Colonel Phil Ingram, a former British Army Intelligence officer and NATO planner, analyses Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel exclusively for National Security News. In the early hours of Sunday morning Iran launched an unprecedented attack against Israel in response to Israel’s earlier targeting of Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a Senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Commander and six others in the Iranian Embassy Compound in Damascus at the beginning of the month.  The attack was unprecedented in so many ways. It was the first time Iran directly attacked Israel, it usually uses its proxies Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and others…

General Jim Mattis, one of the most celebrated senior officers in US modern history, has been honoured with an award for distinguished public service. Gen Mattis, 73, who also served as defence secretary for the first two years of the Trump administration, was awarded the first Thomas S. Foley Award after dedicating virtually all of his adult life to public service.During his acceptance speech, the former US Marine general called on members of the audience to reject political division and cynicism in the United States. Gen Mattis said: “I trust some of you young folks in the audience will leave…

OP-ED by Andre Pienaar, Co-founder of the Directorate of Special Operations (the Scorpions). Up to a million Russian controlled social media accounts are active daily in supporting the election campaign of Jacob Zuma’s MK party, the new service Bloomberg has reported. MK is the only South African party whose campaign is being endorsed by a foreign government and its agents on social media. This is no surprise, because as I wrote earlier, MK is the first political party in democratic South Africa to have been created by a ruthless foreign intelligence service, Russian Military Intelligence, formally known as the Main…

Recent revelations of Beijing’s intensified support for Moscow in its war against Ukraine, particularly through the provision of geospatial intelligence, have sparked growing concerns among Western powers. Despite China’s claims of neutrality, evidence suggests that China’s assistance to Russia is playing a significant role in sustaining Moscow’s war effort. According to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity, China’s support for Russia is reaching alarming levels. The official highlighted that a substantial portion of Moscow’s ability to sustain its war effort and bolster its economy, despite facing sanctions, is attributed to China’s extensive military aid. This assistance ranges from providing satellite imagery used to track human activity for targeting purposes to supplying dual-use optics and missile propellants, as well…

The Space Economy is on a trajectory to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, marking a substantial leap from $630 billion in 2023. This growth, averaging 9% annually, outpaces the global GDP. This projection is the result of extensive research by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and McKinsey & Company, which involved over 60 experts from various sectors worldwide. Published in April, their report underscores the swift transformation of the space economy from a niche industry to a ubiquitous force. The growth, the report says, isn’t confined to traditional space-related sectors. It extends across numerous industries, influencing everything from daily weather…

As the battlefield is becoming increasingly dominated by lines of code and algorithms, with artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforming modern warfare, a recent international conference, with delegates from 60 countries, takes on a critical challenge. The United States, joining forces with Austria, Bahrain, Canada, and Portugal, is stepping up efforts to ensure the safe and ethical use of AI in military applications by establishing working groups focused on developing global safety standards. A Global Conversation on AI Safety US officials revealed details of new international “working groups” following the recent conference, as it builds on existing efforts for ethical and…

Ukraine’s president has urged Western countries to rapidly increase the supply of arms to his war-torn country amid growing fears that the country’s second largest city could be captured in a Russian offensive.President Volodymyr Zelensky called on his Western allies to send more air defence missiles to help protect Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, from an almost daily bombardment of Russian glide bombs.The president spoke out at the same time that the British Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron warned the US lawmakers of the disastrous consequences of appeasing President Putin.The Ukrainian leader said in a message on Telegram: “Kharkiv region is…

A cryptic post from Ukraine’s military intelligence (GUR) detailed a fire aboard a Russian missile ship, the “Serpukhov,” docked in Kaliningrad’s Baltic Sea enclave. The incident, which reportedly took place on 7th April 2024, targeted a Project 21631 Buyan-M class vessel launched by Russia in 2015. The specifics of the alleged attack remain unclear, with both the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage shrouded in uncertainty. A Kyiv Independent source confirms Ukrainian military intelligence operatives were behind the fire that crippled the Russian missile ship. If verified, this attack marks a significant development in the ongoing…

Israel is locked into a “shadow war” with Iran which could lead to a widening regional war in the Middle East, a former head of MI6 has revealed.Sir Alex Younger, the former head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, also said that Iran’s foreign policy was built around destabilising the Middle East for both Israel and the United States.Sir Alex, who was known as C while serving as the UK’s top spy, added, however, that he personally believed that a wider war was unlikely because Iran wanted to keep the pot “simmering, not boiling”.The former spy chief made his comments to…

As the countdown to the next presidential election is well and truly on, states across the US are gearing up for an epic battle against the rising tide of AI manipulation, particularly deepfakes. Recently, Indiana and New Mexico made headlines by signing new legislation into law, marking a significant step forward in regulating AI deepfakes in campaign communications. According to Public Citizen, a non-profit consumer advocacy organisation, a staggering 38 US states have introduced bills aimed at regulating deepfakes. This widespread legislative activity reflects the widespread concern over the proliferation of AI manipulation in the political arena. States Take the…

A senior official from the Hamas terror group stated on Thursday that Egypt had presented a new ceasefire proposal to end the war in Gaza but did not bring any new elements to the table. He added US and Egyptian mediators wanted to keep the ceasefire talks open despite their conviction that there was a wide gap between Israel and Hamas. The Hamas leader said there is a possibility of another round of discussions in Cairo next week, coinciding with Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan. “The Hamas leadership informed the Egyptian and Qatari mediators that what is being offered cannot be…

Ukrainian troops are in a race against time to reinforce their defences against a mass Russian advance which could shatter 620 mile front line.The disclosure follows a new recruitment drive by Moscow to replenish the ranks of the depleted Russian army which has sustained an estimated 300,000 casualties in the two-year long war,British military analysts believe President Vladimir Putin has ordered his defence chiefs to prepare for a major offensive against Ukraine next month when the spring temperatures dry out the muddy terrain.There are growing concerns that Kyiv’s ammunition stockpile is dangerously low, without enough being provided by European powers…