military alliance

2 briefs

power 2026-05-09

Saudi Arabia Shut Down Project Freedom. Then Reopened the Bases. Neither Act Was What It Looked Like.

Riyadh blocked US forces from using Prince Sultan Air Base for the Hormuz operation, forcing Trump to pause it after 36 hours. The bases reopened days later. What Saudi Arabia demonstrated is that it can veto American military operations from within the alliance.

conflict 2026-04-28

The Memorial That Normalizes a New Alliance

Kim Jong Un opened a memorial for North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine. Russia's defense minister was there. Both sides are advertising a military relationship they previously denied existed.