation & Adaptation

Wars are not won by speed and better decisions. They are won when weapons find their targets and destroy them. Yet in the race to build faster, cheaper,

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 13h

Defeat at Kasserine Pass reshaped how the U.S. Army fought in World War II and how it learns today.

The Importance of the Battle of Kasserine Pass

The Battle of Kasserine Pass in February 1943 was the first significant engagement between German and U.S. forces in World War II. The fight delivered a

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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 13h

Russia intensifies hybrid attacks in Europe, Iran suffers reimposed sanctions, China announces new plans, North Korea pledges modernization, and jihadists plot attacks in Gaza and Israel.