The Latest Breaking News from National Security

Israel conducted overnight air strikes in Tehran targeting Iran's presidential office and the Supreme National Security Council building. These strikes follow earlier attacks on Iranian military infrastructure. Iran launched missiles towards Israel, prompting air defence activation. The conflict has widened, raising regional escalation concerns.

Plus: Congress is reluctant to assert its war powers, the Pentagon brands Anthropic a national security threat, and a listener asks whether regime change is ever morally defensible.

A letter from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dated January 9, 2026 shows the administration is formally re‑evaluating the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, a post‑study work benefit used by international students on F‑1 visas, including a large number from India.

The sentencing of Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison on February 8 on charges of sedition and collusion with foreign forces prompted international outrage.

Artsem Sadardzinau, 30, from Rutland in the East Midlands, is charged with conspiracy with others to commit arson to damage a vehicle by fire

The Department of War has given Anthropic until 5 p.m. Friday to remove restrictions on how the military can use its AI, or face being labeled a national security threat.

The Pentagon is pressuring AI company Anthropic to adapt its chatbot Claude for military use, sparking a high-stakes standoff over AI ethics and national security.

Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude, has refused Pentagon contract terms pushed by US defence secretary Pete Hegseth that would allow unrestricted military use of its AI. The company insists on explicit bans on mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous lethal weapons, arguing such uses threaten civil liberties and human…

And does the Trump administration’s expansive definition of the term clash with First Amendment rights? Rachel Levinson-Waldman explains on Equal Time.