Pressure Systems edition
Pentagon Purges and Boat Strikes Fuel Maritime War
September 3, 2026
What this edition shows
The rapid unravelling of Pete Hegseth’s leadership at the Pentagon, marked by high-level resignations and internal friction with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, coincides with a brutal escalation of maritime violence under the Trump administration. Across Operation Southern Spear and the Persian Gulf, US boat strikes and aerial bombings of civilian targets like a wedding in Sirik reveal how executive lawlessness is militarizing regional waters while hollowed-out command structures scramble to manage the fallout.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 9 sources
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The long-term implications of Pete Hegseth’s US military purges
Resignation of US Army secretary is latest loss at the top for the military.
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Hegseth’s Pentagon Lurches off the Rails
Making Pete Hegseth the secretary of defense was always a huge gamble. A television host with little background in national-security or defense affairs, who topped out as a major in the National Guard, he was nominated based on the same qualification shared by most of Donald Trump’s other appointees…
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Dan Driscoll’s Parting Shot
During a White House meeting last week, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll brought his concerns about the future of the Army under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directly to President Trump—a sign of how far tensions between the two Pentagon leaders had escalated, and of the dysfunction inside the building…
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The U.S. Has Killed 227 Civilians in Boat Strikes During “A Year of Murders”
“The boat strikes are, perhaps, the most stark testament to the lawlessness of the Trump administration.” The post The U.S. Has Killed 227 Civilians in Boat Strikes During “A Year of Murders” appeared first on The Intercept.
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What do we know about the fatal US bombing of a wedding in Iran’s Sirik?
A residential building and a telecom tower were struck overnight, as Iran and the US launched more strikes over Hormuz.
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A year into Trump’s boat strike campaign, families search for answers
While the Trump administration claims it has killed 'narcoterrorists', families fear fishermen are among the victims.
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Iran says US bombed a wedding party in Sirik, killing five people
Officials say at least 63 others wounded in attack on city of Kuhestak, including women and children.
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Killing at Sea
Three families, two bombings and a hidden war: uncovering the lives behind Operation Southern Spear's dead.
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George Clooney: US government run by ‘least qualified people’
US actor George Clooney has described US President Donald Trump’s administration as a ‘kakistocracy’.