DAY FIVE OF BOMBING: For a fifth day in a row, the United States and Iran have traded airstrikes, as the U.S. Central Command has ramped up its air campaign to a ferocity not seen since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury four and a half months ago.
“U.S. forces struck Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten innocent mariners crewing commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a statement and videos posted on X, wrapping up the second round of Wednesday’s strikes.
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Among the targets hit yesterday was the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, and coastal defense and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island, located in the strait.
In addition, CENTCOM said U.S. forces implemented naval blockade measures by disabling an unladen oil tanker attempting to sail toward waters toward Kharg Island, in the northern Persian Gulf. “A U.S. aircraft disabled the vessel after firing hellfire missiles into the ship’s smokestack,” according to a news release. “The ship is no longer transiting to Iran.”
US DISABLES OIL TANKER SAILING TO KHARG ISLAND IN FIRST SINCE BLOCKADE RENEWED
TRUMP CONSIDERS EXPANDED TARGET LIST: The pace and level of bombing, or “OPTEMPO” as the Pentagon calls it, is indicative of the kind of “preparing the battlefield” that typically comes before a ground operation begins, something President Donald Trump has neither ruled in or out.
At a meeting in the White House Situation Room Tuesday night, Trump was presented with options including the use of U.S. troops to seize Kharg Island and other territory along the Strait of Hormuz, as well as bombing Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried nuclear site that is under construction, according to the Wall Street Journal, which reported Trump is gravitating toward plans of expanded military operations.
In a Monday interview on the Hugh Hewitt Show, Trump confirmed that Pickaxe Mountain was on his target list.
“We’re going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready,” Trump told Hewitt. “Pickaxe is a possible, you know, possible target for a nice, big, fat shot right into the front door. And I think that you’ll, maybe you’ll see that.”
And in a Tuesday interview with Fox News Chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, Trump was cagey about whether he was considering using U.S. troops to seize Kharg Island.
“I can’t say that to you because if I did, it would be foolish, right?” Trump said, but went on to say, “As far as taking it is concerned, if we degrade them far enough and deep enough back, I would do that.”
Trump has given strict instructions not to destroy the oil terminal on the island, in the interest of the world economy.
“So, we haven’t hit that,” Trump said of the terminal. “At some point, we could. But I think it’s unlikely.”
“Sometimes you need a ground campaign,” Trump said. “But we have other people that will do the ground campaign for us.”
VANCE ACCUSES ISRAEL OF PAYING INFLUENCERS TO UNDERMINE IRAN CEASEFIRE TALKS
PICKAXE ‘MORE SUITABLE FOR GROUND ATTACK’: A detailed report on the vulnerabilities of the Pickaxe Mountain site published by the Institute for Science and International Security suggests several ways the U.S. could attack the deeply buried site from the air, but concludes it could most reliably be destroyed by troops on the ground.
“The site, in its present condition, would be more suitable for ground forces to attack or sabotage like the destruction of the advanced centrifuge assembly center, which reportedly involved explosives that were brought into the facility during its construction,” the report says.
“The Pickaxe mountain site features two pairs of entrances leading under the ridge of the mountain. They are assumed to lead to one facility, but this is not guaranteed. The facility is estimated to be at least 100 meters deep under the mountain.”
The report does identify several features of the uncompleted facility which could effectively be attacked by air, including “power supply, ventilation, heating, cooling, construction personnel, operating personnel, and deliveries. All of these connections to the outside present vulnerabilities that the U.S. and Israel would seem to be able to exploit.”
Though buried under tons of granite, the facility is not impregnable, according to David Albright, president and founder of the institute. “There were many who said Fordow could not be destroyed, before its destruction by the United States military via its ventilation shafts,” Albright posted on X.
“The New York Times was on the verge of publishing such a story that the bunker busters could not get through the mountain and destroy Fordow. I talked them out of it just before they were set to publish, making them aware of Fordow’s vulnerabilities. There are now many making claims about Pickaxe Mtn’s invincibility.”
TRUMP’S POPULARITY WORSENS WITH IRAN CEASEFIRE FALLING APART
Good Thursday morning, and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Keely Bastow. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com.
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HAPPENING TONIGHT: ‘A VERY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT’: Trump will deliver a primetime address to the nation from the White House East Room at 9 p.m., which he says will be about “free and fair elections.” Sitting with the Iraqi prime minister in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump promoted the speech, calling it “really big news.”
