There are misconceptions about the intent and feasibility of Mr. Trump’s push for a “Golden Dome” missile shield, according to Andrea Inserra, president of the global defense sector at Booz Allen, who tells the Threat Status weekly podcast that “prototype enablers” for such a system could be ready soon, at a lower cost than expected: likely in the tens, not hundreds, of billions of dollars.

“Technology we have today is far different than we would have had during President Reagan’s era, when he also had a similar initiative, but the technology wasn’t available to us,” Ms. Inserra said in an exclusive interview on the podcast. “So for people in the industry, when we think about the space assets that we have today, the combination of peer-to-peer networks and the combination of AI — you put those three capabilities together today [and] you can actually create a space layered missile defense capability for the United States that probably … was not possible during the Reagan era.”

She added: “For technologists or folks that are in the industry this makes sense, and I think the technology and where we are from a price perspective of enabling the technology, is affordable.”

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his military forces are establishing a new security corridor across the Gaza Strip, they also are increasing attacks to the north in Lebanon. Israel said Friday that an airstrike in southern Lebanon killed a key Hamas commander who was operating in the area. 

The Israel Defense Forces said Hassan Farhat, who is accused of heading Hamas’ forces in the western sector of Lebanon, was killed with his son and daughter in the strike. Israel said Farhat was behind a rocket attack last year that killed and wounded Israeli soldiers, and the IDF vowed to act against Hamas fighters “wherever they operate.”

The development comes amid growing concern that the Mideast is again teetering on the verge of all-out war.

Israel’s renewed military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon over the past week have underscored the collapse of ceasefires that had been reached with Hamas and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, both of which are backed by Iran. The latest developments come as the Trump administration has ordered an increase in U.S. military attacks against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. It was reported Friday that the Pentagon has used $200 million worth of munitions in Operation Rough Rider against Houthis over the past three weeks.

The depths of Russia’s strategic alliance with Iran were underscored when Moscow warned this week that Russian forces will retaliate if the U.S. bombs Iran’s nuclear facilities. “The use of military force by Iran’s opponents in the context of the settlement is illegal and unacceptable,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Thursday. “Threats from outside to bomb Iran’s nuclear infrastructure facilities will inevitably lead to an irreversible global catastrophe.”

The Foreign Ministry further condemned Mr. Trump’s threat to bomb Iran if a deal on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program is not reached, reiterating its support for Iran’s program. Mr. Trump made the threat Sunday during a phone interview, promising to use military force and sanctions if Iran refuses to engage in nuclear talks.

The comments followed a letter Mr. Trump sent to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that gave Tehran a two-month deadline to reach a nuclear settlement or face severe consequences. Iran has responded by rejecting the notion of direct negotiations with U.S. officials.

The Department of Defense inspector general is opening an investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the commercial messaging app Signal to discuss military strikes against the Houthis.

In a letter sent to Mr. Hegseth Thursday, acting Inspector General Steven A. Stebbins said his office is responding to a request from Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, respectively the Republican chairman and the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The objective … is to determine the extent to which [Mr. Hegseth] and other DoD personnel complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business,” Mr. Stebbins wrote. “Additionally, we will review compliance with classification and records retention requirements.”

Mr. Hegseth has sought to allay criticism that sensitive information about military operations was shared on Signal. He told reporters last month that messages sent inadvertently to a reporter in a group chat among top Trump administration officials were not “war” plans; they were “attack” plans used to update key U.S. officials on action taken against the Houthis.

U.S. presidents have a history, going back to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, of optimistically and, at times, naively believing they could negotiate in good faith with the dictator sitting in the Kremlin, writes Daniel N. Hoffman, a former high-level CIA officer and contributor to Threat Status.

“President Trump would do well to emulate Reagan’s peace through strength strategy, which brilliantly combined U.S. soft power with military force projection,” writes Mr. Hoffman. “Reagan branded the Soviet Union an evil empire, eloquently appealed to Gorbachev to ‘tear down this wall’ and countered Soviet expansion worldwide while negotiating comprehensive nuclear arms reductions and setting the stage for the end of the Cold War.

“Mr. Putin operates out of a KGB-controlled cocoon,” Mr. Hoffman writes. “In public, he deliberately spews disinformation to deceive his adversaries and keep them off balance. Mr. Putin desperately wants to conceal the stark reality that he is losing.”

• April 6-9 — Sea Air Space 2025 Conference and Exposition, Navy League of the United States

• April 7-10 — 40th Space Symposium, Space Foundation

• April 7 — Maximum Support: Operationalizing the Other Iran Policy, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

• April 10-11 — Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats, Vanderbilt University

• April 17 — Persistent Access, Persistent Threat: Ensuring Military Mobility Against Malicious Cyber Actors, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

• April 30 —The Hill & Valley Forum