China
Lead AnalysisChina//John Hendricks//September 21, 2026
Ukraine Keeps Striking Russia’s Antenna Plant While the Main Shahed Factory Buys From China
Alabuga is adding defenses and reportedly assembling Chinese-origin antennas on site, giving the factory an antenna supply route outside Cheboksary.
Read the Analysis →IMAGE //Recovered Shahed-136 airframe and engine on display in Kyiv, 12 May 2023. Photo: Kyiv City State Administration / Kyivcity.gov.ua, CC BY 4.0. Archival photograph.
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Saudi Arabia’s Oil Bypass Is Under Attack
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The Houthis Are Advancing on the Red Sea’s Southern Exit
September 10, 2026
+ Dispatches
- 01Satellite Images Show Fire Damage at Saudi Pipeline Pumping StationSeptember 11, 2026
- 02US Navy tests robotic refueling for unmanned vessels at seaSeptember 8, 2026
- 03Ukraine Strikes St. PetersburgJune 3, 2026
- 04Hormuz Closure Strands Gulf Fertilizer Past the Spring Planting WindowJune 3, 2026
- 05Europe Moved to Block Starlink the Same Day the Pentagon Made It the Backbone of US Military CommsMay 27, 2026
China//September 14, 2026
A Chinese Satellite Tied to Iran Passed Near the Jordan Base Days Before the Strike
US officials linked the Jordan strike to imagery from Chinese entities. Global Recon reconstructed four midday passes near the base by a satellite reportedly acquired by Iran. Its role in supplying that imagery remains unconfirmed.
John Hendricks
Iran
Saudi Arabia’s Oil Bypass Is Under Attack
A pipeline strike from Iraq and Houthi pressure on Red Sea shipping expose the limits of Saudi Arabia’s alternative to Hormuz.
Iran
The Houthis Are Advancing on the Red Sea’s Southern Exit
Their coastal gains could deepen pressure on Saudi Arabia’s oil bypass, whose cargoes already reroute through Egypt when the strait is too risky.
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+ More Analysis
Iran
America Is Sinking Tankers That Also Carry Russian Oil
Three of the eight hulls hit since September 5 sit in a Treasury-listed pool that loads in the Baltic as well as the Gulf.
September 10, 2026Maritime
The Houthis’ Red Sea War Has a Land Front
The fighting west of Taiz is testing whether Yemen’s government can keep its coastal foothold connected to the interior.
September 9, 2026Russia
Russia Built an Arctic Oil Port Before It Built the Ships
The pipeline is rated for 100 million tonnes a year. The one tanker at the berth that can work it in winter can move, by one analyst’s estimate, about eight percent of phase one.
September 8, 2026Russia
Alex Pineschi Knew the Difference Between Fighting and Serving
The Italian veteran spent five years fighting ISIS and warned foreign volunteers that courage was not enough. His last war ended near Lyman on Ukraine’s eastern front.
September 3, 2026