“What we’re going to be talking about Thursday is — it doesn’t get bigger, because without free and fair elections, you don’t have a country,” Trump said. “It’s going to be a very big announcement.”
Democrats fear that in an attempt to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system, Trump may be intending, in the words of the Associated Press, “to rewrite well-settled history,” insisting that he has new evidence to buttress his claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and he actually won.
ZELENSKY UNDER FIRE FOR SACKING POPULAR MOD: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing a domestic political crisis after he fired his popular young defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who was an advocate of reforms in the military during his six-month tenure.
In Kyiv today, several thousand people gathered to protest his firing and demand the Ukrainian parliament reappoint him. Zelensky’s webpage and X account offered no comment or explanation for the firing. Zelensky also requested the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko as part of a major shake-up and Cabinet reshuffle.
Pro-government lawmaker Mykyta Poturaev told the Kyiv Independent he intends to resign in protest and said he hopes Zelensky will reconsider.
HEGSETH’S LATEST ENEMY: ‘TESTOSTERONE DEFICIENCY’: War Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced his latest initiative to “optimize the performance, reliance and long-term health” of U.S. warfighters.
“I am authorizing a new screening program for testosterone deficiency for our service members,” Hegseth announced in a video posted to X. “Under the supervision of our world-class medical professionals, warfighters age 30 and older are going to be tested annually as part of their periodic health assessment. Those under 30 can voluntarily choose to get the test as well. If treatment is recommended, it’s entirely your choice to receive testosterone replacement therapy.”
Hegseth didn’t specify, but it appears he’s only referring to male troops. “Our most decisive tactical advantage will always be the individual warfighter,” Hegseth said in the video ‘We have a sacred duty to maintain that advantage.”
“This enhanced screening protocol directly supports the Department’s focus on Human Performance Optimization while comprehensively addressing Operator Syndrome,” Hegseth wrote in the formal memo outlining the policy. “Operator Syndrome,” he writes, “represents a unique convergence of health challenges that require proactive clinical intervention.”
Recent studies have identified Operator Syndrome as poor sleep and the stress of military life, leading to lower hormone levels. While Testosterone Replacement Therapy can significantly improve energy, muscle mass, and bone density, it also can have significant downsides, including reduced sperm production, increased risk of blood clots, and acne and hair loss.
Democrats on social media immediately derided the policy as “gender affirming care.”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), an Iraq War veteran, said the announcement sounded “like gender-affirming care to me,” while Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), an Air Force veteran, said it “proves that Secretary Hegseth takes direction from the far corners of the manosphere.”
HEGSETH’S ‘HIGH-T’ TESTOSTERONE INITIATIVE: WHAT TO KNOW
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: US disables oil tanker sailing to Kharg Island in first since blockade renewed
Washington Examiner: Vance accuses Israel of paying influencers to undermine Iran ceasefire talks
Washington Examiner: Trump’s popularity worsens with Iran ceasefire falling apart
Washington Examiner: Trump says Iran allowed ‘wrongfully detained’ American to leave country
Washington Examiner: Russian troops on Ukraine front lines have life expectancy of 20 to 30 minutes: Ratcliffe
Washington Examiner: Pennsylvania defense summit leads to nearly $10 billion in defense contracts that will create thousands of jobs
Washington Examiner: Pentagon looking for ‘middle school kids today’ to fill critical voids in defense industrial base
Washington Examiner: The federal agency you’ve never heard of ripping up and replacing Chinese investments around the world
Washington Examiner: Cuban government-linked activists form ‘rapid response’ protest plan in case Trump attacks island
Washington Examiner: Hegseth announces ‘High-T’ military initiative for testosterone testing and treatment
Washington Examiner: Hegseth’s ‘High-T’ testosterone initiative: What to know
Washington Examiner: DOJ drops charges against J6 rioter who used riot shield to breach Capitol
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Trump’s Hormuz toll lasted 24 hours. The precedent doesn’t expire
Washington Examiner: Opinion: The US should treat Israel as an asset, not a liability
Wall Street Journal: Trump Leans Toward Expanding US Military Operations in Iran
CBS News: Senior defense officials looking at Cuba military options
AP: More than half of House Democrats vote to cut Israel aid in growing split
Washington Post: Intelligence chief pick says he’s not an ‘election denier’ but refuses to say Biden ‘won’ in 2020
CNN: Officials asked to turn over phones at the White House as Wiles, Patel lead intensifying leak probe
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Anduril YFQ-44 Fires Live Air-to-Air Missile in Landmark CCA Test
Defense News: Fedorov Out as Ukraine’s Defense Minister in Major Government Shakeup
Kyiv Independent: Thousands rally in Kyiv, other cities against Defense Minister Fedorov’s dismissal, demand reappointment
The Hill: Pentagon Bars Release of GAO’s Report on F-35 Program
Air & Space Forces Magazine: House Unveils $60B Reconciliation Bill—83% Less than Requested
Defense One: Space Force Faces Budget Uncertainty as Leader Plans Exit Next Month
DefenseScoop: In Its Next Chapter, DIU Aims to Reduce the Military’s ‘Cost per Kill’
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Pentagon Announces Multiyear Deals to Buy Thousands of Affordable Cruise Missiles
Breaking Defense: Army Reveals New Details on Autonomous Launcher, High Energy Laser Program
The War Zone: How Many J-20 Mighty Dragon Fighters Does China Actually Have?
