Roxana Tiron

SCOOP: The U.S. has depleted much of its inventory of advanced missile-defense interceptors after expending far more high-end munitions defending Israel than Israeli forces used themselves, per DOD assessments of Operation Epic Fury 🧵

The heavy use of MQ-9 Reaper drones against Iran has come at a cost. Around 30 MQ-9s have been lost in operations against Iran, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Many aircraft were lost to air defenses, though some MQ-9s based in the region were struck while on the ground. Reapers continue to be used in operations against Iran. They are active around the Strait of Hormuz to enforce the ongoing U.S. military blockade against Iranian ports, according to people familiar with the operations. airandspaceforces.com/mq-9-reaper-mv…

SCOOP China is holding up Pentagon’s Bridge Colby @USWPColby visit to Beijing until gets clarity on how Trump will proceed with $14bn Taiwan arms sale 👇

Scooplet: Top Senate Budget Dem Jeff Merkley is asking the Congressional Budget Office for a cost estimate of the Trump-class battleship and other elements of the Golden Fleet, such as the frigate. He also asked GAO to examine the risks of those programs. subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026/0…

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, whose re-election bid President Donald Trump  thwarted in a Republican primary Saturday, joined three other GOP senators voting to clear the hurdle and move toward a final vote on a resolution to cease hostilities.

Breaking w/ @StevenTDennis: The Republican-led US Senate signaled opposition to continuing the Iran war in a procedural vote Tuesday, reflecting deepening political unease over a foreign conflict that is taking a mounting financial toll on Americans.

The Trump Administration is advancing plans to use a high-power microwave weapon as part of its efforts to target purported drug smuggling boats on the high seas. news.bgov.com/bloomberg-gove…

Exceptionally strong statement from HASC Chair Mike Rogers on troop reductions in Europe at today's Army hearing: “We are going to mandate that the department follow the statutory minimums that are set in statute on force posture, and if there are attempted deviations, we will remedy them and impose pain when or if they aren't complied with,” Rogers said.

Running a hearing and making sure that everyone on the panel gets to ask questions is part of his job as clerk, as well as advising the chair Mitch Mcconnell on all defense issues.

Not only is Robert Karem one of the most respected Capitol Hill NatSec staffers (both parties), but he was also a DoD appointee of… Donald Trump.

Senators would forgo their pay during future government shutdowns under a measure that just cleared a key initial procedural hurdle on the floor Wednesday. news.bgov.com/bloomberg-gove…

The estimated cost of the Iran war to date was now closer to $29 billion, the Pentagon's acting comptroller told lawmakers Tuesday after giving a $25 billion price tag at a hearing on April 29 bloom.bg/4wHIfcz

Lawmakers with oversight of Pentagon spending pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday over the growing costs of the Iran war, as President Donald Trump suggested a fragile ceasefire with Tehran could break down. news.bgov.com/bloomberg-gove…

President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile-defense shield will cost as much as $1.2 trillion to deploy and operate, six times above current forecasts, according to a new estimate — and would still likely fail to stop an all-out attack bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Sen. Jack Reed, asked about possible military operations against Cuba, tells reporters just now the Defense Department does not brief members "frankly, on anything." "I'm also, including my Republican colleagues, [DOD] just refuses to give us any meaningful data. And they refuse even to follow the law, which requires reporting to us in a certain number of days."

New: Iran war cost has ticked up to about $29 billion according to the Pentagon's acting comptroller. That number does not include any damage to US bases in the Middle East, he said. Still up in the air when the supplemental will be sent to Hill.