The Pentagon pulled senior Defense Department officials from the Aspen Security Forum on Monday, a day before the four-day summit in Colorado was set to begin. Why it matters: The bipartisan national security forum has attracted Republican and Democratic administration officials for years.

The announcement comes just days after Grok generated antisemitic responses and praised Hitler, which were later deleted.

Top officials at the Pentagon office that played a key role in designing the bombs used in the strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities more than two weeks ago cannot say whether the weapons were successful in reaching the deeply buried bunkers.

Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on June 26, 2025. (Andrew Harnik / ) Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary,

The Department of Defense led by Secretary Pete Hegseth made a deal with a U.S. mining company to secure the military's needs for rare earth minerals.

For years, Republican and Democratic administrations have dispatched civilian Pentagon officials and military commanders to the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.

At a trillion dollars, this year’s defense budget request is big — and a record-setting $179 billion is just for research and development.

Key Takeaways MP Materials' Mountain Pass, Calif., facility, the only operational rare earths mine in the U.S., and its magnet plant in Fort Worth, Texas, have drawn interest from investors ranging from the Pentagon to tech giant Apple in recent days.