Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
U.S. fast-tracks $8 billion in arms sales to Middle East partners
The State Department late last week approved arms sales worth more than $8 billion to key U.S. partners across the Middle East. Published May 3, 2026
Trump says U.S. will pull ‘a lot’ more troops from Germany; key Republicans push back on drawdown
President Trump says he will pull more U.S. troops from Germany after an initial reduction of 5,000, while Republican leaders in Congress say they're "very concerned" about the move and the signal it sends to America's adversaries. Published May 3, 2026
Two U.S. troops reported missing during major military exercises in Africa
Two U.S. service members were reported missing Sunday in Morocco, during major annual American military exercises in western Africa, Pentagon officials said. Published May 3, 2026
Shots fired at White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump rushed from the stage
Shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington on Saturday night, forcing guests to duck under tables in the Washington Hilton ballroom. Published April 25, 2026
Could space-based data centers help power U.S. military missions in the future?
Data centers in space, and perhaps even on the moon, could become crucial to U.S. national security. Published April 24, 2026
Why an ‘entrenched’ Pentagon bureaucracy is the greatest danger facing Golden Dome
The Golden Dome missile shield will have to overcome enormous technological, logistical and financial obstacles to become operational by President Trump's 2028 target date. But its biggest hurdle might be an "entrenched" Pentagon bureaucracy that military insiders fear could doom the project. Published April 21, 2026
U.S. aggressive in race for first base on moon, pushes to beat China
It's crucial that the U.S. establish a permanent base on the moon -- including a nuclear reactor on the lunar surface -- before China or Russia does, top Trump administration officials said Tuesday at a major space conference. Published April 14, 2026
Trump threatens major strikes on Iran after U.S. raid rescues pilot
U.S. forces launched a daring raid that rescued an American fighter pilot deep behind enemy lines in Iran, President Trump said Sunday, just hours before he warned Tehran to "open the f------ Strait" of Hormuz or face major strikes on its power plants and bridges. Published April 5, 2026
Trump to Iran: ‘Open the F——- Strait, you crazy bastards’
President Trump early Sunday issued a profanity-laden warning to Iran, saying U.S. forces will target power plants and bridges if the Islamic republic does not open the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. Published April 5, 2026
U.S. rescues second airman from behind enemy lines in Iran, President Trump says
The U.S. mounted a daring rescue mission and retrieved an American pilot behind enemy lines in Iran, President Trump said early Sunday. Published April 5, 2026
Are U.S. troops ready to face Iranian drone swarm attacks?
Ground operations in Iran could put U.S. forces directly in the crosshairs of Iranian drone swarms at a moment when American troops may not have the equipment needed to handle the threat, former defense officials and military analysts say. Published April 4, 2026
U.S. pilot rescued after fighter jet downed in Iran; 2nd American aircraft also goes down in Mideast
An American pilot was rescued Friday after a U.S. fighter jet was downed in Iran, military sources said, while the status of a second crew member was not immediately clear. Published April 3, 2026
Nearly 50 senior Iranian officials have been killed in the war. Just who are they?
Exact casualty figures are murky, but the joint U.S.-Israeli operation has succeeded in decapitating Iran's military and political leadership structure. Published April 2, 2026
Pentagon upends relationship with other Washington institutions
The Pentagon's relationship with the rest of Washington has, to put it mildly, become complicated. Published April 1, 2026
Pentagon closes Correspondents’ Corridor media workspace amid legal fight over press access
The Trump administration will close the "Correspondents' Corridor" workspace that for years has been used by reporters covering the military, Defense Department officials announced late Monday in yet another sweeping change to journalists' access to the Pentagon. Published March 24, 2026
U.S. drops 5,000-pound bombs on Iranian missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz
U.S. forces used multiple 5,000-pound bombs to strike Iranian missile facilities near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, Pentagon officials said late Tuesday. Published March 18, 2026
Back to the future: Despite tech advances, age-old ‘continuities of war’ key to U.S.-Iran conflict
The U.S.-Iran war is certainly a modern fight, but many of its overarching themes feel familiar, deeply reminiscent of past Middle East wars and, in some ways, unaffected by massive leaps in military technology. Published March 17, 2026
Anthropic sues Trump administration over Pentagon’s ‘supply chain risk’ designation
Artificial intelligence firm Anthropic sued the Trump administration Monday over its move to designate the company a "supply chain risk" to national security, setting up a high-stakes legal battle that could shape the future of AI use in the military. Published March 9, 2026
‘Dangerous precedent’ for religious freedom: Critics assail Tokyo court’s Unification Church ruling
Prominent U.S. political figures and global religious-freedom advocates assailed an extraordinary ruling from a Tokyo court Wednesday that upheld the dissolution of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, warning that the decision will erode Japan's standing as a champion of religious liberty. Published March 4, 2026
Pentagon insists no ‘regime-change war’ as Iran conflict spreads
Top Trump administration officials pushed back Monday on the notion that the U.S. is rapidly being dragged into another endless war in the Middle East, even as the conflict with Iran widened, the American death toll rose to six, and President Trump predicted the fighting could last at least another month. Published March 2, 2026
