Thousands of pagers and other devices exploding in Lebanon this week mark a new and deadly escalation in the use of supply chains against adversaries, giving new urgency to global leaders’ drive to reduce their dependence on technologies from rivals.

Thousands of pagers and other devices exploding in Lebanon this week mark a new and deadly escalation in the use of supply chains against adversaries, giving new urgency to global leaders’ drive to reduce their dependence on technologies from rivals.

But the Lebanon attack brings to life a long-theorized, worst-case scenario that has troubled governments including the United States as electronic devices have grown more complex and global supply chains more convoluted.

The operations in Lebanon and Syria could spark a global reckoning over vulnerabilities faced by tech companies with global manufacturing operations.

Questions abound days after pagers and walkie-talkies rigged with explosives unleashed a wave of terror in Lebanon.