Pentagon — US Defense Department maintaining military-linked company designations and estimating war costs amid Middle East conflict escalation.
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Citizen Digital
… However, the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security can grant exemptions. Most humanoid robots are currently used for industrial applications in confined spaces, such as automobile factories or storage warehouses. …
US government bans humanoid robots manufactured abroadThe Standard
… Iran said on Saturday that it had not recorded any US attacks after nearly two weeks of strikes.According to news site Axios, the Pentagon presented US President Donald Trump with a plan for a 14th consecutive night of strikes, but he declined to authorise it in favour of renewed …
Iran says progress in Oman talks on Hormuz strait managementThe Standard
… Nearly 100 US servicemembers have been wounded since July 7, the Pentagon said on Monday, most with minor concussions.Tehran's Yemeni allies, the Houthi rebels, meanwhile threatened a major broadening of the war, announcing they would blockade Saudi ports. …
Iran targets US military assets as Houthis threaten to expand Mideast warThe Standard
… Subscribe to our newsletterTrump formally notified Congress last week that the United States had resumed military conflict against Iran, the White House confirmed to AFP, giving the Pentagon an additional 60 days to operate in the region without congressional approval.In addition …
US strikes Iran for third day, will reimpose blockadeThe Standard
… The Pentagon said it had struck Iran early Sunday after the Revolutionary Guards fired on a Cyprus-registered container ship they said was sailing an "unauthorised route" through the Strait of Hormuz.The Guards then said they had hit a second vessel, according to state media, acc …
Iran strikes Gulf neighbours after new US attacksCitizen Digital
Alibaba sues Pentagon over blacklist designation By AFP June 24, 2026 08:17 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter The logo of Alibaba Group is seen at the company's headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Ch …
Alibaba sues Pentagon over blacklist designationCitizen Digital
Alibaba sues Pentagon over blacklist designation By AFP June 24, 2026 08:17 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter The logo of Alibaba Group is seen at the company's headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Ch …
Alibaba sues Pentagon over blacklist designationCitizen Digital
… tary operations." window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-m', container: 'taboola-mid-article-thumbnails', placement: 'Mid Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix' }); To support the argument, federal prosecutors presented testimony from Pentagon …
Elon Musk's AI tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran: US govtCitizen Digital
… In an earlier clash with the White House, Anthropic angered Trump's team by refusing to allow its technology to potentially be used for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, leading the Pentagon to cut contracts with the company. …
No breakthrough in Anthropic talks with Trump administrationCitizen Digital
… essentially halt all new model deployments for all frontier model providers." Anthropic has been locked in a legal standoff with the Trump administration for refusing to allow its technology to potentially be used for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, leading the Pentagon …
Anthropic cuts access to AI models over US 'national security' orderThe Trump administration added humanoid and quadruped robots to a list of banned imports, citing cybersecurity risks to critical infrastructure and public safety. Most humanoid robots sold in the US are manufactured abroad, particularly in China.
29 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Trump administration added humanoid and quadruped robots to a list of banned imports, citing cybersecurity risks to critical infrastructure and public safety. Most humanoid robots sold in the US are manufactured abroad, particularly in China.
29 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Iran said it made progress in talks with Oman on managing the Strait of Hormuz, focusing on principles and mechanisms for safe shipping passage while respecting the two states' sovereign rights. The discussions follow recent US attacks on Iran and a June memorandum aimed at easing tensions over control of the strategic waterway.
26 July 2026 · The Standard →
Iran's Revolutionary Guards targeted US radar and air defence installations in the Gulf on Tuesday and warned of "more decisive and powerful" attacks to come, as Houthi rebels in Yemen blockaded Saudi ports and the conflict threatened to widen. The strikes followed US attacks on Iranian military positions and deaths of at least three US soldiers in recent days.
21 July 2026 · The Standard →
The United States launched a third night of strikes on Iran, hitting targets including Bushehr and Bandar Abbas, as President Trump planned to reimpose a blockade on Iranian ports and floated a 20 percent fee on Strait of Hormuz cargo. Iran's Revolutionary Guards responded by firing missiles and drones at Bahrain, targeting a US forces residential building and other facilities.
14 July 2026 · The Standard →
Tehran announced closure of the Strait of Hormuz and launched missiles and drones at Gulf neighbours in retaliation for US strikes following an Iranian attack on a merchant vessel. Sirens and explosions were reported across Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and other regional locations, marking the latest escalation in the Middle East conflict.
12 July 2026 · The Standard →
Chinese tech giant Alibaba filed a federal lawsuit against the US Defense Department over its inclusion in a list of companies the Pentagon says have ties to the Chinese military. Alibaba denies it is a military-linked firm and says the designation is "arbitrary and capricious."
24 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Chinese tech giant Alibaba filed a federal lawsuit against the US Defense Department for designating it a military-linked firm, contesting the Pentagon's decision to include it in a list of companies with ties to the Chinese military. Alibaba says the determination is "arbitrary and capricious" and has no basis in fact or law.
