Pressure Systems edition
US Decline As Represented By The Pentagon Munitions Crisis
September 17, 2026
What this edition shows
The protracted conflict with Iran is battering US military logistics, highlighted by a crippled CENTCOM blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, depleted munitions stockpiles requiring years to replenish, and physical war damage destroying Amazon data center infrastructure. Domestically, the resulting strain has triggered intense political fallout, from congressional calls to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over secret influencer networks and procurement failures to collapsing domestic democratic indicators.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 14 sources
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Iran War Has the U.S. Military on the Brink of a “Breakdown”
As the U.S. military faces relentless attacks on its bases, the Iran conflict is “ultimately unsustainable,” one U.S. official told The Intercept. The post Iran War Has the U.S. Military on the Brink of a “Breakdown” appeared first on The Intercept.
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Dozens of aircraft, hundreds of buildings: US loss to Iran attacks revealed
The Pentagon watchdog's report paints a picture of significant losses to US forces and facilities in the region.
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The American Age Is Over
The American age that followed World War II was bound to end eventually. What’s shocking is how suddenly that moment has arrived. In the past six months, America’s power—long exemplified by the world’s best warfighting equipment and most highly trained military personnel, a global network of bases a…
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US CENTCOM tells Al Jazeera Hormuz blockade ‘highly effective’
The spokesman for US Central Command has told Al Jazeera its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is ‘highly effective’.
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Iran war increasing inflation, straining US munitions: congressional report
Report by nonpartisan research body finds that replenishing depleted munitions stockpiles could take up to five years.
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Republican congressman calls to impeach US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth
GOP Representative Thomas Massie has emerged as outspoken critic of war on Iran and overseas military interventions.
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The USS Abraham Lincoln Is a Troubling Metaphor
Like the Iran war itself, the carrier’s deployment lasted far longer than Trump expected or planned.
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Selling the war: Purges, polygraphs and propaganda
The Iran war has become ever more challenging for the Trump administration to sell.
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Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon: A list of controversies that define his tenure
The defence secretary faces renewed scrutiny after a Republican senator called for his removal from the US cabinet.
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Iran strikes on Amazon data centers caused permanent loss of customer data
War damage to data centers exceeded what AWS services are designed to withstand.
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The United States of Propaganda
Few Americans have the vocabulary to describe what’s making them miserable.
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A War of Assassinations
The latest Iranian assassination threat arrived last month as a video called “Where to Kill Barron Trump,” promising $10 million for the murder of the U.S. president’s youngest child. Less than 24 hours later, on social media, the State Department re-upped its own $10 million bounty for “information…
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Cool Cool Cool: Hegseth’s DoD Is Running A Secret Network Of Online Influencers
It would be nice to go a day or two (or three-day weekend!) without being apprised of some new awfulness from this administration. Since that’s not going to happen, let’s check in with the latest shitshow! And here it is: the Pentagon has “enlisted” some X.com influencers to thrust and parry on beha…
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US democratic decline threatens global rule of law, report warns
Nearly half of US democracy indicators hit 50-year lows, accelerating global stability decline, warns new IDEA study.