Authored by Georgina Jedikovska via Interesting Engineering,

The U.S. has carried out a successful launch of a hypersonic missile made to travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, meaning over five times the speed of sound, which allows it to cover vas distances in a matter of minutes.

A common hypersonic missile launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on March 26, 2026. via DoW

The launch of the common hypersonic missile, which is capable of covering more than 3,836 miles per hour (mph), was conducted as part of a joint test by the US Army and Navy.

According to the U.S. Department of War, the event took place at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in the state of Florida. The push is part of the U.S.’ ongoing efforts to develop advanced strike capabilities.

“The U.S. Army’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive Fires, in partnership with the US Navy’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive Strategic Systems Programs, conducted a successful launch of a common hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on March 26, 2026,” the U.S. Department of War stated.

A joint military test

Designed to travel faster than Mach 5, hypersonic weapons are considered a key part of future warfare and a military technology breakthrough. Their high speed makes them difficult to detect and intercept with existing defense systems.

The latest test by the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy marks another step toward deploying a shared hypersonic missile system. It is developed for both land- and sea-based platforms, and aims to help accelerate deployment and reduce costs.

Officials noted that the missile is being designed to strike time-sensitive, heavily defended, and high-value targets with minimal warning. What’s more, its extreme speed significantly reduces enemy reaction time.

“The Army and Navy partnership to field a common hypersonic missile across land- and sea-based platforms supports the National Defense Strategy by accelerating timelines, reducing costs, and delivering a highly survivable capability to defeat time-sensitive, heavily defended, and high-value targets at speeds exceeding Mach 5,” the U.S. Department of War continued in a statement shared on April 2.

Hypersonic push continues

According to reports, the test is part of a larger Pentagon plan to quickly roll out advanced technologies for combat use. On November 17, the US Department of War said that hypersonic weapons are one of six Critical Technology Areas (CTAs) seen as essential for battlefield advantage.

“Our adversaries are moving fast, but we will move faster,” Emil Michael, under secretary of war for research and engineering, revealed in a press release. “The warfighter is not asking for results tomorrow; they need them today.”

The six areas include Applied Artificial Intelligence (AAI), biomanufacturing (BIO), Contested Logistics Technologies (LOG), Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance (Q-BID), Scaled Directed Energy (SCADE), and Scaled Hypersonics (SHY). All are aimed at strengthening battlefield performance.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said at the time that the nation’s military has long been at the forefront of military power. “Under Secretary Emil Michael’s six Critical Technology Areas will ensure that our warriors never enter a fair fight and have the best systems in their hands for maximum lethality.”

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, turning innovation into battlefield advantage will secure future dominance. “The War Department is committed to remaining the most deadly fighting force on planet Earth,” Hegseth concluded.

President Trump has set a Tuesday evening deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran facing severe consequences if it refuses. Trump’s messaging suggests the next phase of the conflict could shift toward strikes on power plants, bridges, and other critical infrastructure nationwide.

New reporting from Bloomberg suggests that the Department of War shifted a large share of its JASSM-ERs, formerly the AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range, a long-range, conventional, air-launched stealth cruise missile fired from bomber aircraft and fighter jets, from Pacific theater stockpiles and U.S. warehouses to bases supporting the Gulf theater.

Sources told the outlet that the JASSM-ERs shifted out of U.S. warehouses in late March were being delivered to Central Command bases or to Fairford in the UK.

Neither the report nor its sources disclosed all the CENTCOM bases to which the stealth cruise missiles were being sent.

In recent days, large waves of U.S. transport planes have been observed flying from the U.S. into Europe, suggesting the DoW may already be laying the groundwork for resupplying munitions to the Gulf theater.

Bloomberg noted, “After the moves, only about 425 JASSM-ERs out of a prewar inventory of 2,300 will remain available for the rest of the globe. That would be roughly enough for 17 B-1B bombers on a single mission. Another 75 or so are ‘unserviceable’ because of damage or technical faults.”

The Air Force has described the JASSM-ER as having a range of more than 500 nautical miles, compared to about 200 nautical miles for the earlier JASSM.

