Defense

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — On March 4, when a U.S. Navy submarine torpedoed an enemy combatant for the first time since World War II, three Australian submariners were aboard. This was a contentious point for Canberra, as it is not a party to military actions against Iran. Two days later, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the presence of Royal Australian Navy (RAN) sailors aboard the…

BRUSSELS — NATO nations are sending troops to Norway for a cold-weather exercise this week, as alliance officials kick off a yearslong analysis into causes for conflict in the Arctic. As part of the planning effort, a U.S. and Norwegian-led research task force will compile a report by 2029 under the name “High North Scenarios for Wargaming and Analysis — Winter Storm 2030.” Beyond the lead…

CAIRO — The Trump administration is confronting mounting discontent from allies in the Persian Gulf who have complained they were not given adequate time to prepare for the torrent of Iranian drones and missiles bombarding their countries in retaliation for strikes launched by the U.S. and Israel. Officials from two Gulf countries said their governments were disappointed in the way the U.S. has…

BERLIN — France and Germany this week created a high-level nuclear steering group, marking another step toward European nuclear deterrence, as questions hang here over the long-term reliability of the United States as a security guarantor. In a joint declaration, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the new body would serve as a bilateral framework for “doctrinal…