Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Gaza Board of Peace official says plan is still operative Colombia becomes second country to recognize Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights, joining US Trump shifts to economic pressure, again, as Iran won’t meet his demands Iran insists strait will stay closed until U.S. agrees to demands Trump says Iran must pay compensation for those it has killed and wounded WSJ Editorial: Trump’s blockade keeps the economic pressure on Iran Russia says it hit military-related warehouses and steel works in overnight Ukraine strikes IAEA set to remove nuclear material from Syrian site in US-brokered deal Middle East officials urged states to make deals with Israel - while secretly preparing for war Retired US Army brigadier general Mark Kimmitt: How the Mecca pact shifts the Middle East’s military balance U.K. discovers component in its naval drones sent signals to China Contradicting public statements, Trump took secret flight from Turkey amid Iranian threatIn The News
Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is months away from his first national elections since the Hamas-led attack on Israel, faces an increasingly difficult challenge: how to placate President Trump, his most important ally, without alienating voters in his right-wing base. – New York Times
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan is still operative and discussions with Israel are continuing, a Board of Peace official said on Monday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected an Israeli withdrawal until the Palestinian militant group Hamas is “genuinely disarmed.” – Reuters
Donald Trump’s latest plan to end the Gaza war calls on Hamas to lay down its arms as Israel withdraws from the territory, terms endorsed by the militants but rejected by Israel, which says it will not pull back until the group’s disarmament is complete. – Reuters
Meir Ben-Shabbat, a former national security adviser and head of the National Security Council, warned against complacency toward Syria and Turkey’s growing regional influence in an interview with Maariv published Tuesday. – Jerusalem Post
Colombia has recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, the country’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday. In a statement released on X/Twitter, the ministry stated that it recognizes Israeli control over the area as “an essential component of its national defense and its ability to protect and safeguard its citizens.” – Jerusalem Post
For decades, the basic equation in Israeli-Indian defense relations was straightforward. Israel had the military technology, expertise, and weapons that India wanted, and India had one of the world’s largest defense markets. – Jerusalem Post
The IDF increased the pace of its strikes over the past two weeks, with the number of fatalities rising accordingly, before restricting them under a new policy, following a series of targeted killings across the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire took effect, which, according to IDF statistics, resulted in the deaths of around 500 terrorists. – Jerusalem Post
The Board of Peace’s proposed agreement to disarm Hamas would leave Israel restricted in its ability to deal with immediate and emerging threats, while allowing Hamas to remain armed with “personal weapons,” according to an assessment by Dr. Igal Shiri published by the Meir Amit Terrorism and Intelligence Research Institute last week. – Jerusalem Post
The IDF urged residents of the Gaza Strip to protect themselves from financial exploitation by Hamas and to replace old-issue banknotes with current ones on Monday, warning that soon the old notes could lose all value. – Jerusalem Post
Israel informed the White House recently that it would be willing to negotiate an agreement halting the targeted killings of Palestinian terrorists in Gaza, but that any such deal would exclude those who took part in the October 7, 2023, attack, Channel 13 news reported on Monday. – Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National AI Directorate chief Brig. Gen. (res.) Erez Eskel launched Israel’s National AI Program, aimed at establishing the country as a global leader in artificial intelligence and harnessing the technology to strengthen Israel’s economy and improve services for its citizens. – Arutz Sheva
Iran
President Trump has settled on an old strategy in hopes of a new result in the Iran war, U.S. officials said: economic pressure. Reluctant to resume all-out war and wary of diplomatic negotiations, Trump has adopted a wait-and-see approach that would give financial sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports more time to inflict economic harm, U.S. officials said. – Wall Street Journal
Iran said on Monday that any deal with Oman on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would not lead to the waterway being fully reopened and that the route would remain closed until the United States agreed to demands including lifting a naval blockade. – New York Times
The turquoise blue waters, white sandy beaches and dramatic cliffs on the island of Qeshm until recently drew millions of annual visitors and a devoted community of artists, investors and designers who helped turn the island into Iran’s hottest vacation spot. – New York Times
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he will demand that Iran pay compensation for “all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded,” in response to Iran seeking compensation for the damages it has incurred from U.S. and Israeli attacks. – Reuters
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to six on Monday, compared with a 10-day average of about 11 vessels, shipping data showed, amid fading hopes of a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran. – Reuters
Iran sees no reason to be concerned that a new security pact between Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia is directed against Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday. Baghaei said the pact showed a shift in regional countries’ approach to security, with greater reliance on their own capabilities rather than outside powers. – Reuters
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei formally appointed six senior military commanders Monday, cementing a wartime reshuffle as Tehran rebuilds a command structure impacted by months of U.S. and Israeli strikes. – Fox News
Iran has demanded compensation from Ukraine over a deadly strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, rejecting Kyiv’s assertion that the attack was accidental, CBS News reported on Monday. – Jerusalem Post
A volley of fire between the Iranian-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia has threatened to upend a 2022 truce in Yemen and open another front in the already expanding war in the Middle East after the collapse of the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran. – Times of Israel
Editorial: The risk is that Iran could still dictate events by striking at regional energy sites and U.S. forces, or by escalating Houthi attacks. But if Mr. Trump is unwilling or unable (owing to lack of weapons) to escalate militarily, then sustained economic pressure isn’t the worst strategy. It isn’t the quick win the President wanted, but it also isn’t the strategic defeat for Mr. Trump that Iran is offering. The regime’s bet is that Mr. Trump will blink as November’s elections near and accept a bad deal with Iran, and the President’s erratic approach so far means he doesn’t have great options. This may be his best remaining one to achieve U.S. objectives over time. – Wall Street Journal
Erfan Fard writes: Like other Guards officers who once served as secretaries of the Supreme National Security Council, he is intensely anti-Israel. He will therefore naturally pursue the Iranian regime’s terrorist plans against Israel and greater coordination with terrorist groups across the Shiite crescent. Although the illusion that Mojtaba Khamenei is still alive continues to be raised, Rezaei is among those who fight for the survival of power and preservation of the regime. Today, this aging Mansouroun terrorist wants to make decisions about Iran’s security. It is as grotesque as having bin Laden run an educational center or a charity. – Arutz Sheva
Russia and Ukraine
The Russian Supreme Court has barred the country’s last remaining anti-war party from running in parliamentary elections next month amid an intensifying crackdown on dissent over Russia’s increasingly unpopular war against Ukraine. – Washington Post
A Ukrainian drone attack Monday on an industrial city about 550 miles east of Moscow was among the deadliest on Russian territory since the full-scale war began in 2022, demonstrating Kyiv’s growing ability to strike far beyond the conflict’s front lines. – New York Times
Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that its forces had carried out overnight strikes on military-related transport and logistics centres in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and on a major iron and steel works it said was helping Ukraine’s war effort in Zaporizhzhia. – Reuters
Former Ukrainian detainees and Ukrainian officials accused Russia on Monday of systematically torturing prisoners of war and civilian detainees, holding captives incommunicado and subjecting them to beatings, electric shocks and sexual abuse, with thousands still in captivity. – Reuters
Ukraine is considering shipping grain by rail through Moldova as a more secure export option than by sea and has asked authorities in Chisinau for a low freight tariff, sources in both countries said on Monday. – Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he discussed a drone deal and food security with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday. “There are domains in which Ukraine and Saudi Arabia can strengthen each other’s ability to protect lives and people,” he said on X after the call. – Reuters
The commander leading Ukraine’s drone war says his country’s recent strikes in Crimea are the first phase of a campaign aimed at rendering the peninsula — illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 — unusable as a staging ground for Russian forces. – Associated Press
Philip Luck and Brad Spicher write: The Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 comes at a pivotal moment in the Ukraine war and would mark the most significant congressional intervention in Russia sanctions policy since the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in 2017. Codification would harden roughly 6,800 designations and standing investment restrictions against reversal, and the tariff authority would provide a credible instrument against the Chinese and Indian purchases now funding Moscow’s war effort. But the White House already possesses many of the options provisioned by the act, and its waiver provisions mean that statute alone will not guarantee strong implementation and enforcement. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
Syria
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is set to remove nuclear material from a clandestine Syrian site following an agreement made by the US, Syria, and Israel, Axios initially reported on Monday, citing Israeli and US officials. – Jerusalem Post
