United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has rejected a CNN report claiming that the Pentagon's missile defence stockpiles have fallen to 'dangerously low levels' amid the conflict with Iran.
The American military's air-defence missile inventories, including Patriot and THAAD interceptors, are significantly depleted due to the ongoing five-month confrontation with Iran. A CSIS assessment reveals a steep drop in reserve stocks, raising concerns about the US's capacity to maintain Middle East operations and address other global security challenges. This depletion could force the US and its allies to take higher operational risks.
The United States and Iran are engaged in indirect talks aimed at developing a framework for a possible agreement, according to Iran's ISNA News Agency. Intensive mediation efforts are underway, but it remains uncertain whether a final agreement is within reach.
The US has reportedly depleted nearly half of its advanced missile-defence interceptors while defending Israel during recent hostilities with Iran, raising concerns about future readiness.
Gwadar is viewed as a critical pearl in China's maritime strategy as it would give a permanent logistical footprint near an important choke point - the Strait of Hormuz and the oil rich Persian Gulf, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
In the most recent show of force, Pyongyang put its military might on display during a parade on April 15 marking the 105th birth anniversary of the country's founder Kim Il Sung, grandfather of present ruler Kim Jong Un.
South Korea Defense Ministry spokesman Kwon Ki-joon, said that "several projectiles" flew about 1,000 kilometers.
Earlier, United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the international community to increase pressure on North Korea, saying that failing to do so would bring 'catastrophic consequences'.
The United States has started deploying the first elements of its advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system at the Osan Air Base in South Korea after North Korea conducted test of four ballistic missiles which broke international sanctions.
The United States and South Korea will deploy the advanced THAAD missile defence system on the volatile Korean peninsula as a "defensive measure" to counter the growing security threat from North Korea's weapons of mass destruction. The move has not gone down well with China which said that the move will harm the security of countries in the region.
Deployment of THAAD in South Korea could unfold a new cataclysm in the Korean Peninsula with unwelcome prospects.
The India-Japan joint naval exercises are a strategic signal for China, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
Will the unpredictable North Korean leader provoke conflict on the Korean peninsula?
'The world may be desirous of peace, but not Kim Jong-un.' 'Should we then accept the old adage that to maintain peace, we should be prepared for war?' asks Rajaram Panda.