The JASSM-ER allows U.S. forces to strike Iranian targets from farther away and with lower risk to aircrews – and comes after multiple U.S. military aircraft have been shot down, resulting in daring rescues of the crewmen.

The Air Force noted the JASSM-ER is already integrated into the B-1, B-2, B-52H, F-15E, and F-16, allowing many air-delivered launch options.

The movement of these stealth cruise missile stockpiles may suggest that if Iran does not agree to reopen the Strait by Tuesday evening, and also agree to some form of ceasefire, the next phase of the conflict will begin with a barrage of these missiles.

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

A 17-month-old toddler had his hand instinctively grabbed by a wolf at ZooAmerica inside Hersheypark, Pennsylvania, while his parents sat glued to their phones just 25 to 30 feet away on a bench.

Reports note that the parents didn’t even notice until bystanders rushed in amid the commotion.

Chaos at Hersheypark zoo when toddler is injured by wolf while parents were ‘distracted by their phones’ https://t.co/dRAhaW1bsB

— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) April 6, 2026

This isn’t some freak accident in the wild. It’s the predictable result of a society where doomscrolling trumps basic parental vigilance – even feet from a wolf enclosure.

The parents have now been charged, but the bigger story is the mentality that lets this happen in the first place.

The incident took place Saturday at the 11-acre North American wildlife park. The toddler squeezed through a small opening in a wooden barrier into a restricted area, then reached a hand through the metal fencing of the wolf habitat. One of the three gray wolves then made contact.

Derry Township Police described it plainly: one of the wolves in the enclosure “instinctively and naturally grabbed” onto the toddler’s hand. They stopped short of calling it a bite. Bystanders pulled the child free. Injuries were mercifully minor.

The parents, Carrie B. Sortor, 43, and Stephen J. B. Wilson, 61, both of Lititz, Pennsylvania, only learned what happened when chaos erupted. On Sunday they were each charged with one count of misdemeanor endangering the welfare of children, a decision made in consultation with the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office.

ZooAmerica confirmed the child never entered the actual enclosure. In a statement, officials stressed visitor expectations: “Visitors were expected to ‘remain within designated areas and closely supervise children at all times.’”

They added: “Our habitats are designed with multiple layers of protection, and clear signage and barriers are in place to help ensure safe viewing.” On the wolf’s reaction, the zoo noted: “This type of response is consistent with natural animal behavior, and was not a sign of aggression.” They also reminded visitors that “Our wolves are well-camouflaged and you might mistake a wolf for a rock.”

The charges send a clear message: supervision isn’t optional when you bring a toddler to see wild carnivores. Yet the parents’ decision to step away and focus on screens reflects something deeper and uglier in modern life.

Letting a small child wander near wolves while you check notifications isn’t just careless. It’s the logical endpoint of a culture that treats real-world responsibility as secondary to digital distraction.

Where were the parents?? Should be charges brought against them for not supervising their child.

Toddler injured by wolf at Zoo America after crawling under a fence to enclosure https://t.co/C6nzDzAdAn

— Paul (@PaulGYoung) April 6, 2026

I hope they remove that child from their care since they suck at it.

— G (@BeholdYah) April 6, 2026

Toddler Injured by Wolf After Crawling Under Pennsylvania Zoo’s Exterior Metal Fence https://t.co/NHjzw8cNOV Typical Democrat parent of today, we are not responsible for the safety and future of the kids God gives us.

— bitcap (@BarbaraFain16) April 6, 2026

“…distracted by their phones” a good reason to lose custody of your child.
I see it all the time.

— Linda Klase (@LindaKlase) April 6, 2026

Keeping your eyes on your kids near wild animals should be common sense – not something police have to enforce after the fact.

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

US-Israeli strikes have been on a noticeable uptick against Iranian institutions of higher learning over the last days. This has included a large-scale aerial assault on Tehran’s Sharif University, which is often dubbed the “MIT of Iran”.

After this attack, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi threatened Iranian retaliation, warning “aggressors will see our might.” He said several other universities have also been struck over the last days:

Israeli-U.S. aggressors have bombed the MIT of Iran. This follows attacks on other universities.

