SOF Weekly Brief – April 6, 2026
News about special operations, conflicts, national security, Operations Epic Fury, training with SOF partner forces, Air Force PJs, and the Russia-Ukraine War.
Iran
U.S. Attacks Iran Nuclear Sites
U.S. Forces Strike Iran. B-2 “Spirit” bombers and 30 submarine launched Tomahawk missiles were used against three Iranian nuclear facilities in the early hours of Sunday, June 22, 2025 (local time). The Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant was attacked by six […]
CENTCOM: Iranian Weapons Seized in VBSS, Two SEALs Missing
(CENTCOM press release, 16 Jan 2024). On 11 January 2024, while conducting a flag verification, U.S. CENTCOM Navy forces conducted a night-time seizure of a dhow conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi forces in […]
Operation Nimrod – Iranian Embassy Siege in London
The Iranian Embassy siege took place from April 30 to May 5, 1980. A group of six armed Arab men stormed the Iranian Embassy in London. They took 26 hostages – demanding safe passage out of the United Kingdom and […]
From Mashhad to Kabul: Iran’s Road to Regional Dominance
By CW4 Charles Davis, U.S. Army. In 2014 Rand Corporation analysts stated: “The U.S. drawdown from Afghanistan may lead to greater instability and a vacuum in that country. The Islamic Republic of Iran, one the most powerful regional actors in […]
Yemen: U.S. Pulling Support
The Biden administration wasted very little time in setting a course correction in the United States role in the Yemen conflict. Citing humanitarian issues (as well as other concerns) it has decided to eliminate support for offensive operations provided to […]
Middle East Update – January 2021
Recent news, analysis, and commentary about the Middle East – politics, conflict, Iraq withdrawal, and great power competition. Security Overview CENTCOM Now Has Israel. In his last week in office President Trump ordered that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) add Israel […]
JSOU Paper: Iranian Proxy Groups in the Middle East
The Iranian regime maintains a network of proxies including Lebanese Hezbollah, various Shiite militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, and foreign fighters in Syria. This paper by the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) provides a look at the problem […]
Operation Eagle Claw – April 1980
A U.S. effort to rescue American hostages in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran ended in failure on April 24, 1980. The Army Special Forces unit tasked with the mission was to rescue 53 hostages being detained by Iran. The […]
Killing General Qassem Soleimani – Awaiting the Aftermath
The killing of General Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. drone just after he arrived at the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on January 2, 2020, raised the stakes in the Middle East. The Iranians responded with rhetoric and a relatively […]
Special Operations News Update 20190619
Current news, analysis, and commentary on special operations, national security, and conflicts from around the world. SOF News New Acting SECDEF – Former Ranger. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan has decided not to continue his pursuit of nomination for […]
Leaving Syria – What Happens Next?
Trump’s Surprise Announcement On Thursday, December 19, 2018, President Trump tweeted that we had attained victory over the Islamic State (IS) and that all military personnel would depart immediately. “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being […]
Hezbollah in Nigeria – A Potential Problem
by Chris Martin In February 2018, I met with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to discuss irregular warfare concerns, more specifically, the intrusive and merciless groups that are currently destabilizing Nigeria. Boko Haram is located in the North East, the […]
Middle East War News Update – 20171019
Middle East Update – ISIS downfall in Iraq and Syria, Iranian influence grows, Kurds lose out, easy victory for Baghdad, Raqqa cleared of ISIS (almost), Iraqi elections coming soon, and more. Hawija Offensive. The last urban stronghold of the Islamic […]
Update Kirkuk 20171018 – A Win for the GoI, ISF, and PMF
Update Kirkuk – It appears that the Kirkuk offensive conducted by the security forces of the Government of Iraq (GoI) on Sunday and Monday (October 15-16) was more a coordinated movement into areas held by Kurdish forces and not so much […]