Author: NatSec.ca

Trump’s threats to NATO reveal glaring absence of any strategy on Iran

Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian’s defence and security editor, writes:

If there was a moment when the absence of a US strategy on Iran was exposed, then this was it. Donald Trump demanded on Saturday that the UK, China, France, Japan and others participate in a naval escort for oil tankers through the strait of Hormuz.

Despite launching the attack on Iran, with Israel, the White House does not seem to have fully anticipated what was likely to follow. Iran had few good military options for fighting back, but attacking US bases, US allies and merchant shipping in the Gulf was the most obvious response – to try to impose costs on the west.

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Trump, fixated on military power, had no particular desire to work with any country other than Israel – and none wanted to join in starting a war against Iran. As a result, naval preparation by US allies before the start of the war was nonexistent. None of Britain, France, China and Japan had warships ready to take up convoy duties.

For any escort operation to be viable, it might require eight to 10 destroyers, according to Richard Meade, the editor-in-chief of Lloyd’s List, though that would be enough to protect only “five to 10 vessels, making a transit every day and a half”. That would amount to about 10% of prewar shipping volumes.

Ottawa investing $200-million to enable sovereign satellite launches

Irene Galea and Pippa Norman, reporting for The Globe and Mail:

Ottawa is investing $200-million in a Canadian-owned spaceport to enable sovereign satellite launches and has selected three companies to receive funding from its launch grant program as part of its effort to boost Canada’s space and defence capabilities and encourage new investment in the industry.

Ottawa will lease a dedicated space launch pad at Spaceport Nova Scotia, the facility near Canso, N.S., being constructed by Halifax-based Maritime Launch Services.

The Department of National Defence will pay $20-million per year over 10 years, with 90 per cent of gross rental payments being spent in Canada to support the domestic space agency.

Meanwhile, three companies – Canada Rocket Company, Reaction Dynamics, and NordSpace – will each receive a $8.3-million non-repayable grant to develop space launch vehicles and technologies.

Nordic countries and Canada deepening partnerships in trade, technology, energy, defence, and security

To bolster Canada’s Arctic security, defence, and economic partnerships, Prime Minister Mark Carney, travelled to Bardufoss and Oslo, Norway, this week. In Bardufoss, the Prime Minister observed Exercise Cold Response – a Norwegian-led NATO exercise above the Arctic Circle to enhance the Alliance’s readiness, interoperability, and defence capabilities. Prime Minister Carney was joined by the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, and the Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz.

Prime Minister Carney also attended the Canada-Nordic Summit, where he met with leaders from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden to reinforce efforts to strengthen transatlantic security in the North.

Joint statement by the Prime Ministers of the Nordic countries and Canada, 2026.03.15, Oslo, Norway:

We – the Prime Ministers of the Nordic countries and Canada – met in Oslo today, 15 March 2026.

At a time characterised by heightened geopolitical tension, war and a multitude of crises, we are united in the view that international cooperation, based on international law, shared values and interests, remains the best way to strengthen our common security and prosperity.

As democracies and countries committed to the rule of law, human rights, and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, we share fundamental values, and strengths.
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US has released it’s new national cybersecurity strategy [updated]

On Friday, 2026.03.06, the White House released their new national cybersecurity strategy titled “President Trump’s Cyber Strategy for America”.

The 2026 Strategy spans just three pages in substance, compared to roughly 34 pages in the 2023 Strategy and 26 pages in the 2018 Strategy.

The prior cybersecurity strategy documents included extensive background discussion, detailed descriptions of the cyber threat environment, and numerous strategic objectives intended to guide implementation across the federal government.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a $35 billion investment for defence and infrastructure in Canada’s North

From Yellowknife, NWT, on Thursday 2026.03.12, Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled a detailed $35 billion plan to modernize and expand Canada’s military footprint in the country’s Far North and Arctic.

From the Government of Canada’s News Release:

To defend fully Canada’s Arctic and North, deter new threats, and support NATO Allies and NORAD continental defence, Canada’s new government is:

European Parliament calls for deeper EU-Canada cooperation to tackle security threats and boost trade amid rising geopolitical tensions

Given the current turmoil in the international order, the EU must elevate its strategic partnership with Canada to a new level, Members of the European Parliament say, pointing to shared interests and values.

In a report adopted on Wednesday, 2026.03.11, MEPs called for deeper EU-Canada cooperation to tackle security threats and boost trade amid rising geopolitical tensions.

To address security threats such as Russia’s war against Ukraine, hybrid attacks, terrorism, foreign interference and China’s assertiveness and economic coercion, MEPs call for increased cooperation with Canada. They stress the need to implement the security and defence partnership in full, complementing NATO’s efforts through initiatives such as Security Action for Europe (SAFE) and the ReArm Europe plan/Defence Readiness 2030.

More at the European Parliament Press Release: Stronger EU-Canada partnership amid global turmoil

NATO approves Apple iPhones and iPads consumer devices for handling classified information up to NATO restricted level without requiring special software or settings

On 2026.02.26, Apple announced iPhone and iPad running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 are certified for, and can be used with classified information up to the NATO restricted level without requiring special software or settings — a level of government certification no other consumer mobile device has met.

Apple mobile platforms running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 are now listed on the NATO Information Assurance Product Catalogue in recognition of their built-in security capabilities.

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With his war of choice on Iran, Trump continues to do lasting damage to international trust in America

Edward Luce, the US national editor and a columnist at the Financial Times, writes:

Trump chose to go to war and has taken explicit satisfaction in his power of life and death. War is a grave step after all other options have been exhausted. That Trump had other courses of action is well understood. That he preferred this one is hard to unsee.

What the US attack on Iran could mean for national security

On 2026.03.05, Bruce Hoffman, senior fellow at US-based Council on Foreign Relations, wrote:

The Department of Homeland Security has reportedly warned of potential lone-wolf attacks and cyberattacks in the wake of the strikes, and state and local authorities have moved to heightened alert for any retaliation on American soil.

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Sleeper agents, lone actors inspired and motivated by Iran, cyberattacks on US infrastructure, and physical attacks on critical infrastructure are all possible.

The US and Israel launched joint airstrikes on Iran on February 28, 2026

On 2026.02.28, the US and Israel launched joint airstrikes on multiple sites and cities across Iran, assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials, striking a school with a Tomahawk missile, which killed some 165 people, including children, and starting yet another Gulf War.

Iran responded with missile and drone strikes against Israeli and US-allied countries and bases in the region, including Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates.