Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
U.S. military strikes bunkers in northeast Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran US, Iran inch closer to nuke deal but high hurdles remain Israelis press U.S. not to rejoin Iran nuclear deal NYT’s Bret Stephens: Will anyone punish Iran for its murderous campaign? Russia eyes Iran as sanctions-busting backdoor for oil sales MEF's Daniel Pipes: Why the death edict on Salman Rushdie? Palestinians welcome Turkey-Israel normalisation, Ankara says Taliban impose 'harsh' limits on Afghans' religious freedom Russia and Turkey’s deepening ties prompt concern in West over sanctions compliance U.S. adds seven China-related entities to export control list Japan envoy warns of a ‘sinister period’ of tension over TaiwanIn The News
Iran
The U.S. military said it struck ammunition and logistics bunkers Tuesday in northeast Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. – Wall Street Journal
Most countries involved in nuclear talks with Iran agree with a European Union proposal that aims to save a 2015 nuclear deal, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday. – Reuters
A senior House Republican demanded that Congress be given a chance to review any agreement to revive the Iran nuclear deal, as the US prepares its position on what a top European Union official called Iran’s “reasonable response” to the bloc’s latest proposal. – Bloomberg
The Israeli government is ramping up pressure on the Biden administration to walk away from international efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal. – Politico
U.S. officials say they expect to respond to Iran’s comments on a European draft proposal as early as Wednesday, after which there is expected to be another exchange of technical details followed by a meeting of the joint commission that oversees the deal. The new developments, including stepped-up public messaging campaigns by both Tehran and Washington, suggest that an agreement could be near. – Associated Press
As European negotiators attempt to push the US into a response on a revived nuclear deal with Iran, the Islamic Republic on Tuesday launched a bitter attack against the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), accusing him of working with “the Zionist regime” to prevent the lifting of sanctions against Tehran. – Algemeiner
Iran has vastly expanded its drone use in recent years. While Iran has used drones since the 1980s, it has decided to invest more in recent years because the technology behind drones enables Iran to export them to the region and also threatens adversaries using relatively simple and cheap technology. – Jerusalem Post
Bret Stephens writes: Since the attempt on Rushdie’s life, writers, activists and celebrities have sought to raise the banner for free speech. That’s good as far as it goes. But it will never go far enough until the free world again finds the nerve to stand up to the odious regime that brought the outrage about. – New York Times
Daniel Pipes writes: Add to this that Khomeini knew one other fact: the author’s name, Salman Rushdie, the name of a born-Muslim. A non-Muslim ridiculing Islamic sanctities comes as no surprise, but a born-Muslim doing so is intolerable and renders him both an apostate and a traitor. Thus did Khomeini invoke a death sentence on Rushdie for “opposition to Islam, the Prophet, and the Koran.” So, no, the death edict was neither about rivalries nor geopolitics. It was about saving Islam from a perceived blasphemy by a traitor working with the enemies of Islam. – The National Interest
Amir Soltanzadeh writes: Economic tools to advance political goals have long been a concern for countries that prioritize national interests. However, due to the ideological nature of the government, Iran has refused to make this issue a priority. Iran is a monopoly and oil-dependent country. The question remains: Will Iran ultimately accept the offer and open the way for American companies? – Jerusalem Post
Russia & Ukraine
Six months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, signs are accumulating that the balance on the military and economic battlefields is slowly tilting the way of Kyiv and its Western backers. – Wall Street Journal
For many of those coming out Tuesday, which was Flag Day in the lineup of independence celebrations, the urge to mark Ukraine’s still uncertain freedom was stronger than their fear of Russian bombardment. – Washington Post
Russia is preparing to launch more strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv warned ahead of Ukrainian Independence Day on Wednesday. – Washington Post
As United Nations officials pleaded for inspection and demilitarization of a battle-scarred nuclear power plant caught in Russia’s war on Ukraine, the two countries traded harsh accusations at a Security Council meeting and a path forward to avert a nuclear disaster remained unclear. – New York Times
Day after day for 181 days, the grim ledger of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grows longer with each missile strike, burst of gunfire and report of atrocities. Russia and Ukraine have kept their military casualties a closely guarded secret, though Western analysts believe both have sustained heavy losses. – New York Times
Russia plans to use Iran as a backdoor to circumvent international sanctions over Ukraine if Tehran’s nuclear accord with world powers comes back into force, Western diplomats say. – Politico
France said it has received an agreement in principle from Russia to dispatch a team of international nuclear experts to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which is feared to be at risk under Russian occupation. – Washington Examiner