Three Israeli civilians who crossed into Syria from the Mount Hermon area overnight were returned to Israel by the IDF, the military announced in a Tuesday morning statement. – Jerusalem Post
The Syrian city of Kobani, also known as Ayn al-Arab, was placed under curfew Monday night, the country’s Internal Security Department announced after Kurdish protesters attacked several government-affiliated locations. – Jerusalem Post
Lebanon
The next round of Israel-Lebanon talks is set to be held at the beginning of September, a US official told Saudi state-owned Al-Arabiya English on Tuesday morning. – Jerusalem Post
Hezbollah’s civilian arm has continued to operate in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, a pilot zone under the protection of the Lebanese Armed Forces, according to the Alma Research and Education Center. – Jerusalem Post
Lebanon’s National News Agency adds that an ambulance team from the Hezbollah-linked Islamic Health Authority, Islamic Message Scouts Association, and other medical personnel was hit by a second strike while transporting an injured person in the area. – Times of Israel
Gulf States
Persian Gulf energy producers are concluding that Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz will become permanent, disrupting their oil and gas exports and global energy supplies indefinitely. – Wall Street Journal
Leaking crude oil from a tanker grounded off a nature reserve in Oman has created a slick covering almost 400 square kilometres, the country’s government said on Monday. – Reuters
The fire at the Aramco refinery in Jizan started Sunday morning. Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, said his forces had hit it with a drone, precisely, in retaliation for Saudi drones over Saada and Hajjah. The Saudi energy ministry confirmed the fire and said it was extinguished. – Jerusalem Post
Libya
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Tuesday it could declare force majeure and completely halt operations at the Zawiya refinery if drone attacks on oil assets in the city continued, after reporting a third such attack over Sunday and Monday. – Reuters
The governor of Libya’s Central Bank (CBL), Naji Issa, has submitted his resignation to the country’s rival legislative chambers, according to two documents seen by Reuters on Monday. In the documents, whose authenticity was confirmed by Issa, he said he could not continue in his post, but did not explain why, citing the sensitivity of the reasons. – Reuters
The head of military intelligence for eastern Libya’s Libyan National Army was killed on Monday when an explosive device detonated in his car outside his home in the Hawari area of Benghazi, two security sources told Reuters. – Reuters
Middle East & North Africa
Turkey adopted a law on Monday aimed at advancing its peace process with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a potentially significant step toward ending the outlawed militant group’s decades-long battle with the Turkish state. – New York Times
Oil prices rose on Tuesday as negotiations between the United States and Iran over a peace deal and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz hit an impasse, while Asian shares drifted on protracted uncertainty over the global inflation outlook. – Reuters
Officials from one country in the Middle East advised another regional state to pursue an agreement with Israel to “lull it to sleep” while preparing for a larger confrontation, according to a Monday report. – Jerusalem Post
Mark Kimmitt writes: The Mecca Pact will likely attempt to develop a joint export base with Saudi finance, Turkish high-end equipment, and Pakistan’s strengths in quality, scale, and cost. It has the potential to complement the United States, especially when competing for business in smaller countries with more limited budgets. While the United States will continue to sell expensive, high-end (and often over-engineered) systems, the Mecca Pact could still capture a large share of the low-end export market. With the United States beginning to confront its financial vulnerabilities and growing threats from China, a coalition of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey could serve as a natural complement for the withdrawing hegemon. Moreover, the Mecca Pact is an opportunity for Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey to create a new player in international defense manufacturing and trade. – The National Interest
Korean Peninsula
In a commentary carried by KCNA titled “Japan’s defense white paper is a reinvasion-minded one for the legalization of the operation of war machine,” a North Korean analyst said Japan’s 2026 White Paper “groundlessly described” North Korea as the greatest strategic challenge in order to “justify its reckless arms buildup.” – Reuters
South Korea and the United States will conduct major joint military drills from August 17 to 27, incorporating exercises to counter drones, GPS disruption and cyberattacks as they adapt to North Korea’s evolving capabilities, officials said on Monday. – Reuters
South Korean Shipbuilder Hanwha has made a $1 billion bid for the U.S. subsidiary of Australian shipbuilder Austal, Austal disclosed in a regulatory filing on Tuesday morning Australian time. – USNI News
China
Shanghai airports canceled hundreds of flights on Monday as Tropical Storm Dolphin dumped heavy rain in eastern China, causing flooding in places after making landfall as a typhoon the previous day. – Associated Press
