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By Frud Bezhan April 16, 2026 The United States and Israel’s bombing campaign has devastated Iran’s military, decapitated much of its leadership, and destroyed critical infrastructure. Yet Tehran still believes it is winning the weekslong confrontation. That Iran’s theocracy has survived at all has been touted in the Islamic republic as a victory. The country has also obtained a new and powerful card: control of the Strait of Hormuz. Since the war began on February 28, Iran has effectively closed one of the world’s key arteries for global oil and gas supplies, a move that has rattled energy markets, upended…

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org The Department of the Air Force wants to launch a construction boom with its fiscal 2027 budget, more than doubling its request over 2026, according to budget documents. The combined military construction and facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization budgets fund infrastructure costs for everything from hangars and runways to family housing. The department’s 2027 budget request asks for about $26.7 billion, up from $13 billion in 2026, including: $730 million for new hangar and support spaces…

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approached the four-year mark in early 2026, the international media widely reported that the war had now lasted longer than the Soviet fight against Nazi Germany during World War II. This historical comparison made for attention-grabbing headlines, but it was not entirely accurate. In fact, the Russia-Ukraine War did not begin in 2022; it started eight years earlier in 2014. Efforts to end the war must reflect this reality. Despite extensive coverage and analysis over the past four years addressing Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there remains an alarming lack of clarity over the…

Arman Tsarukyan sent Urijah Faber flying into the crowd before securing another dominant victory at RAF 8 on Saturday night. While Tsarukyan had things well in hand throughout the contest, things turned chaotic in the second period. As Tsarukyan shot in for a single leg with roughly 90 seconds left in the stanza, the UFC lightweight contender powered Faber off the mat and into the front row of the crowd. It appeared as though Faber took a rather nasty spill, but he was able to continue the match without issue. Tsarukyan would go on to win the contest via a…

The Department of Veterans Affairs has been using artificial intelligence to speed up its processing of veterans’ benefits claims, but VA officials told lawmakers that human reviewers make the final decisions and that greater use of the emerging capabilities has not correlated with an increase in errors or issues — a claim disputed by Democrats. During a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday, Margarita Devlin — principal deputy under secretary for benefits at VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration — told lawmakers that “the average time to process a claim has dropped by 42% since January 2025, from 141 days to just…

Real American Freestyle (RAF) returns TONIGHT (Sat., April 18, 2026) with its eighth event, streaming live from Liacouras Center of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Former two-division UFC champion, Henry Cejudo, was supposed to headline the card against former Bantamweight champion and former rival, Merab Dvalishvili; however, a last-second injury forced Cejudo off the card (details here).The new main event is No. 2-ranked UFC Lightweight contender, Arman Tsarukyan, taking on mixed martial arts (MMA) legend, Urijah Faber. The co-main event now features a championship match as Kyle Snyder defends his Light Heavyweight title against Rizabek Aitmukhan.RAF 08 kicks off at 8…

Yorktown, VA – Naval Medical Readiness Logistics Command (NMRLC) held a retirement ceremony to say goodbye to Command Master Chief Hospital Corpsman Brandon Lindbeck at the Naval Weapons Station Yorktown Nelson Chapel, Friday, April 17. Capt. Christopher Barnes, NMRLC’s commanding officer, was the presiding officer. Family and friends from around the nation were present, making this a standing-room-only event. Shipmates who served with him from previous duty stations were also present to watch the heartfelt presentation of mementos, stories, and salutations. At one point in the ceremony, when Lindbeck shared a story about how his journey in the Navy began,…

Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2026 10:15 PM Iran has strongly denounced latest threats by the US Treasury Department to intensify sanctions, branding Washington’s latest hostile move as “economic terrorism” and blatant “state blackmail.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei slammed the US measures in a post on his X account on Thursday, describing them as deliberate attempts to inflict suffering on innocent civilians. “It is utterly abominable how policies that deliberately inflict pain and suffering on innocent people are presented with smug self-righteousness,” Baqaei wrote. “This only reveals an inhumane mindset behind them. These are nothing short of economic…

Cyberattacks against critical infrastructure from groups sympathetic to Iran appear to be ticking up, as the federal government warns that hackers may exploit vulnerabilities.Last week, pro-Iranian hacking group Ababil of Minab claimed responsibility for a March hack on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, publishing claims on Telegram that they said showed them accessing LA Metro’s internal systems. The transit agency shut down access to some of its network after its security team found unauthorized activity, although officials said bus and rail service was unaffected.The group’s claims may be false. It is an “emerging” group “with a limited public profile and…

Iran Press TV Thursday, 16 April 2026 10:41 AM The deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces says Iran increased the production rate of attack drones tenfold during a seven-month period after the US-Israeli war in June last year. Speaking in a television interview published on Thursday, Brigadier General Alireza Sheikh said Iran has succeeded in making a significant increase in its drone capabilities. He added that the Iranian Armed Forces are prepared for any possible scenario in the future by learning from the past events. The Armed Forces’ capabilities to confront and respond to threats and to…