An Israeli expert said that the critical question is, where will the Turks deploy the Russian system. “If it is deployed near the border with Syria it may endanger air forces that will attack Iranian controlled militias in Iraq,” the Israeli source says.

A top State Dept. official had a rough reception at the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday, as Democrats and Republicans appear increasingly uneasy with US/Saudi ties.

Tal Inbar, senior space analyst at the Space Research Center of the Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, says that Arab space initiatives pose no threat at the moment.

TEL AVIV: Even as Mideast tensions escalate, with new Israeli strikes on Syria over the weekend and Iran exceeding international limits on enriched uranium, no less a figure than the director of Mossad sees a historic opportunity for peace. Why? Because Iran’s escalating aggression — especially attacks on its neighbors’ economic lifeline, oil exports —… Keep reading →

The answer may lie in the limits of Russian electronic warfare, which — while far more potent than US military EW — still relies on raw power more than precise targeting. It may also show the weakness of the warm relationship Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cultivated with Vladimir Putin, which could run aground on Russia’s increasing support for Iran.

Mark Esper got on a plane to NATO just 24 hours after taking over at the Pentagon. There are two main reasons why.

The Army is also testing the last, which can smack into drones from hundreds of meters away.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wants to establish a 20-country coalition to protect commercial shipping in the Middle East. But the US already leads a 33-country coalition doing just that.

Both sides are claiming they stepped back from the edge over the past 24 hours, unwilling to see the loss of life. Tensions in the Gulf haven’t diminished however.

It’s the second time this year Republicans and Democrats have come together to oppose President Trump’s policy towards Riyadh.