A Chinese rocket set to launch a satellite into orbit blew-up seconds after liftoff Monday, marking the relatively rare failure for a rocket considered a workhorse of Beijing’s space program. – CNN
Editorial: That’s why Chinese President Xi Jinping has resisted numerous reforms that economists say would actually encourage people to spend more and save less. Xi also decries what he calls “welfarism,” or the state providing people with too broad a safety net. With Xi scheduled to visit Washington on Sept. 24, China’s addiction to exports provides the United States leverage in trade negotiations. Yes, the U.S. needs rare-earth elements and critical minerals from China. But it’s a two-way street. – Washington Post
Caitlin Welsh and Brian Hart write: A China that is a net exporter of select but critical commodities could present a new type of challenge in the global agriculture market. Beijing would hold sway over countries reliant on its imports as well as key exports. The United States should expect Beijing to continue to wield its agriculture sector for geopolitical influence, whether through curtailing imports of food, restricting exports of select commodities, or both. As Beijing seeks to exploit all possible avenues for geopolitical leverage against Washington, food exports and imports could become an even more acute pressure point in the U.S.-Chinese relationship. – Foreign Affairs
Scott Kennedy and Claire Reade write: a much greater awareness of mutual self-interest among the United States and its allies must emerge for them to act in concert to effectively combat China’s non-market practices. That means agreeing on how to prioritize the China challenge above other issues, as well as offering greater economic opportunities for commerce among one another. If the United States continues with a protectionist strategy against everyone, other like-minded trading partners, already alienated, may well decide not to deal with the United States any more than absolutely necessary. And that would mean losing any real chance to counter China’s distortive behavior that is affecting the global economy. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
South Asia
The third round of regional elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir was marred by delays and security concerns on Monday, weeks after deadly protests erupted in the region and authorities imposed sweeping restrictions. – Reuters
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told India’s envoy on Monday that there was a need to create a “conducive environment” to boost ties between the neighbours, as Dhaka continues to press New Delhi over the politically sensitive issue of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s exile in India. – Reuters
The flood crisis in India’s northeastern Assam state remained critical on Monday, with the death toll reaching 100 after two more people died overnight, officials said. – Associated Press
Asia
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has nominated acting Bank Indonesia Gov. Destry Damayanti as the sole candidate to lead the central bank. State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi announced the nomination at a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, after submitting the name to parliament. – Wall Street Journal
Vietnam has begun construction on what it describes as the country’s largest and most advanced domestically made anti-submarine frigate, a military-owned newspaper reported. The vessel, being built at the defence ministry’s Song Thu Shipyard in Danang City, will also have most of its weapons and military equipment developed or assembled in the country, the Quan Doi Nhan Dan newspaper said late on Monday. – Reuters
VinSpace, a unit of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, has signed a launch contract with SpaceX for its satellite missions, the company said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Australia and Vietnam agreed on Tuesday to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership, signing cooperation agreements spanning defence, agriculture and border security. The two countries also voiced concern about restrictive trade practices that disrupt global supply chains, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Vietnamese President To Lam said in a joint statement issued during Lam’s official visit to Australia. – Reuters
Seven Uzbek citizens were killed in a drone attack in Russia’s Tatarstan region on Monday, the Uzbek consulate in Kazan said. The consulate did not immediately provide further details about the victims. – Reuters
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Tuesday suspended the issuance of permits to buy firearms and said existing licences would be reviewed, days after a 14-year-old gunman killed nine people. – Reuters
A man was arrested following a shooting incident Monday that killed one and injured another in a government office outside Bangkok, days after a student opened fire at his school and family home in the same province, killing at least eight people. – Associated Press
Australia will become the first export customer for the AIM-260A Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), an air-to-air missile that will be integrated onto the country’s full fleet of fighter platforms. – Defense News
Japan releases defense white papers each year, but its 2026 edition marked important shifts in the country’s approach to defense strategy, procurement and production. – Defense News
Editorial: Whether Mr. Ueda or Ms. Takaichi—or preferably both in concert—can navigate out of this thicket will determine whether the yen needs rescuing again soon. The central question remains whether Japan will become an economy where reforms have unleashed more animal spirits and spurred investment. If it doesn’t, don’t assume the sporadic foreign-exchange interventions will keep working. – Wall Street Journal
