# Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast [Sep 18, ’26 Washington Roundtable]

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/defense-aerospace-report-809504/defense-aerospace-report-podcast-sep-18-26-washington-roundtable
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/defense-aerospace-report-809504/defense-aerospace-report-podcast-sep-18-26-washington-roundtable.md
Podcast: [Defense & Aerospace Report](https://stenobird.com/podcast/defense-aerospace-report-809504)
Published: 2026-09-18T19:06:22+00:00
Episode link: https://soundcloud.com/defaeroreport/defense-aerospace-573362701
Audio file: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2403204399-defaeroreport-defense-aerospace-573362701.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/defense-aerospace-report-809504/episodes/defense-aerospace-report-podcast-sep-18-26-washington-roundtable
Duration seconds: 4607

## Resource

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss reconciliation being punted to the lame duck session as work on appropriations and the National Defense Authorization Act conference accelerate; new Russia sanctions head to the White House for President Trump’s signature as the Pentagon reportedly prepares to withdraw tens of thousands of US troops from NATO; US and Iranian forces trade fire as the Pentagon says war costs top $33 billion; with control of the Bab al Mandab, Tehran-backed Houthi rebels advance on oil-rich Marib province and strike Saudi oil facilities as Trump rebuffed Saudi calls for help, striking his own deal with the Houthis for safe passage of US and Israeli ships; China’s effort to avoid the Bab al Mandab and Suez Canal by sailing the first commercial ship via a northern route from China to Europe via the Russian Arctic Coast; Trump approves F-35 fighters for Saudi Arabia despite intelligence community concerns the stealth jet’s technology could leak to China; Gulf states question US reliability as American forces pull back from regional bases meant to deter Iranian attack; Washington’s approval of a $2.8 billion in arms package for Israel including 2,000-pound bombs blocked by the Biden administration as the White House again blocks a visa for Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to visit the UN; as Washington woos Russia to peace in Ukraine with lucrative deals, Moscow…

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## Transcript

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