Middle East • Page 3 of 449 • The Defense Post

Sep- 2026 -

2 September

M113 armored personnel carriers and Steyr 680M military trucks. Photo: Lebanese Armed Forces

Greece Bolsters Security Ties With Lebanon in Second Vehicle Donation

The Lebanese Armed Forces have taken delivery of the second shipment of military vehicles donated by Greece at the Port of Beirut.

2 September

Iranian firefighters work to recover the body of an Afghan woman from the ruins of a residential building in Tehran, Iran, on March 27, 2026.

Giulia Bernacchi

US-Iran Fighting Intensifies With Strikes Across Region

The US and Iran resumed attacks after weeks of reduced fighting, with Tehran launching missiles and drones at US facilities across the Gulf.

2 September

Bell Subaru 412EPX helicopter in mid-flight

Christine Casimiro

US Clears $800M Sale of Bell 412EPX, 407M Helicopters to Iraq

The US State Department has approved a possible foreign military sale of two types of Bell helicopters to Iraq under a contract worth approximately $800 million.

1 September

US President Donald Trump. Photo: Lance Cpl. Lynsee Avila-Ramirez/DVIDS

Samantha Alexa

Trump Posts AI-Generated Video Claiming Iran’s Kharg Island Was Destroyed

US President Donald Trump has shared an AI-generated video depicting an attack on Iran’s Kharg Island, posting the footage on Truth Social alongside the message: “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!”

1 September

Barak MX air and missile defense system that Greece will use for its Achilles’ Shield. Image: RAFAEL

Jodesz Gavilan

Greece Gets $3.5B Israeli Multilayered Air Defense

Greece and Israel have signed a $3.5-billion deal for a multilayered air defense network designed to counter ballistic missiles, aircraft, and drones.

Aug- 2026 -

28 August

Lebanon, Kfarchouba, 2025-09-26. Patrol with the Indian unit of UNIFIL along the Israeli border, near the village of Kfarchouba, in southern Lebanon. UN peacekeepers have been deployed along the border with Israel since 1978. Photo by Angeline Desdevises / Hans Lucas. Liban, Kfarchouba, 2025-09-26. Patrouille avec l unite indienne de la FINUL le long de la frontiere israelienne, pres du village de Kfarchouba, dans le sud du Liban. Les casques bleus de l ONU sont deployes le long de la frontiere avec Israel depuis 1978. Photographie par Angeline Desdevises / Hans Lucas. (Photo by Angéline Desdevises / Hans Lucas via AFP)

Giulia Bernacchi

EU Considers Civilian-Military Mission in Lebanon as UNIFIL Prepares to Withdraw

European Union officials are drawing up plans for a possible civilian-military mission in Lebanon that could begin in early 2027.

28 August

The US Navy and the US Coast Guard seized 180 tons of materials used to make explosives from a boat in international waters that was en route to Yemen

Giulia Bernacchi

Iran War Pushes US Navy Into Funding Crunch: Report

The US Navy is shifting money from payroll and other accounts to sustain the war against Iran, as funding shortages raise.

26 August

Syrian Army soldiers deploy throughout the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods following days of fierce clashes with SDF Kurdish forces, which ultimately result in the withdrawal of the Kurdish forces towards eastern Syria.

Amy Austin Holmes

Syria Is Sidelining the Fighters Who Beat ISIS

Syria's new army is sidelining the loyal, US-trained SDF while absorbing foreign jihadists and abusive warlords instead, squandering a decade of American investment at a moment when that force's skills are needed most.

21 August

A U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus approaches the runway during a call sign retirement flight at Travis Air Force Base, California, July 24, 2026. The aircraft operated under the call sign “Zphyr” for the final time before transitioning to “Peggy.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Kenneth Abbate)

Rojoef Manuel

US Greenlights $4.5B KC-46A Pegasus Tanker Deal to Qatar

The US State Department has approved a $4.5-billion foreign military sale for up to four Boeing KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft and associated hardware to Qatar.

20 August