Category Countries

A supersonic cruise missile streaking low over the sea toward a warship on the horizon, leaving a trail of exhaust.

Russia Arming Iran with Missiles Built to Sink US Ships

The Financial Times exposed C430L, a covert program in which Russia's top missile engineers help Iran build supersonic cruise missiles designed to threaten US warships. Russia arming Iran means two wars are merging into one axis, while American interceptor stockpiles shrink and China watches for a window of opportunity on Taiwan.

Rows of huge white crude oil storage tanks at a Chinese coastal terminal, seen from above at dusk.

China’s Strategic Oil Reserves: Quiet Cut Prevented Oil from Reaching $200

China quietly cut oil imports by five million barrels a day after the Strait of Hormuz closed. The move absorbed most of Asia’s shortfall and kept prices from reaching $200. China oil reserves, estimated at 1,300 to 1,400 million barrels, proved far larger and more flexible than Western stockpiles. The United States released over 100 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve while Beijing conserved its buffer.