We have been thinking about American influence on Australian defence policy as a matter of penetration,
U.S. Central Command struck three Iranian crude oil tankers on September 5, 2026, permanently disabling two and completely destroying a third, in what it described as retaliation for IRGC ballistic missile attacks on American Navy warships.
U.S. and Israeli strikes during Operation Epic Fury have generated over 300 documented environmental harm incidents across 12 countries, emitted greenhouse gases equivalent to Iceland’s annual output in just two weeks, and blanketed Tehran’s 9 million residents in toxic black rain — all while a U.S.-directed satellite blackout limits independent verification of the full damage.