Ukraine will mark a tense Independence Day on Wednesday — an anniversary that also represents the six-month mark since a Russian invasion plunged the country into a war for its survival. – The Hill
A bipartisan group of senators is calling on the State Department to take action in the case of Marc Fogel, the American teacher who is currently imprisoned in Russia. – The Hill
The United States Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday urged U.S. citizens to leave the country, citing intelligence that Russia is ramping up its aggression. – The Hill
Editorial: Finally, it needs to stand up for those who are actively resisting Putin’s regime. Many of these activists are able to come into the EU to seek asylum only as tourists, and crackdowns are already having an impact. Humanitarian visas would be a significant help. Such measures will be more complicated, and perhaps less satisfying, than simply rejecting Russian entrants wholesale. But they’d be fairer, less divisive, better for Europe — and, most crucial, far more likely to hit Putin where it hurts. – Bloomberg
Iuliia Mendel writes: There’s no doubt the social changes that Ukraine promoted to become a healthy and vibrant democracy have led to my career. Qualifications and hard work meant nothing in Soviet times: The only social ladders were political connections and blind loyalty. I shudder at the thought of an alternate timeline where I could be forced to become a Kremlin propagandist or part of persecuted opposition. – Washington Post
Alexander J. Motyl writes: The best news is that nothing would shatter these delusional views like a decisive Ukrainian victory and a humiliating Russian defeat — outcomes that look increasingly more likely as Putin continues to demonstrate that he’s a lousy chess player. – The Hill
Marc Polymeropoulos writes: So what is the overall takeaway at the six-month mark? In my view, it is that Russian intelligence is not 10 feet tall. Incompetent, inept, corrupt, lazy — the rot of the kleptocratic state has seeped deep into the supposed vanguard of the Russian nation. Working together, Ukrainian and NATO intelligence has bested the Russians at every turn. And nothing leads me to believe this will change, which bodes well for Ukraine’s fight for survival. – Washington Examiner
Leonid Bershidsky writes: Russia, a passive giant, has acquiesced to the attack on Ukraine, and poor, indebted and desperate men have hired on to fight in it. But for the nationalists — the likes of Dugin, Girkin and their allies both inside and outside the Russian military and special services — the invasion is the chance of a lifetime, a shot at reviving the imperial dream and a “Russian world,” a chance at a political comeback. – Bloomberg
Israel
Turkey said on Tuesday that Palestinian authorities, including different political factions, welcome the normalisation of ties between Turkey and Israel and that they want the dialogue to continue. – Reuters
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday condemned Israeli missile attacks against Syria, in comments that underline a chill in once-warm Russian-Israel relations. – Reuters
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz will travel to the United States this week, his office announced Tuesday, as Iran and world powers made progress towards reviving a nuclear accord strongly opposed by Israel. – Algemeiner
Israeli Iron Dome anti-rocket batteries may soon be delivered to Cyprus and be included in a transfer of some of that country’s air defense systems to Ukraine, according to a report in Greek newspaper Kathimerini. The article appears to contradict earlier reports that the Mediterranean island nation had purchased the air defense systems for itself. – New York Sun
Support for Israel among Democrat voters in the United States has improved following President Joe Biden’s visit to Jewish State and its recent clash with Gaza Strip terrorist factions, new polls published Tuesday suggest. – Ynet
Yossi Yehoshua writes: From past experience, when the army estimates that there will be a flare-up on the northern front, they postpone the date for when the replacement is set to take over. This was the case, for example, before the attack on the nuclear reactor in Syria in 2007. If this time too, the date is postponed, it would indicate how seriously the IDF is taking Nasrallah’s outbursts, which are as brazen as they were back in 2006. – Ynet
Afghanistan
Conditions for religious freedom in Afghanistan have “drastically deteriorated” since the Taliban seized power last year as the last U.S.-led foreign troops pulled out after 20 years of war, a bipartisan U.S. commission said on Tuesday. – Reuters
At least eight children were killed in floods that swept away houses in central and eastern Afghanistan this week, the United Nations’ children’s agency said on Tuesday, adding that more children were missing. – Reuters
Afghan refugees and migrants living in limbo at a United Arab Emirates (UAE) facility for nearly a year since being evacuated from Afghanistan held protests this week over what they say is a slow and opaque resettlement process. – Reuters
Two former commanders of Central Command believe the United States is less safe now following the military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan nearly a year ago. – Washington Examiner
