Middle East and North Africa

Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Situation Report. It’s August, and everyone is in vacation mode, but we’ve still got plenty of national security news for you this week.

Alright, here’s what’s on tap for the day: The Iran war continues to reveal U.S. weaknesses, Ukraine once again displays its drone prowess, and hackers target U.S. water supplies.

Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Situation Report. It’s August, and everyone is in vacation mode, but we’ve still got plenty of national security news for you this week.

Alright, here’s what’s on tap for the day: The Iran war continues to reveal U.S. weaknesses, Ukraine once again displays its drone prowess, and hackers target U.S. water supplies.

Feeling a Bit Vulnerable

Much has been said about how the Russian military’s strength was vastly overinflated prior to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Iran is striking a similar tone now with regard to U.S. military strength, months into a war that has become a quagmire for the Trump administration.

Iranian Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a top advisor to the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said in a recent interview with PBS News Hour that “the American military is weaker than what we perceived.”

While many might dismiss Naqdi’s comment as propaganda or psychological warfare, there’s also no doubt that the Iran war has exposed serious vulnerabilities for the United States.

Seeking new friends. For starters, the war has greatly undermined the notion that partnering with the United States can serve as a strong security guarantee. Countries across the Middle East have for years hosted U.S. troops as an insurance policy in an often-volatile region, believing that doing so would deter attacks from adversaries.

But when the war began in late February, Iran quickly began targeting U.S. bases—as well as civilian infrastructure—in countries across the region. Iran has continued to do so in the months since, leading Persian Gulf countries to reassess the value of hosting U.S.........

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