24 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The US Department of Justice revealed in a legal briefing that Elon Musk's AI tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran. The disclosure came in defense of gas turbines powering xAI's data center, which is the subject of an environmental lawsuit; federal prosecutors cited Pentagon AI chief Cameron Stanley's testimony that Grok is already in use within Project Maven, the US military's AI-assisted targeting program.
17 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Anthropic met with the Trump administration Monday to discuss restoring two suspended AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, which the company blocked over a US national security order. No lifting of restrictions was discussed after the meeting, though both parties said they are working quickly to resolve the issue.
16 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Anthropic has suspended access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models after receiving a US government directive banning foreign nationals from accessing them over national security concerns. The company said the letter from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick did not specify the government's concerns, though Anthropic understood the government to be aware of a method of "jailbreaking" Fable 5 that could aid hacking.
14 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The US Defense Department released an updated list of Chinese companies it believes are supporting the country's military, including Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD. Two memory chipmakers, ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies, were reinstated to the blacklist after being removed from an earlier version released in February.
9 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The US Defense Department released an updated list of Chinese companies it believes are supporting China's military, including Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD. The list is largely similar to a version briefly published in February, with two memory chipmakers, ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies, reinstated to the blacklist.
9 June 2026 · The Standard →
Israel launched strikes across south Lebanon on Saturday following evacuation orders from more than a dozen locations. Lebanon's army said a targeted Israeli strike wounded two soldiers, as military delegations from both countries held security talks in Washington ahead of US-brokered negotiations scheduled for early next week.
31 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The United States warned it was "more than capable" of resuming war with Iran after President Donald Trump said any peace deal must include Tehran never developing nuclear weapons. The White House had signaled Trump was close to a decision on a potential deal, but no decision was made after a Friday meeting, and Tehran denied there was a final agreement.
31 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
US Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said at Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue that Washington seeks a "stable equilibrium" with China in Asia, while acknowledging "rightful alarm" over Beijing's military build-up and regional expansion.
31 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The United States has canceled the planned deployment of 4,000 soldiers to Poland as Washington reorganizes its forces in Europe following a decision to withdraw thousands of troops from Germany. The cancellation, ordered by the Secretary of Defense, affected the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, with some elements already deployed and equipment in transit.
16 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Pentagon said the cost of the war with Iran had climbed to nearly $29 billion, up about $4 billion from an estimate made two weeks earlier, as President Trump faces scrutiny over the conflict's impact on military readiness.
12 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President Trump's administration is considering requiring US government oversight of artificial intelligence models before public release, according to The New York Times. The White House is discussing an executive order to establish a working group of tech executives and government officials to examine review procedures for new AI models.
5 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo XIV during a trip to Rome this week, following Trump's recent criticism of the pontiff's anti-war stance. Rubio is also scheduled to meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian officials, amid a widening transatlantic rift over Middle East policy.
4 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Rome and the Vatican this week, weeks after President Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV over his anti-war stance. Italian media reported Rubio, a Catholic, would meet the Pope on Thursday to "thaw" relations, and is scheduled to meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
3 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of about 5,000 troops from Germany within the next six to twelve months, according to the Pentagon, amid tensions between the US and Europe over the Mideast war and trade disputes.
2 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President Trump said at a Florida rally that the US Navy was acting "like pirates" while seizing ships and cargo during its blockade of Iranian ports. The blockade, announced after failed peace talks, has prompted Iran to threaten to maintain its closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
2 May 2026 · The Standard →
US President Donald Trump said Friday he was "not satisfied" with a new Iranian negotiating proposal, as peace talks remain frozen despite a weeks-long ceasefire that began in April. Trump blamed stalled negotiations on "tremendous discord" within Iran's leadership and faced pressure at home to seek congressional authorization for the conflict.
2 May 2026 · The Standard →
The United States approved a $4 billion sale of Patriot missiles to Qatar and a nearly $1 billion sale of precision weapons systems to Israel, citing support for US foreign policy and national security objectives. The Pentagon also announced the withdrawal of about 5,000 troops from Germany within the next year.
2 May 2026 · The Standard →
President Trump warned Iran to "get smart soon" and accept U.S. demands for strict nuclear controls, as a U.S. naval blockade pressures Iran's economy. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump has decided to reject Iran's latest deal proposal and intends to continue the blockade until Tehran dismantles its nuclear programme.
29 April 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Pentagon dismissed U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan without explanation, continuing a broader purge of senior military officials since January 2025. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed for reforms including a 20 percent reduction in active-duty four-star generals and admirals, resulting in the removal of figures including Joint Chiefs Chairman Charles Brown, Navy Chief Lisa Franchetti, and Army Chief of Staff Randy George.
26 April 2026 · Capital News →
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stressed Spain is a "reliable member" of NATO after Reuters reported the United States was considering suspending it over its refusal to support military operations against Iran. Sanchez said Spain fulfills all its NATO obligations and dismissed the threat, noting there is no NATO treaty provision allowing suspension or expulsion of members.
25 April 2026 · Citizen Digital →
A U.S. Army master sergeant involved in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been charged with using classified information to bet $400,000 on prediction market Polymarket that U.S. forces would enter Venezuela and Maduro would be removed from power. The Justice Department says it marks the first insider trading charges involving a prediction market.
24 April 2026 · Citizen Digital →