Lt. Scott Mann, a former Green Beret, was brought back into the world of military operations and life-or-death decision-making when he and other veterans banded together to help get their Afghan friends and colleagues out of Afghanistan before the military withdrew last year as the Taliban rose to power. – Washington Examiner
The Taliban regime in Afghanistan is discussing a deal with Moscow that could involve trading Russian crude oil products in exchange for raisins, minerals, and medicinal herbs, according to RIA Novosti, a Russian state-owned news agency. – Business Insider
The last internationally recognized president of Afghanistan isn’t interested in playing the blame game — or accepting any blame himself — over the collapse of his government. – Business Insider
Sam Brownback and Lauren Homer write: Let’s bring these presumptive friends of the U.S. here where they can live lives of passionate commitment to their faith and our country with the support of the same U.S. citizens and organizations that helped them escape Taliban terror in Afghanistan. – Washington Examiner
Beth Bailey writes: The State Department estimated that each SIV applicant applies with an average of four and a half family members. If the same numbers apply for Afghans referred to the USRAP, then up to 435,933 Afghans may be waiting with increasing desperation on processing backlogs. The U.S. must dedicate additional resources to resolving these backlogs and fulfilling overdue promises to our struggling allies. – Washington Examiner
Elisabeth Braw writes: This is the tragedy of Pontecorvo’s excellent book, although not everyone emerges badly — Abdullah Abdullah, the ophthalmologist who has been involved in Afghan politics for decades, comes across as mostly competent and well-intentioned. Pontecorvo describes Zalmay Khalilzad, the US envoy who negotiated the Doha deal, as playing a bad hand to his best abilities. The NATO envoy views General Austin Miller — the final Afghanistan commander — and his Western troops as having labored honorably, too, and the same largely goes for Afghan forces. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Prakhar Sharma writes: As the United States deals with the Taliban, it should resolutely focus on providing humanitarian assistance through the United Nations and international non-profit organizations and engage the Taliban to earn concessions on women’s rights and support for Afghan minorities. It should also strategically engage and empower young Afghans in provinces that are economically and politically important for Afghanistan’s future, including Kandahar, Nangarhar, Balkh, Herat, Kunduz, Helmand, and Kabul. – The National Interest
Turkey
Turkey and Russia are stitching their economies more tightly together, heightening concerns among the U.S. and its allies that the burgeoning relationship could undermine sanctions imposed on the Kremlin as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine. – Wall Street Journal
Turkey has no preconditions for dialogue with Syria but any talks should focus on security on their border, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday, in a further softening of Ankara’s stance towards Damascus after a decade of hostility. – Reuters
Turkey summoned the Greek military attache and filed a complaint with NATO after Greek fighter jets allegedly harassed Turkish fighter jets that were conducting an “important mission” for the military alliance, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported Tuesday. – Associated Press
Turkey won’t buy F-16 warplanes from the US if restrictions are imposed on their use, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday. – Bloomberg
Turkey’s leading TUSIAD business association has received a letter from U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo warning of possible sanctions risks if companies establish relations with sanctioned Russian entities and individuals. – Reuters
Greece will gradually extend a fence along its land border with Turkey and increase surveillance measures following an increase in illegal immigration from its eastern neighbor, the Greek government said Tuesday. – Associated Press
Lebanon
The last of the unstable grain silos at Beirut’s port collapsed Tuesday morning, two years after a deadly blast heavily damaged the structures, which for weeks had been burning and slowly collapsing as a traumatized country looked on. – Washington Post
Israel and Lebanon are entering one of the most strained periods they have experienced since the Second Lebanon War in 2006 over the location of Israel’s Karish gas rig, close to Lebanon in the Mediterranean Sea. – Arutz Sheva
Omer Dostri writes: At the same time, Israel must threaten Hezbollah and Lebanon that if Hezbollah does a provocation and tries to damage the gas rig or try to harm any other Israeli target, Israel’s response will be disproportionate and will not be limited to a few days of warfare, but will lead to the start of a large-scale war in Lebanon. – Jerusalem Post
Egypt
Egypt’s state grains buyer directly purchased 240,000 tonnes of Russian wheat on Monday, the supply ministry said in a statement to Reuters, continuing its recent trend of buying without issuing international tenders. – Reuters
David A. Super writes: Standing up for imprisoned secular democrats is worth it. Just as a democratic, prosperous Ukraine will inevitably cause Russians and Belarusians to question their dictatorial regimes, a free democratic Egypt would undermine the many despotic regimes in the region. An Egypt that allows its people, many highly educated, to realize their potential would rapidly achieve sustainable prosperity in a region known for economic stagnation and dependence on fossil fuels. – The Hill