1,400 years ago, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that even if knowledge was situated in the distant Pleiades, Iranians would be capable of attaining it.

Aggressors will see our might. pic.twitter.com/Dn3hSCaBNv

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 6, 2026

These recent attacks have had a high rate of casualties, at a moment the Trump administration is vowing to go harder, imposing a Tuesday midnight deadline for Tehran to agree to ceasefire – or else it will face an unprecedented bombing campaign against bridges and power plants.

Al Jazeera writes, “At least 34 people have been killed, including six children, as the United States and Israel carried out massive attacks across Iran, targeting a top university as well as residential areas, after US President Donald Trump set a Tuesday deadline for Tehran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on its power plants and bridges.”

The report continues, “The Fars news agency reported on Monday that an air attack killed 23 people, including four girls and two boys aged below 10 years, in Tehran province’s Baharestan County.”

Neither the US nor Israel divulged the reasons behind attacking university campuses. Many of the students at these very campuses were involved in the January protests. The US claims to be “helping” the protesters through the Trump-ordered massive bombing campaign.

One regional report says that at least 30 Iranian colleges and universities have suffered damage amid the ongoing attacks.

Shahid Beheshti University in northern Tehran was attacked last Friday. It issued a statement saying: “This hostile act not only targets the security of academics and the country’s scientific environment, but is also a clear attack on reason, research, and freedom of thought.”

Damage at Sharif University, WANA News

Trump has threatened to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Age” – and that is precisely what appears to be in progress. An advanced Iranian civilization, with scientific know-how, is seen as a threat in Israel, which believes Tehran has long sought to achieve nuclear weapons status.

Airports have also been frequently targeted, with Israeli officials saying at the start of this week that dozens of aircraft and helicopters have been taken out – including “Bahram Airport, Mehrabad Airport and Azmayesh Airport” – according to regional media.

Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The U.S. Supreme Court on April 6 cleared the way for the Trump administration to dismiss the criminal contempt case against Steve Bannon over his failure to honor congressional subpoenas.

Steve Bannon attends a court hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on Nov. 12, 2024. Adam Gray/AFP via Getty Images

The high court granted Bannon’s petition in an unsigned order. The court did not explain its order. No justices dissented.

The Supreme Court sent the case back to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for further consideration, as that court considers a pending motion to dismiss the indictment.

Bannon, an ally of President Donald Trump who served in the first Trump White House, was already convicted and imprisoned for four months in 2024 in the contempt case, but both Bannon and the Trump administration now want the case to be thrown out.

Bannon had been convicted by a federal jury in the nation’s capital on two counts of contempt of Congress for not providing documents or testimony to a Democratic-led House committee that was investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, security breach at the U.S. Capitol. At that time of the breach, Congress was in the process of certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. Joe Biden was inaugurated as president on Jan. 20, 2021.

Bannon had said the committee’s investigation and the charges later brought against him by the Biden administration were politically motivated.

At the sentencing hearing, prosecutor J.P. Cooney said Bannon opted to “thumb his nose at Congress,” adding that Bannon was “not above the law, and that’s what makes this case important.”

The Supreme Court turned away Bannon’s request to delay his imprisonment while the appeal played out. He served the sentence and was released a week before Trump beat then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, in November 2024.

Bannon filed a petition with the Supreme Court in October 2025, asking the justices to throw out his convictions that were made under 2 U.S.C. Section 192, the criminal contempt-of-Congress statute.

The petition said the law is the only federal criminal statute in which “willful” mens rea—a legal term meaning criminal intent—requires merely “intentional” conduct. In that law, Congress criminalized “willfully … [defaulting]” on a legally authorized congressional subpoena, the petition said.

The D.C. Circuit found that “willfully” required only intentional conduct, which meant the government did not have to prove the subpoena recipient understood his conduct was unlawful.

Three circuit court judges dissented from that court’s May 2025 ruling, finding that interpretation was inconsistent with 150 years of caselaw, violated basic rules of legal interpretation, and would seriously harm the separation of powers.

