CNN national security correspondent. Send tips/pics of your dog(s) to Natasha.bertrand@cnn.com Signal: Natashabertrand.12 https://www.cnn.com/profiles/natasha-bertrand-profilehttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3mlop277uac24Exclusive: Earlier this spring, a mysterious explosion blew up a car carrying an alleged cartel operative in broad daylight. It was a targeted assassination facilitated by CIA ops officers on the ground. More here on a deadly US campaign that's gone largely unnoticed: https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/12/politics/cia-drug-cartels-deadly-operations-mexico12 May 2026 21:07 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlop277uac24https://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3mkpmrqd4us2qThe $25 billion estimate that a Pentagon official gave to Congress for the total cost to date of the Iran war is a lowball figure that doesn’t include the cost of repairing extensive damage suffered by US bases in the region—real cost is closer to $40-50B, per sources https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/29/politics/us-iran-war-25-billion-cost-estimate-low30 Apr 2026 12:34 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkpmrqd4us2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3mj7v6wkhas2yNew: US intelligence indicates that China is preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran within the next few weeks, according to three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments. A Chinese embassy spokesperson denied the claim. https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/11/politics/us-intelligence-iran-china-weapons?cid=ios_app11 Apr 2026 12:57 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj7v6wkhas2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3mhvs4yx64s2qNew: Iran has been laying traps and moving additional military personnel and air defenses to Kharg Island in recent weeks in preparation for a possible US ground operation there, sources say Gulf allies are warning of significant US casualties if US moves forward https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/25/politics/iran-kharg-island-us-military-ground-troops25 Mar 2026 19:10 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhvs4yx64s2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3mgnzrklh3223New: Recovering Iran’s remaining highly enriched uranium stockpile — an objective the Trump admin has been discussing — would require a significant number of US ground troops, beyond a small special operations footprint, per 7 current & former officials. https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/09/politics/iran-uranium-us-ground-forces-nuclear09 Mar 2026 23:40 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgnzrklh3223https://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3mg6rcbkz6k2lNEW: The CIA has been working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, multiple people familiar with the plan told CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/03/politics/cia-arming-kurds-iran03 Mar 2026 21:59 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg6rcbkz6k2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3mfuo3yble22wWhen Trump addressed the American people on Tuesday night, he claimed that Iran is “working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.” That assertion is not backed up by US intelligence, sources told CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/27/politics/iran-missiles-trump-intelligence-nuclear27 Feb 2026 21:35 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfuo3yble22whttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3merkog2l322yNew: Military officers could soon find dozens of top colleges and universities across the US (list in replies) abruptly off limits for tuition assistance as part of Hegseth’s campaign against schools he describes as being biased against the US military https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/13/politics/us-military-top-universities-tuition-assistance13 Feb 2026 22:30 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3merkog2l322yhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3meojxthbuc27Breaking: A fed judge has shut down Hegseth’s attempts to punish Sen. Mark Kelly over his urging of US service members to refuse illegal orders “Senator Kelly was reprimanded for exercising his First Amendment right to speak on matters of public concern," wrote US District Judge Richard Leon.12 Feb 2026 17:40 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3meojxthbuc27https://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3me4iyiuvqs2rBreaking: The US and Russia have agreed to re-establish high level military to military dialogue, which had been dormant for more than 4 years. The channel was suspended in the fall of 2021 in the run up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. https://www.eucom.mil/pressrelease/44261/the-us-and-russian-federation-agreed-to-reestablish-high-level-military-to-military-dialog05 Feb 2026 13:34 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3me4iyiuvqs2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3mbpjd2br422uThe US is making plans to try to intercept a fleeing oil tanker currrntly in the North Atlantic that Russia has claimed ownership of, per 4 sources, setting up a possible confrontation between Washington and the Kremlin… https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/05/politics/us-plans-intercept-oil-tanker?cid=ios_app05 Jan 2026 22:45 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbpjd2br422uhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3mbjttjsuf22dNew: Trump administration officials are internally pointing to a 1989 legal opinion and the subsequent US invasion of Panama as precedent to justify the operation that was carried out in Venezuela on Friday night without US congressional authorization, per 3 sources.03 Jan 2026 16:38 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbjttjsuf22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3mb67ntgja226Exclusive: The CIA carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a port facility in Venezuela, sources told CNN, marking the first known US attack on a target inside that country. This is the attack Trump has repeatedly alluded to in recent days. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/29/politics/cia-drone-strike-venezuela30 Dec 2025 01:37 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3mb67ntgja226https://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3madtbtb4ys27Exclusive: Top lawyer for military joint chiefs told chairman that officers should retire if faced with an unlawful order. That advice is raising serious concerns among current and former officials. Latest: https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/19/politics/unlawful-order-caine-widmar-retire19 Dec 2025 13:46 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3madtbtb4ys27https://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m7jccd4tns2xPotentially a big day on the Hill tomorrow… Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine and SecState Marco Rubio are expected to brief the Gang of 8 tomorrow afternoon Separately, outgoing Southern Command commander Adm. Alvin Holsey is expected to virtually meet HASC and SASC leaders.09 Dec 2025 00:33 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7jccd4tns2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m7bir3ibyk2jNew: Alleged traffickers killed by the US military in a strike on September 2 were not heading toward the US, Adm Bradley told lawmakers yesterday, per people briefed. Instead they were heading to link up with another vessel that was bound for Suriname. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/05/politics/suriname-boat-strike-bradley05 Dec 2025 22:08 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7bir3ibyk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m77aecgo5k2zNew: The men killed as they floated holding onto their capsized boat after the Sept 2 secondary strike did not appear to have radio or other comms devices, top military official overseeing the strike told lawmakers, undercutting claim they could have called for backup. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/04/politics/strike-lawmakers-briefing-radio-survivors05 Dec 2025 00:32 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m77aecgo5k2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m72a56vd2s2pNew: A classified final version of the Pentagon inspector general’s report into Hegseth’s use of Signal to discuss sensitive military operations has been delivered to lawmakers for review, and a declassified, redacted version is set to be released publicly on Thursday. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/02/politics/pentagon-watchdog-report-hegseth-signal-messages-lawmakers03 Dec 2025 00:45 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m72a56vd2s2phttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m6pjdjndvc2rThe US military carried out a followup strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean on Sept 2, killing survivors of the initial strike, sources said. People briefed on the “double-tap” strike said they were concerned that it could violate the law of armed conflict. https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/28/politics/us-military-second-strike-caribbean28 Nov 2025 18:30 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6pjdjndvc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m6cq2fngzk2lUpdate on the US-Ukraine talks in Geneva today: US and Ukrainian delegations are having a formal meeting now “where they will be ironing out the details of the agreement,” per US official. Previous talks were “conclusive” in some areas, official says.23 Nov 2025 16:26 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6cq2fngzk2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m5efzunquc2nNEWS: The UK is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/11/politics/uk-suspends-caribbean-intelligence-sharing-us11 Nov 2025 15:06 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5efzunquc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m4zuszyv5c2yTrump admin officials told Congress that the US is not currently planning to launch strikes inside Venezuela and doesn’t have a legal justification that would support attacks against land targets right now—but they’re seeking one from DOJ, per US official. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/06/politics/trump-venezuela-legal-congress-land07 Nov 2025 10:32 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4zuszyv5c2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m4iy7tsxd225New: The Pentagon cleared giving Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles after assessing that it would not negatively impact US stockpiles, despite Trump suggesting earlier this month that the US might not have enough to give away. Final decision largely political now. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/31/politics/pentagon-tomahawks-trump-ukraine https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/31/politics/pentagon-tomahawks-trump-ukraine31 Oct 2025 17:17 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4iy7tsxd225https://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m4epc5ripc2yNEW: National Guard troops deployed in Washington, DC, will remain mobilized in the city at least through February 2026. Hegseth extended their orders on Monday. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/29/politics/national-guard-dc-extension-february-202630 Oct 2025 00:27 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4epc5ripc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m3wujvgyx22gNEW: The Department of Homeland Security is funneling $10 billion through the Navy to help facilitate the construction of a sprawling network of migrant detention centers across the US in an arrangement aimed at getting the centers built faster. https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/politics/navy-building-ice-detention-facilities24 Oct 2025 12:23 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3wujvgyx22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m3uf7dk5d22kGreat video by @averyschmitz.bsky.social (with some narration help by me 🤭) taking a look at what the US military has built up in the Caribbean.23 Oct 2025 12:44 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3uf7dk5d22khttps://bsky.app/profile/natashabertrand.bsky.social/post/3m3kp5s7oz22rThe US military has been steadily massing a large number of troops, naval and air assets in the Caribbean over the last two months. Here’s what’s been positioned as Trump pressures Venezuela (and, increasingly, Colombia): https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/19/world/us-military-build-up-caribbean-trump-pressures-venezuela?cid=ios_app19 Oct 2025 16:15 +0000at://did:plc:obbbrxcdhty5lw2a2v3zmdiw/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3kp5s7oz22r