Amir Avivi writes: Egypt has its hands on the levers of war between Gaza and Israel and the United States and Israel are doing nothing about it. That must change in the immediate future, for the sake of Israel and everyone else involved. If not, the next round of fighting between terrorists in Gaza and Israel is just a matter of time. – Newsweek
Gulf States
Saudi Arabia and some of its oil-producing allies have suggested cutting crude production, disappointing U.S. officials who predicted the kingdom would be instrumental in cooling the market after President Biden met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the first time in office. – Wall Street Journal
Several hundred supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr launched a sit-in outside Iraq’s top judicial body on Tuesday, ratcheting up tensions in a showdown with a rival Shiite alliance. – Agence France-Presse
Iraq’s judiciary will resume its activities on Wednesday after powerful Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called on his supporters to withdraw from outside its headquarters, the state news agency INA reported. – Reuters
Many of the Gulf nations — Saudi Arabia, in particular — have grave concerns about Iran’s activity in the region. They fear that reviving the 2015 deal would include economic relief for Tehran’s hard-line regime, allowing it to expand its meddling in their internal affairs. – Associated Press
John Calabrese writes: Qatar cannot inoculate itself against the vicissitudes of the global market. Neither can Qatar, China, or the two together prevent the erosion of confidence in the potential of natural gas to serve as an affordable “transition fuel” to renewable energy if high prices and supply disruptions persist. – Middle East Institute
Gerald M. Feierstein writes: Assuming that the newly re-established diplomatic relations between Tehran and its Gulf neighbors offer opportunities to discuss regional concerns via bilateral channels, it is possible that unhappiness with a Biden administration decision to rejoin the agreement will be unexpressed or, at least, muted. – Middle East Institute
Middle East & North Africa
The United Nations Libya mission said on Tuesday it was deeply concerned by what it called an ongoing mobilisation of forces and threats to use force to resolve the country’s political crisis. – Reuters
Jordan said on Wednesday it had doubled the electricity supply sold to the West Bank city of Jericho to 80 megawatts, helping reduce its reliance on power supplied by Israel. – Reuters
Gidon Bromberg, Nada Majdalani, and Yana Abu Taleb write: Similar Western loans are needed across the Middle East. The Israel-Jordan water-for-energy deal inked in November 2021 should create a market for 5-7 GW. The European Commission’s recent energy strategy noted the potential for future clean energy imports from the Middle East. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Korean Peninsula
South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission has found the country’s past military governments responsible for atrocities committed at Brothers Home, a state-funded vagrants’ facility where thousands were enslaved and abused from the 1960s to 1980s. – Associated Press
South Korea took unspecified “tactical action” to deter Russian jets after they crossed its air buffer zone unannounced Tuesday, in a move that could suggest Seoul responded by sending its own planes to the sky. – Fox News
A former senior Navy official is facing up to 25 years in prison after being convicted of steering contracts to a company in South Korea in exchange for cash, liquor and the services of prostitutes. – The Washington Times
Gedaliah Afterman, N. Janardhan, Mohammed Baharoon, IL Kwang Sung write: Today, Israel, South Korea and the UAE possess innovative technological know-how and the financial wherewithal to serve as incubators for new ideas and convert them into reality. They can strengthen these capabilities by jointly facilitating the movement of goods, services, energy, people and capital. – Jerusalem Post
China
The United States has added seven China-related entities, mostly related to aerospace, to its export control list, citing national security and foreign policy concerns, according to a U.S. Commerce Department notice published online on Tuesday. – Reuters
China has blocked the social media accounts of a nationalistic blogger who waged a campaign against a major Chinese tech firm, in the latest censorship of an outspoken patriotic voice. – Bloomberg
China, the largest government creditor to emerging economies, said it will forgive 23 interest-free loans to 17 African countries and redirect $10 billion of its International Monetary Fund reserves to nations on the continent. – Bloomberg
Joseph Bosco writes: Carriers must again become part of regular strait transits if China is to understand the depth of the bipartisan U.S. commitment to Taiwan and the danger to the survival of the Chinese Communist Party that Beijing’s aggressive actions are creating. – The Hill
Christopher Carothers and Huan Gao write: In sum, Xi’s refusal to allow economic logic to drive policy is a considered strategy in service of political and ideological control. Xi never saw economic growth as an imperative the way his predecessors did, but the challenges posed by Covid-19 and the recent growth slowdown accelerated his abandonment of an economics-first governance strategy. Foreign observers and policymakers should not expect Xi to moderate his autocratic demands on the Chinese economy or society in his third term. – The National Interest
South Asia