The separation of powers is a constitutional doctrine that divides the government into three branches to prevent any single branch from accumulating too much power.

The Supreme Court’s longtime position is that in the criminal context, “to prove willfulness, the Government must demonstrate that an individual knew that his conduct was unlawful,” the petition said.

“Congress conspicuously omitted ‘willfully’ when criminalizing a different set of actions. The use of two different mens rea requirements demonstrates that ‘willfully’ was meant to impose a heightened standard,” the petition added.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a brief in February supporting Bannon’s petition.

“The government has determined in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of this criminal case is in the interests of justice,” the brief said.

The government has filed a motion with the federal district court in which Bannon was convicted asking for the indictment to be dismissed with prejudice, the brief said. A dismissal with prejudice means the same charges cannot be refiled.

Bannon has had other legal challenges. In February 2025, he entered a guilty plea in New York state court to charges of deceiving donors in a private fundraising effort to complement Trump’s proposal to build a wall at the U.S.–Mexico border. Bannon was not sentenced to incarceration.

At the end of his first term, Trump pardoned Bannon after he and three others were involved in a campaign to build barriers along the southern border but were accused of keeping some of the money they raised.

Bannon had entered a not guilty plea and said the charges were a “political hit job.”

Approached by The Epoch Times, Bannon declined to comment on the Supreme Court’s new ruling.

The Epoch Times reached out to the DOJ for comment. No reply was received by publication time.

Reuters and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.

Authored by Joseph Lord via The Epoch Times,

A federal appellate court has agreed to reinstate a $656 million judgment against Palestinian authorities for Americans killed or wounded in attacks by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority while in Israel.

The ruling from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was issued in the wake of a Supreme Court decision authorizing such suits for victims of international terrorism in a legal saga that’s been ongoing since the mid-2010s.

“We conclude that the original judgment for the plaintiffs should be reinstated. That conclusion is consistent with the plain import of the Supreme Court’s decision,” the judges said in a decision dated March 30.

The Supreme Court’s decision directly overturned a prior ruling made by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on the matter.

The case has its earliest origins in a law passed by Congress in 1992, the Anti-Terrorism Act, which permitted victims of international terror to sue the offender.

In 2014, in the case Sokolow v. PLO, the PLO was successfully sued under that law in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In the case, victims were awarded $218.5 million in damages by a jury—tripled to $655.5 million under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The victims and their families have stated that Palestinian agents were either directly involved in the attacks or helped incite them.

The Palestinians have consistently argued that the cases shouldn’t be allowed in American courts.

In 2016, the case was brought before the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. In their decision, circuit judges tossed out the verdict from the lower court, and ruled that U.S. courts had no jurisdiction over international actors in non-U.S. countries.

Frustrated by the ruling, Congress in 2019 passed the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act (PSJVTA), which sought to create a legislative carve-out to ensure that lawsuits against the PLO and Palestinian Authority could move forward.

The legislation stated that the PLO and Palestinian Authority had “consented” to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts if they either paid martyr benefits to terrorists or their families or if they maintained any non-United Nations offices in the United States.

In 2023, the matter came again before the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, and the court held that the PSJVTA was unconstitutional. Its ruling stated that Congress could not simply “deem” an action to constitute consent to U.S. jurisdiction without running afoul of the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment.

In a unanimous decision in June 2025, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of victims, overturning the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal’s ruling that the Fifth Amendment was violated by the PSJVTA.

With the vacation overturned, the courts will now move toward enforcement of the lower court ruling in favor of the plaintiffs, although collecting the funds from the PLO may meet with practical obstacles.

Readers have already been well briefed, see here and here, that roughly one-third of global helium supply has been disrupted, setting the perfect storm of chaos to spread across high-tech industries, particularly semiconductors. The shock is being driven by shipping restrictions through the Gulf and the shutdown of output from top producer Qatar, where damage to the Ras Laffan complex could keep supplies constrained for years. 

As the U.S.-Iran conflict enters its second month, one of the clearest second-order effects of the widening Gulf energy shock is the rewiring of global energy flows.