Air & Space Forces Magazine: SDA to Resume Launches After 9-Month Pause, Early On-Orbit Challenges
Air & Space Forces Magazine: In Final Speech as CSO, Saltzman Says Military Leaders Are ‘Ballast’ Against Partisanship
The Atlantic: Marco Rubio’s Disappearing Signal Chat
Federal News Network: Air Force Network Lockouts Hit Troops and Civilians
THE CALENDAR:
THURSDAY | JULY 16
8:15 a.m. 151 St George Boulevard, Oxon Hill, Md. — Defense Strategies Institute Maritime Security Summit, “Spearheading USCG Force Design 2028: Facilitating Sustained Maritime Readiness and Security for a More Agile, Capable, and Responsive Fighting Force,” with Coast Guard Vice Commandant Thomas Allan https://maritime.dsigroup.org/
11 a.m. EDT Aspen, Colo. — Aspen Institute 2026 Aspen Security Forum, with Oleksiy Honcharuk, former prime minister of Ukraine and chair, Board of Directors of UFORCE; Stephen Biegun, former deputy secretary of State and vice chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy; and Kaupo Rosin, director general of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service; Akif Cagatay Kilic, chief adviser on national security and foreign policy to the president of Turkey; Ayman Safadi, deputy prime minister and minister for foreign affairs of Jordan; Sen. Christopher Murphy (D-CT); former Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), CEO of the American Jewish Committee; Rahm Emanuel, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan; Karl Rove, senior advisor and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush; and former Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) https://www.youtube.com/c/aspeninstitute
12:30 p.m.— Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “Autonomy and AI,” with former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, author of Lethal Autonomy: The Future of Warfare Whether We Like It or Not” https://afa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register
FRIDAY | JULY 17
11 a.m. Aspen, Colo. — Aspen Institute 2026 Aspen Security Forum, with Annalena Baerbock, president of the U.N. General Assembly and former foreign minister of Germany; Mahmoud Kombo, Tanzania’s minister of foreign affairs and East African cooperation; Vincent Biruta, Rwanda’s minister of interior; Thomas Dans, chairman, U.S. Arctic Research Commission; Gen. Eirik Kristoffersen, Norway’s chief of defense; and Pasi Rajala, Finland’s political state secretary to the minister for foreign affairs and the minister of defense; Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA); and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) https://www.youtube.com/c/aspeninstitute
12 p.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “The evolving threat environment and the Space Force’s ability to maintain space superiority for the nation and its warfighters,” with Lt. Gen. Gregory Gagnon, commander, U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command; and retired Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, explorer chair, Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/events/lt-gen-gregory-j-gagnon
TUESDAY | JULY 21
10:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Navigating Strategic Competition: Senator Tammy Duckworth on the Future of U.S. Indo-Pacific Engagement,” with Victor Cha, president, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at CSIS; and Charles Edel, senior adviser and Australia Chair at CSIS https://www.csis.org/events/navigating-strategic-competition
4:30 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute virtual discussion: “Subversion and Seduction: A Conversation About China Economic Statecraft with Audrye Wong,” with Robert Doar, president, AEI; and Audrye Wong, AEI senior fellow https://www.aei.org/events/subversion-and-seduction-a-conversation
TUESDAY | JULY 28
12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army “Noon Report,” webinar with Kevin Hymel, author of Patton’s War: An American General’s Combat Leadership Volume 3: January 1-December 21, 1945, highlighting Gen. George Patton’s battlefield leadership during World War II. https://www.ausa.org/events/noon-report/pattons-war