The crackdown on Mr. Khan and his supporters has intensified frustrations among young, social-media-savvy Pakistanis and the older generation alike over the entrenched corruption and all-powerful hand of the military in the country’s political system. – New York Times
The Indian Air Force has dismissed three officers for accidentally firing a supersonic cruise missile into neighbor and rival Pakistan during a routine military exercise in March. – Bloomberg
Sri Lanka’s former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa may return home in about two weeks after fleeing a popular uprising in July, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday, depending in part on arrangements to secure his safety. – Reuters
It now threatens to reverse hard-won, generational gains made in the world’s most populous emerging market region, which sits at the geopolitical junction where Indian and Chinese interests meet. Beijing is among the leading creditors of both Sri Lanka and Pakistan — and India, which is wary of China’s influence on its smaller neighbours, is watching for signs that the crisis might allow it to strengthen its hand. – Financial Times
India’s response to the war in Ukraine did not pan out the way many in the west might have hoped. As Russia’s tanks poured across the border in February, US officials pushed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to condemn Moscow. New Delhi had different ideas. – Financial Times
Asia
Former Prime Minister Najib Razak was taken to prison after Malaysia’s top court dismissed his final appeal of corruption convictions, capping a yearslong quest by authorities to prosecute him for his role in one of the world’s largest financial scandals. – Wall Street Journal
The US and allies must balance sending a clear message to China over Taiwan with the need to avoid escalation as Asia enters a “sinister period” of tensions, Japan’s top envoy to the US said. – Bloomberg
An appeal to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is “well short of needs”, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday, as refugees called on donors not to forget the crisis ahead of the fifth anniversary of their exodus from Myanmar. – Reuters
Taiwan is determined to defend itself and invaders will incur a “heavy price”, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday on the anniversary of a confrontation six decade ago in which Taiwanese forces beat back Chinese attackers. – Reuters
The US will hold the first in-person meetings with ministers from 13 Indo-Pacific nations in Los Angeles next month under its economic initiative designed to counter China’s influence in the region. – Bloomberg
Taiwan’s defence ministry said 20 Chinese aircraft and four Chinese ships were detected operating around Taiwan on Tuesday, including five aircraft that crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, as Beijing continued military activities near the island. – Reuters
Russia’s defence ministry said two Russian strategic bombers patrolled neutral waters over the Sea of Japan, Russian news agencies reported, while South Korea said they had entered its air defence identification zone on Tuesday. – Reuters
Daniel Moss writes: It would be unwise to bet heavily against a pardon. Mahathir, once a mentor but lately a tormenter of Najib, put the chance of a pardon at 50-50 during an interview with Bloomberg News on Monday. Clemency or not, a resounding point has been made. Najib will always be that guy who rose to the highest political office in the land, only to be dispatched to a cell. Malaysia has risen to the occasion, no matter how fleeting it may become. – Bloomberg
Europe
Since Russia’s Covid-19 restrictions expired in July, there has been a boom in Russian travellers and a rising backlash in Europe against allowing in Russian tourists while the war continues. – Agence France-Presse
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is betting the united EU response to his invasion of Ukraine will fracture as soaring prices hit European voters’ wallets, Brussels’ foreign policy chief warned Tuesday. – Agence France-Presse
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Tuesday that the EU’s support for Ukraine as it struggles against Russia’s invasion would continue “for the long term.” Six months after the conflict erupted, “Our determination has not changed and we are ready to maintain this effort.” – Agence France-Presse
Estonian officials rejected Russian accusations that the Baltic nation played a role in a high-profile murder of the daughter of a prominent nationalist, saying the Kremlin was retaliating against a staunch opponent of its war in Ukraine. – Bloomberg
Hungary offered what it called a “comprehensive” package of measures to address European Union demands over rule-of-law backsliding, in what may be a last-ditch effort to avoid funding cuts. – Bloomberg
Editorial: All of this will make the coming cold winter of energy shortages even bleaker, and Vladimir Putin will keep the pressure on. The U.S. could help with supply-side policies, but that will require a GOP victory in the midterms and negotiation with a reluctant President Biden. The only good news for Europe will be if these difficult months persuade voters that they can no longer take prosperity for granted. This time Europe needs to revive its own growth engines. – Wall Street Journal
Africa
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court urged the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to accelerate action to help deliver justice for thousands of people in Sudan’s western Darfur region, which was wracked by bloodshed in 2003. – Associated Press