Buyers are already being forced to reassess the risks of concentrated energy exposure to the Gulf region, whether in crude and refined products or in LNG and helium, as war damage to major LNG export facilities in Qatar and Hormuz-related shipping constraints suggest energy flows could remain impaired for a prolonged period. Some of the countries most exposed to Gulf disruptions are in Asia, Africa, and Europe, as well as California in the U.S.

The good news for global buyers seeking more reliable alternatives to Gulf energy products is a theme we pointed out last month: American LNG exporters in the Gulf of America stand to be major beneficiaries of the disruption.

Adding to that theme, UBS analysts led by Manav Gupta said ExxonMobil stands out as a major beneficiary of the helium shock.

“Qatar was expected to increase its share of global capacity to 34% over the next five years; however, damage to the Ras Laffan facility could delay this expansion,” Gupta noted. But as it has turned out, the head-to-head race with the U.S. in LNG export capacity has paused for now, as the U.S. pulls ahead.

2025 Helium production by country

Gupta continued, noting that XOM is set to dominate the global helium market through its facilities in Wyoming:

XOM’s LaBarge facility in Wyoming, provides 20% of the world’s supply, which has not been impacted by recent events in the Middle East. With an estimated eight decades worth of helium left to produce there, LaBarge is poised to play a significant role through the end of this century.

This facility, is capable of producing ~1.4 billion cubic feet per year of Grade A helium. With over 30% of global capacity disrupted, this location will play a key role in meeting global needs for Helium which is a critical element for many advanced technologies, like MRIs for healthcare, rockets for space exploration, and microchips for advanced computing.

Extracting helium was not part of LaBarge’s original design when the facility began producing natural gas in the mid-1980s. After large quantities of helium were discovered underground, it soon became central to the facility’s operation.

The two wars now stretching across Eurasia – the Russia-Ukraine conflict and, now, the U.S.-Iran conflict – are accelerating a rewiring of global energy flows toward suppliers seen as more stable and secure, above all the U.S.

Professional subscribers can read the full note on why UBS says XOM is a “net beneficiary of the current helium market tightness” at our new Marketdesk.ai portal.

Authored by former CIA officer Larry Johnson

Iran’s air defense system succeeded on Friday, April 3, in downing a US F-15E over Iran. There is some dispute and confusion about the exact location (more about that later). The pilot and the WSO (i.e., Weapons System Officer) both successfully ejected but were separated. The pilot was quickly rescued by the Combat Search and Rescue (i.e., CSAR) and the two Pave Hawk helicopters ferrying him back to safety were hit, but managed to make it to Kuwait — despite trailing visible black smoke.

The WSO was not so lucky. He reportedly landed 5 miles northwest of where he was ultimately rescued. I do not deny that he was recovered by US Special Operations forces on a ridge on a mountain — The red circle on the left hand side of the photo is the reported location of the pilot, the red circle on the right hand side of the photo is the airfield where the US Special Forces landed.

There are some real oddities about this story. The WSO is normally a Lieutenant or a Captain… This WSO is a Colonel who is the Vice Wing Commander at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base (MSAB) in Jordan. This helps explain the large number of assets devoted to finding and rescuing him. A variety of press reports claim he suffered a broken leg or a broken ankle. This raises a legitimate question… How did a man with a broken leg walk five miles and then climb a mountain? I’m not suggesting it is an impossible task, but it does raise some questions about the accuracy of the US military’s account of events.

Now here is the kicker… The geolocated wreckage of the C-130s which were apparently using a local “agricultural airstrip” (see the photo above) just happens to be right over a mountain, about 35km (21 miles) away, from Isfahan’s nuclear facility, where Iran’s ‘near-weapons grade’ enriched uranium is alleged to be stored. Was this whole affair a botched raid by US Special Operations forces to seize Iranian uranium for the Isfahan facility?

Before giving you my opinion, I want you to consider some other accounts that are circulating. The first up is Simplicius’ Substack article: It’s Official: US Boots-On-Ground Deep Inside Iran Amidst Another Day of Humiliating Losses. Simplicius claims that a large-scale US rescue operation for the second crew member (weapons systems officer) of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle has effectively confirmed the first official U.S. “boots on the ground” inside Iran. What the US presented as a straightforward combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) mission involved significant special operations forces penetrating deep into Iranian territory, resulting in heavy US losses of aircraft according to Iranian reports and open-source evidence.