Joseph Epstein writes: Lacking a vision of his own, he lets the country be carried by whatever global winds blow strongest, and the strongest wind in Uzbekistan today is politicized religion. For a state wedged between Russia, Iran, and Afghanistan—three neighbors with every interest in shaping its trajectory—passivity is itself a policy, and a dangerous one. Karimov proved that repression radicalizes. Mirziyoyev may yet prove that opportunism does too. The New Uzbekistan its president promises could still be one of growth and liberty. But on the current path, it risks resembling a different new order altogether—one that looks like Afghanistan after August 2021. – The National Interest
Christian Whiton writes: Further rebutting the claims of naysayers and those who argue there is distance between Tokyo and Washington, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been unusually explicit in his support, saying Japan’s economy “continues to perform well under Prime Minister Takaichi” and praising the “strong policies” she is pursuing to improve the country’s economic fundamentals. Investors, who unlike pundits have actual money on the line, agree. The Nikkei 225 is up roughly 33 percent this year, and the broader TOPIX is up about 13 percent. Americans who support private-sector growth on both sides of the Pacific and recognize that a strong Japan is good for America should hope Takaichi sticks to her guns. – The National Interest
Ilan I Berman writes: Seen from that perspective, an influential broadcaster that consistently highlights Chinese coercion, and which emphasizes the island’s democratic resilience and the distinctness of Taiwanese identity, is not merely a budgetary expense. It also represents a significant political impediment. That matters a great deal, because the contest between Taipei and Beijing has never been solely about military capabilities or diplomatic recognition. It is a struggle over legitimacy, perception, and narrative. Beijing understands this very well, which is why it continues to devote enormous resources to information operations that are designed to isolate Taiwan internationally and sow discord on the island itself. – Forbes
Europe
Cameras installed on British naval drones sent data to an internet address in China, U.K. officials said, underscoring the vulnerability of military supply chains to Chinese parts. – Wall Street Journal
When more than 70,000 migrants rushed into a Spanish exclave on the North African coast, the crisis followed a familiar pattern: desperate people being used for political purposes. – Washington Post
Revolut said it received a full banking license in France from the local regulator and the European Central Bank, as the digital bank looks to continue to expand across Europe. – Wall Street Journal
The German government regards U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest Gaza plan as an opportunity to make progress towards the disarmament of Hamas, a German foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday. – Reuters
Danish shipping group Maersk said on Monday that another container service in its Gemini network with Germany’s Hapag-Lloydwill resume sailing through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, part of a gradual return to the area. – Reuters
Russia’s northern NATO neighbours are tightening security around dams, power plants and natural gas infrastructure in a sign of mounting concern that Moscow will stage a “false flag” attack on them using Ukrainian drones. – Reuters
Austria has broken up a scheme in which a Vienna-based company supplied equipment used to make engines for Russian missiles and fighter jets, in breach of European Union sanctions, the interior ministry said on Monday. – Reuters
Sweden’s security service said on Monday it had shut down a Russian spying operation that had tried to influence decision-making there and discredit the Nordic country as well as its EU and NATO allies. – Reuters
Nigel Farage depicts himself as an outsider taking on the establishment, but now the tables have turned. The leader of anti-immigration party Reform UK is running in an election as the incumbent favorite, and his main opponent is a man dressed as a dustbin. – Associated Press
Europe is scrambling for more Patriot interceptors to donate to an increasingly desperate Ukraine, which is racing to reinforce its ballistic missile defenses before Russia’s expected winter assault. – Politico
Sparks from Greece’s aging electricity grid are responsible for a disproportionate share of the country’s most destructive wildfires, according to preliminary data from Greece’s Arson Crimes Investigation Directorate and evidence from recent fire investigations. – Politico
Serbia plans to open a manufacturing plant with Israeli defense giant Elbit Systems in mid-September to jointly produce drones to modernize its defenses and bolster exports of unmanned systems and military equipment. – Times of Israel
Stavros Atlamazoglou writes: The Royal Marines Commandos are an elite light infantry amphibious unit. What is most concerning is that the Special Boat Service (SBS), the maritime equivalent of the famed Special Air Service (SAS) and the rough British equivalent of the US Navy SEALs, is technically part of the Royal Marines, sharing locations and some assets with the Royal Marines’ battalions. It is unclear the extent of the information shared. The SBS, along with the SAS, undertakes the most sensitive special operation missions, including providing support and protection to MI6 intelligence operations. A potential compromise of SBS operations could be catastrophic for British national security. – The National Interest