A group of Kenyans filed a case against the British government at the European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday over what it said was colonial-era land theft, torture and mistreatment. – Reuters
The UK government will support Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Niger with nearly £38 million ($44 million) in humanitarian funding to combat the impact of growing instability and violent extremism across West Africa’s Sahel region. – Bloomberg
The United States will turn over to Nigeria $23 million taken by former military ruler Sani Abacha, officials said at an event to sign the agreement on Tuesday. – Reuters
Angolans will vote on Wednesday in a tight race in which the main opposition coalition has its best-ever chance of victory, as millions of youth left out of its oil-fuelled booms are expected to express frustration with nearly five decades of MPLA rule. The ruling party remains favourite, though the margin is narrow enough for a surprise UNITA victory, which could shift relations with global superpowers — with possibly less friendly ties with Russia. – Reuters
Latin America
Brazilian police searched the homes of several prominent businessmen allied with President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday as the Supreme Court probes the men for discussing a possible power grab in the event the conservative leader loses October’s presidential election. – Wall Street Journal
President Gustavo Petro said Colombia won’t extradite political exiles to Venezuela, despite improving relations between the two neighboring countries. – Bloomberg
Argentina’s government will launch three measures in the coming days aimed at restricting imports and preserving the central bank’s dwindling foreign currency reserves, a source told Reuters on Tuesday. – Reuters
Ryan C. Berg and Henry Ziemer write: In this scenario, the U.S. government would be advised to have a firm plan to counter the Maduro regime’s messaging about the elections and ensure that the regime’s international supporters have little opportunity to claim the legitimacy they so badly crave. In this case, the U.S. government should also consider new rounds of sanctions and identify strategies for increasing coordinated international pressure and deploying frozen assets in a post-2024 landscape where the interim government no longer exists. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
North America
Canada intends to start shipping green hydrogen produced by wind farms to Germany by 2025, the first step in a partnership to help Europe’s biggest economy reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. – Bloomberg
Canada has sanctioned 62 individuals and one defense sector entity over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement on Tuesday. – Reuters
The U.S. National Archives discovered more than 700 pages of classified documents at Donald Trump’s Florida home in addition to material seized this month by FBI agents, according to a newly disclosed May letter the records agency sent to the Republican former president’s attorney. – Reuters
Cybersecurity
Two tech entities are teaming up to develop an industry-wide cybersecurity framework for autonomous vehicles in an effort to address cyber-related risks as companies look to take self-driving vehicles into the mainstream. – The Hill
Twitter executives attempted to deceive regulators about major security problems that make users’ personal information vulnerable to hackers, according to a new whistleblower complaint. – Washington Examiner
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is reviewing safety and security measures in response to an “abundance” of threats and misinformation on social media about the agency and its employees, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said in a staff memo released on Tuesday. – Reuters
An alleged government-backed hacking group from Iran is being accused of using a novel tool to download Gmail, Yahoo!, and Microsoft Outlook inboxes. – The Record
Both government and criminal hacking groups are still targeting Hikvision cameras with a vulnerability from 2021, according to reports from several security researchers. – The Record
Ukraine and Poland signed an agreement on Monday to strengthen cybersecurity collaboration as officials warn of potential cyberattacks from Kremlin-linked hackers. – The Record
The majority of U.S. consumers expect cyberattacks on uncrewed military vehicles but think the military should use them anyway, according to a poll. – Defense News
Defense
Testing of Airbus’ Zephyr drone unexpectedly concluded after completing a record 64 days aloft following an incident at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, according to U.S. Army Futures Command. Further flight demonstrations of the solar-powered, uncrewed aircraft have been postponed until 2023. – Defense News
In a small ceremony on Tuesday, the Navy christened its latest Ghost Fleet Overlord unmanned surface vehicle, putting the service on a path to ramp up autonomy experimentation with its fleet of USVs. – USNI News
The Navy is looking to contract with a commercial dismantlement facility to dispose of the service’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier due to a heavy workload at the service’s yard Puget Sound. – USNI News
The $278 million contract, announced Monday evening, will replace the Army’s decades-old Small Unit Support Vehicles. Under the contract, BAE will make the vehicles, spare parts and contractor logistics support. – Breaking Defense