Simplicius argues the “rescue” narrative may have served as cover or coincided with a broader objective: the operation was centered precisely in the area where Iran stores significant enriched uranium and nuclear-related materials. He suggests this marks a dangerous escalation, with US special operations forces now operating deep inside Iran — the first acknowledged “boots on the ground” in the current conflict.

Anthony Aguilar, a retired Special Operations officer, has a slightly different take. He offers the following hypothesis:

The rescue operation expanded to become the desired Delta Force, JSOC, SOF, ST-6 high-risk operation to ALSO seize the uranium in Iran; hence the need for so many operators, support, aircraft, etc. This WAS intended to be that operation. It failed. So what happened to the aircraft. I do not believe that they were “stuck”. I have seen MC-130Js plow through dirt, mud, snow, gravel, etc. I doubt they were stuck. It is more likely that the aircraft took hits upon entry and also likely took hits and damage while on the ground at the hasty FARP at the old airfield in Isfahan, “conveniently” close to where the suspected uranium may have been stored.

The there is Greg Bagwell, who is currently President UK Air & Space Power Association, a Podcaster, a RUSI Distinguished Fellow and a former RAF Senior Commander. He wrote the following on X:

Some may be wondering why the US flew 2 x MC-130 into a landing zone in Iran rather than use other types available. The clue is in the use of the Night Stalker AH-6 Little Bird Helicopters, which were also destroyed at the forward landing site. The WSO was located a few hundred kms inside Iran and it was probably considered too risky to fly Helos all the way in and out after so much prior warning had been given, and after the hits sustained when extracting the pilot on Day 1. But, the location of the WSO high up in the mountains and with what sounds like an injury, still needed the sort of assistance that only a Helicopter could provide. Step up the Night Stalker AH-6 Little Bird.

It’s transportable by C-130 and can be readied for flight in minutes from off loading. So all that was needed was somewhere to land a C-130 far enough away from trouble, but close enough to the downed airman. Meanwhile the AH-6 Little Bird Helicopters would have picked up the downed airman and brought him back to the airstrip. Unfortunately, the surface of the runway appears to have been unable to support a C-130. As a result, some De Havilland Canada Dash 8s (yes the irony!) were sent in to extract personnel, but these could not have carried the AH-6 Little Birds. So the only option was to destroy both the MC-130 and the AH-6 helicopters, rather than risk flying the latter out. So that’s why we didn’t see a V-22 Osprey or a Sikorsky MH-60/HH-60 Pave Hawk be involved – it was a calculation based on risk and utility. Some will see parallels with the Desert One strip disaster on Operation Eagle Claw in 1980, but this was a calculated risk that worked.

AH-6 Little Bird

Now let me tell you what I think happened. The shoot down of the F-15E was not a ruse to disguise a planned Special Ops raid on the nuclear site in Isfahan. It was an unlucky event for the pilot and the WSO. Given the rank of the WSO — and the highly classified knowledge he has about US operations in the Gulf and in Iran — recovering him became a top priority. The urgency of the situation resulted in the JSOC unit (I’m assuming they are based in Kuwait) being alerted to join the CSAR effort. The two C-130Js probably were already loaded with two AH-6 Little Birds. I think it was pure serendipity that the missing WSO was located northwest of the rudimentary air strip that the JSOC unit had been planning to use to stage its raid on Isfahan. Their familiarity with the area, based on their prior planning for the Isfahan raid, resulted in them being tasked to recover the WSO in lieu of the designated CSAR unit, which is manned by Pararescue Jumpers aka PJs (who, in my opinion, are the baddest asses in Special Ops).

We still do not know why the C-130s were not able to take off and that two planes from the 427th Special Operations Squadron flying C295s were summoned to carryout the extraction of the US forces, including the WSO.

