A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force mid-range multi-purpose missile is fired during a live-fire exercise at the East Fuji Maneuver Area on June 7, 2026, in Gotemba, Japan. (Getty Images)
The flag used by the Taliban's interim government is seen over Afghanistan’s embassy in Moscow on July 4, 2025, after Russia officially recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan. (Getty Images)
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin prior to a Japan-US-South Korea defense ministers meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on July 28, 2024. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/Gamma-Rapho/Pool/Anadolu via Getty Images)