Africa
Living standards for millions in Africa’s largest oil exporter have crumbled in the past three years as the government of President Bola Tinubu pushed through painful reforms, including fuel subsidy removals, naira devaluation and electricity subsidy cuts. – Reuters
A South Sudanese whistleblower who was abducted in Kenya in June and taken to South Sudan has been released after nearly two months in detention, his family said on Monday. Athorbey Al-Gaddhaffy-Dit returned to Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Saturday and is receiving medical treatment after his health deteriorated in detention in the South Sudanese capital Juba, the family said in a statement. – Reuters
The fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record started in February, months before it was officially declared in mid-May, the World Health Organization said Monday as responders in eastern Congo struggle to catch up. – Associated Press
A Ugandan statesman is in the race to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations, the latest entrant in a contest that includes six others who want to succeed Antonio Guterres at the end of this year. – Associated Press
The Americas
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday, killing 111 people and trapping dozens more under collapsed buildings in an early challenge to a president who was sworn in on Friday. – Wall Street Journal
Colombia’s newest president was sworn in Friday. On Monday, disaster hit. The president, Abelardo De La Espriella, is a former criminal defense lawyer with no previous political experience. – New York Times
A man was taken into custody on Monday in Nova Scotia after he communicated a bomb threat toward the U.S. Consulate in Halifax one night earlier and flammable liquids were discovered in his vehicle in a nearby parking garage, the authorities said. – New York Times
The Canadian federal government said on Sunday it would assist British Columbia as raging wildfires forced thousands of people to evacuate by providing shelter and accommodation for residents displaced in regions around Summerland and Peachland. – Reuters
United States
An Iranian assassination threat against President Donald Trump prompted an extraordinary operation last month in which he flew secretly from Turkey on an alternate military aircraft while the White House said he was aboard Air Force One, The Washington Post has learned. – Washington Post
The U.S. government has sold for scrap two sanctioned oil tankers that were seized in the days after Washington’s raid on Venezuela, Lloyd’s List reported on Monday. Dubai-headquartered vessel recycling firm Global Marketing Systems purchased the tankers last month for an undisclosed sum, according to the report. – Reuters
U.S. officials on Monday said they are working closely with foreign investors to identify gaps in the U.S. manufacturing supply chain and to help small- and medium-sized businesses scale up to meet rising demand as foreign investments surge. – Reuters
President Donald Trump on Monday extended a waiver for 90 days for foreign ships to transport goods, including oil, fertilizers and other fossil fuel products, among U.S. ports. – Associated Press
Steve Witkoff writes: The South Caucasus is safer, more prosperous, and more stable today because Trump, Aliyev, and Pashinyan chose results over rhetoric. And thanks to the president’s efforts, nine wars around the world have been solved, the Board of Peace is operational, and over 100 Americans detained abroad have been returned home. His approach is bearing fruit in additional conflicts as well, such as the war between Russia and Ukraine. Leaders from both sides came together for historic trilateral talks, mediated by the U.S., after years of bloodshed, and have exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war. – Washington Examiner
Cybersecurity
The American public is increasingly hostile to artificial intelligence, politicians across the political spectrum want to regulate the technology, and even leading AI companies say it may be wise for the industry to slow down. But Mark Zuckerberg says he’s optimistic that the best is yet to come. – Washington Post
Lawmakers dialed up the pressure on top artificial intelligence companies on Monday, after disclosures that their systems evaded company controls and went on hacking sprees. – Washington Post
In late 2022, Microsoft detected the hack of a water system in Guam that U.S. intelligence agencies in the following months determined was orchestrated by China. The idea wasn’t new. The spy agencies had long watched as Iran targeted Israeli water systems. – Washington Post
U.S. and South Korean cyber agencies warned Monday about a ransomware-as-a-service outfit, Gunra, that reportedly recruits ethical hackers and penetration testers and benefits from North Korean government-linked hackers’ tools to target government and critical infrastructure organizations. – CyberScoop
Hackers linked to Russia’s military intelligence unit are posing as recruiters to trick Ukrainian IT workers into installing malicious software, researchers have found. – The Record
A financially motivated threat actor linked to China is believed to be exploiting a critical vulnerability affecting widely used cybersecurity software in a supply-chain attack that could see the hackers deploy custom ransomware across a cascading list of victims’ networks. – The Record