This whole fiasco may be a blessing in disguise. The loss of a number of key air assets and the exposure of the remote airfield within shouting distance of Isfahan may compel the US commanders to cancel the planned raid to capture nuclear material from Iran.

A lot of skepticism has emerged surrounding the downed pilots narrative…

As i wrote yesterday, the Americans were trying to create FARP (Forward Arming & Refueling Point) near that mountain which happens to be 25 Kms south of Iran’s Isafahan Nuclear Facility Tunnels at 32.585522° N, 51.814933° E.

In an article just last month, Rafael Grossi stated… https://t.co/7uiHaqHKqW pic.twitter.com/b6rqbxTD0P

— Navroop Singh (@TheNavroopSingh) April 6, 2026

While the US forces, like chess pieces, had been assembled and were in place on Friday, April 3rd, to carry out the mission against Isfahan, the Commanding Admiral at CENTCOM may be having second thoughts and is communicating his concerns about the Op-Sec compromise to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

I only know one thing for certain — we are not yet getting the truthful story about the rescue of the WSO on Saturday.

U.S. defense stocks showed signs of stabilizing in April after tumbling since Operation Epic Fury began in late February and sustaining a Mach bloodbath. The improvement followed Friday’s White House proposal to lift military spending sharply, to roughly $1.5 trillion in 2027. 

UBS analyst Allyson Gordon said Monday morning that the White House budget request “should help sentiment,” which has deteriorated since the U.S.-Iran conflict began. Last week, Gordon asked, “Why is U.S. defense performance lackluster?”

Earlier, the analyst said:

Defense stocks are in focus after Trump requested a $1.5 trn FY2027 defense budget on Friday. The headline is positive for the group, though market reaction remains to be determined.

On the supportive side, defense stocks have underperformed expectations since the Iran conflict began for several reasons, and the size of the budget request should help sentiment. However, investors remain skeptical that Congress will ultimately pass a $1.5 trn budget, raising the question of whether this is “as good as it gets.”

Analyst Gavin Parsons outlined the key elements of the proposal and the relative winners and losers. Missiles appear to be a major beneficiary, reinforcing the bullish narrative for RTX. Shipbuilding also stands out as a positive (GD, HII), while the proposed B‑21 reduction was a surprise negative for NOC. That said, investor positioning is likely to reflect continued uncertainty around what ultimately makes it through Congress.

From here, the proposal moves to Congress, which must pass a budget by September 30 to avoid a shutdown or continuing resolution at the start of FY2027 (October 1).

The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF, or ITA, a basket of major U.S. defense firms, initially ramped in the early days of the U.S.-Iran conflict but then dumped into a deep 16% correction from the early March high. By the end of the month, and into late last week, ITA began to stabilize, up 6.5% from the low.

Last week, in a separate note, Melius analyst Scott Mikus upgraded RTX to a “Buy” from “Hold,” citing “Epic Fury tailwinds.”

Mikus said, “Given the need to replace missiles, missile interceptors, damaged radars, aircraft, and other equipment used in Operation Epic Fury, we are raising our estimates and price targets for the large defense primes.”

“We see margin tailwinds for defense contractors as they move past stale-priced contracts and receive awards for mature production programs that are margin accretive,” added Mikus.

Now the question is: How will defense stocks respond to President Trump’s Tuesday evening deadline for Iran to reopen the Hormuz chokepoint?

*IRAN REJECTS A CEAESFIRE IN REPLY TO US VIA PAKISTAN: IRNA https://t.co/yrWftZNKvI

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 6, 2026

IRNA’s foreign policy correspondent says that its response, which consists of ten paragraphs, Iran has emphasized the need for a permanent end to the war, taking into account Iran’s considerations, while rejecting a ceasefire.

This answer includes a set of demands from Iran,… https://t.co/anVYR1uZVm

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 6, 2026

Any rejection of a ceasefire could result in the next phase of the conflict, one in which the U.S. begins targeting critical infrastructure nodes and continues to drain key stockpiles of missiles and bombs that will clearly need to be replaced at some point, hence Mikus’s note on “Epic Fury tailwinds.”

Professional subscribers can read the latest defense stocks notes at our new Marketdesk.ai portal