Lara Korte

Lara Korte covers the U.S. military in the Middle East. Her previous reporting includes helming Politico’s California Playbook out of Sacramento, as well as writing for the Sacramento Bee and the Austin American-Statesman. She is a proud Kansan and holds degrees in political science and journalism from the University of Kansas.

@lara_korte

korte.lara@stripes.com

Coast Guardsmen from the USCGC Emlen Tunnell seize illegal narcotics from a stateless vessel in the Arabian Sea on Feb. 7, 2025. The interdiction was the first drug seizure since New Zealand assumed command of Combined Task Force 150 on Jan. 15.

Middle East task force still trying to make sense of slide in drug seizures at sea, commander says

Drug busts by a multinational Middle East task force responsible for maritime security have slowed in recent years, according to the current commander of the Bahrain-based coalition.

A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet flies in the U.S. Central Command area of operations on March 23, 2025. The Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 143, is part of a large-scale operation against Iran-backed Houthis to restore freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

US military actions against Houthis degrading group’s attack abilities, CENTCOM says

U.S. sanctions were levied against Iranian national Seyed Asadoollah Emamjomeh, a liquefied petroleum gas magnate, and his corporate network, the Treasury Department said in a statement April 22, 2025.

US hits Iranian oil networks with sanctions amid Pentagon’s ongoing Houthi fight

Defense Department civilian employees and contractors working abroad cannot get rape test kits done at military medical facilities, the Military Health System said in a memo dated March 13, 2025. Attorneys say that could create evidentiary issues in a sexual assault court-martial.

Military health clinics overseas won’t provide rape test kits to most civilian workers, DOD memo states

US moves Patriot missile battalion from Asia to Middle East amid buildup with Houthis, Iran

U.S. Patriot missile defense systems were recently moved from Asia to the Middle East amid ongoing fighting with Houthi rebels in Yemen and threats from their backers in Iran, the leader of Indo-Pacific Command told lawmakers this week.

Vintage Factory 1977, located in a warehouse near Frankfurt Airport, offers a large inventory of secondhand clothing and home goods. A highlight is its gargantuan selection of sports jerseys, which are a hit with American buyers.

Frankfurt’s flea markets and thrift shops hold treasures if you know where to look

Frankfurt has an impressive collection of thrifted and vintage clothing and furniture. Here are five hot spots for second-chance finds.

Trump signs order with eye toward spurring foreign military sales of American arms

An executive order signed this week by President Donald Trump seeks to streamline the sale of U.S. weapons to foreign countries, offering a potential boon to the American defense industry.

Cpl. Timothy Brockup, a first-person view attack drone operator with Weapons Training Battalion, flies a Skydio X2D drone at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., March 7, 2025.

Marines launch new team focused on first-person drones that have dominated Ukraine war

The Marine Corps’ Attack Drone Team was formed in response to what it said was the “rapid proliferation” of armed, first-person view drone technology in modern conflicts, particularly in Eastern Europe.

An MQ-9B drone is displayed at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds in Yuma, Ariz., in 2019. The U.S. gave Qatar the green light to buy eight of the drones and related equipment as part of a deal worth nearly $2 billion, the State Department said March 26, 2025.

US gives Qatar OK for $2 billion purchase of MQ-9B drones and weapons

The State Department has approved the potential sale of MQ-9B drones to Qatar, advancing a deal with a key Middle East ally amid ongoing fighting between U.S. forces and Houthi militants in the region.

The destroyer USS Carney defeats a combination of Houthi missiles and drones in the Red Sea in October 2023, according to the Navy.

Improving technology raises concerns that Houthi strikes could hit US ships

Increasingly advanced technology used by Iran-backed Houthis against ships in the Red Sea is raising the chances of a successful militant strike on U.S. forces, analysts and former defense officials say.

An MQ-9 Reaper lifts off from Creech Air Force Base, Nev., Feb. 8, 2025. U.S. Central Command confirmed that it lost contact with a Reaper over the Red Sea on March 3, 2025, the same day Houthi militants in Yemen said they had shot one down.

US drone lost over Red Sea on same day as Houthi claim of MQ-9 Reaper downing

A U.S. military MQ-9 Reaper drone disappeared over the Red Sea the same day Houthi militants in Yemen claimed to have shot one down. U.S. Central Command lost contact with the drone Monday.

An F/A-18 Super Hornet launches from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in March 2024, as the ship worked to stem Iranian-backed Houthi militants trying to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea. The State Department has officially designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization.

State Department reinstates Houthis as terrorist organization

Since 2023, U.S. forces and allies have been forced to fend off Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The group has launched hundreds of strikes against commercial and military vessels since shortly after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

U.S. Army infantrymen assigned to Task Force Armadillo patrol with a Syrian Free Army soldier in al-Tanf, Syria, on Jan. 11, 2025. The U.S. has a force of 2,000 service members deployed to Syria, but President Donald Trump's plans for the mission are under review.

Removing US forces from Syria could jeopardize security of ISIS prisons, analysts say

A withdrawal of American troops from Syria raises the risk of thousands of ISIS fighters escaping from sprawling prison camps guarded by Kurdish forces, analysts and former defense officials said.

Military spouses are being fired from federal jobs, raising concerns about force retention and readiness

An unknown number of military spouses have lost their jobs as part of reductions in the federal workforce. The loss is likely to cause stress and hardship on members of the military, experts and advocates say, impacting readiness and, potentially, hurting retention numbers.

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