New Zealand imposed new sanctions on Russian hackers, technology companies and Kremlin-linked organizations over their roles in supporting Moscow’s war against Ukraine. – The Record
Poland’s cybersecurity authorities have revealed that a previously unknown cyberattack disrupted systems at a combined heat and power plant during last winter’s cold snap, threatening to leave tens of thousands of people exposed to freezing weather. – The Record
Matthew Gould writes: If the West wants to win the war for the future of technology, then it must match China’s determination, strategy and unity. […] But one-off successes are nowhere near sufficient. Western countries must create mechanisms for sustained coordination between governments, allied nations and companies. Most of all, the West will need the political will to prioritize strategic unity over short-term profit, before it wakes up to a world where developing nations are locked into Beijing’s hardware and the West has become a rule-taker in technology it invented. – Washington Post
Stephen L Carter writes: Privacy advocates are calling for tighter controls before authorities can query Flock’s database, perhaps even a warrant requirement. Flock itself now audits law enforcement requests, and some of the officers who have been arrested for misusing it were, the company says, caught through its efforts. But no government will ever fully resist the temptation to mine whatever data is gathered. And in the long run, the Fourth Amendment will never keep up with technology. – Bloomberg
Rob Cheng writes: America’s adversaries are actively searching for known vulnerabilities. And any action, or inaction, which allows those weaknesses to remain unresolved is a choice that only invites a more serious attack – one with potentially deadly consequences. America was fortunate – this time. Minnesota’s water system continued serving residents despite the attack. But that outcome should create urgency, not complacency. Good fortune cannot be America’s cybersecurity strategy, and leaders must take action today by closing the known security gaps before the next cyberattack puts American lives in danger. – Fox News
Cory Ondrejka writes: Policymakers should treat American open models as a defense asset. Classified and disconnected environments cannot call out to a commercial service — they need models they can run on their own hardware. Increasingly, the best freely downloadable models come from China. That is a gap American labs can close, and one worth funding. The United States has the best AI in the world. The question is whether Americans defending the country can use it when it counts. A tool locked in a vault cannot patch a hospital, defend a power grid, or help a commander read a battlefield. If the White House wants decision dominance, access should become a first-order objective of AI policy. – War on the Rocks
Defense
The U.S. Army abruptly removed the three-star general leading their forces in Europe, the service confirmed Monday. Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, who was leading V Corps, was removed from command. – Defense News
The United States is not disengaging from Asia and is instead “digging in” to maintain a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, but wants its partners to shoulder more responsibility for their defense, a senior Pentagon official said on Monday. – Defense News
DOGE reported $1.76 billion in savings from terminating a Defense Health Agency information technology contract providing IT services to more than 700 military treatment facilities worldwide. – Defense News
As U.S. air defenses intercept Iranian missiles, the Pentagon is concerned that American missiles are vulnerable to enemy air defenses. Consequently, DARPA wants a hypersonic scramjet cruise missile that is capable of evading enemy interceptors. – Defense News
The USS Theodore Roosevelt is now the first Navy carrier to be equipped with an Unmanned Air Warfare Center that will support the Boeing-made MQ-25A, the first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft. – Defense News
The U.S. Navy tested artificial intelligence-powered sonar to target submarines during the multinational Rim of the Pacific exercise in July. – Defense News
Joshua Schwartz and Michael Horowitz write: The destructive power of conventionally armed drones is also, of course, significantly less than that of nuclear weapons, making the risks of automated drones much smaller than those of automated nuclear launch systems. As Michael Depp and Paul Scharre wrote in these pages, some applications of automation can improve stability, whereas others can be dangerous and destabilizing. When it comes to nuclear weapons, our research demonstrates that, unfortunately, there may be coercive benefits to automation, meaning the danger is real and concern is justified. But it is important to distinguish the level of risk for different types of military systems. Putting Armageddon on autopilot would entail large and unique risks compared to other AI-powered weapons systems. – War on the Rocks
Rebecca Strating and Arzan Tarapore write: Australia, India, and the United States need to operationalize the agreements they already have by delegating operational authorities, institutionalizing routine interaction, and continuously testing interoperability during peacetime. Ultimately, the challenge for Australia, India, and the United States in the Indian Ocean is whether they can translate a growing network of agreements into the habits, authorities, and routines necessary to act together when a crisis arrives. – War on the Rocks