Mark Montgomery
Coverage of Mark Montgomery in the Nexus archive.
- South Korea shift highlights Trump's transactional approach
President Trump has strained an alliance by scaling back joint military exercises with South Korea. He cited cost concerns, his relationship with Kim Jong Un, and Seoul’s refusal to join the Iran war as reasons for this shift. This action is presented as a transactional approach to international alliances.
- How Iran attacks are forcing the Pentagon to rethink its decades-old Middle East base strategy
The Pentagon is reconsidering its long-standing strategy of relying on large, permanent U.S. military bases in the Gulf after Iranian missile and drone attacks during Operation Epic Fury exposed vulnerabilities. Defense officials are evaluating dispersing capabilities and rotating forces to reduce risk, while maintaining rapid response and regional security roles.
- How Iran attacks are forcing the Pentagon to rethink its decades-old Middle East base strategy
The Pentagon is reevaluating its long-standing strategy of relying on large, permanent U.S. military bases in the Gulf after Iranian missile and drone attacks exposed vulnerabilities. Defense officials are considering dispersing capabilities and using alternate command centers to reduce risks, though this could slow crisis response times. Key bases like Naval Support Activity Bahrain and Al Udeid Air Base were targeted during Operation Epic Fury, highlighting the strategic shift.
- Analysis: The $6 billion fault line; the first crack in the U.S.-Iran deal is already showing
The U.S. and Iran are disputing the terms of a $6 billion release of frozen Iranian oil revenues, with the U.S. conditioning access on purchasing approved humanitarian goods and Iran rejecting U.S. control over spending. The disagreement highlights diverging views on post-ceasefire control and could test the stability of the broader U.S.-Iran agreement.