I - On Defense Podcast - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

President Trump: Massive Armada Heading to Iran + US Conducts Aerial Military Exercise in CENTCOM AOR + Iran Warns of Retaliation "at the heart of Tel Aviv + Sweden Discusses Nuclear Weapons Cooperation Jan 28, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. US President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday that time was running out for Iran, and that the next potential US attack on the Islamic Republic — if Tehran doesn’t make a nuclear deal — would be far worse than the June 2025 strikes.

2. The United States announced on Tuesday that it was conducting an aerial military exercise in the Middle East amid ongoing tensions with Iran.

3. Iranian officials issued stark warnings Wednesday against any US strike on the country, with a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader threatening that Tehran would attack Israel in any such event with an “unprecedented” retaliation, including “at the heart of Tel Aviv.”

4. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his assertion that Israel will not allow Gaza’s reconstruction before terror groups in the Strip disarm, and said Israel would maintain security control over Gaza and the West Bank, in a wide-ranging press conference on Tuesday evening.

5. Israel is preparing for talks with the Trump administration on a new 10-year security deal.

In 2016, the US and Israeli governments signed a memorandum of understanding for the 10 years through September 2028.

6. Territorial issues over Donetsk are the remaining item that still require a bridging of views at US-mediated talks to end Russia's war in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, describing the issue as "a very difficult one."

7. Sweden has had very early discussions with France and the United Kingdom about possible nuclear weapons cooperation, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has revealed.

No concrete proposals or timelines for any cooperation were outlined, and Kristersson emphasized that talks remain preliminary in early stages.

After 843 Days - Remains of Master Sergeant Ran Gvili Returned to Israel; Final Hostage Returned + US Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) Arrives in CENTCOM AOR Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. The body of the final hostage held in Gaza was identified and brought back to Israel on Monday, 843 days after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.

Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, 24, a police officer killed fighting the Hamas invaders, had been the last of 251 people kidnapped that day to remain captive, following the return of the rest of the hostages, living and dead, under the current ceasefire.

2. President Trump told Axios in an interview on Monday that the situation with Iran is "in flux" because he sent a "big armada" to the region but thinks Tehran genuinely wants to cut a deal.

Sources with knowledge of the situation say Trump hasn't made a final decision. He will likely hold more consultations this week and be presented with additional military options.

Those options will be enhanced by the arrival of an aircraft carrier strike group to the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln entered CENTCOM's area of responsibility on Monday.

3. U.S. officials leading the talks are convinced that Russian negotiators have taken a more pragmatic tone behind closed doors than Moscow's public hardline rhetoric suggests.

The next round of talks is expected on Feb. 1.

The most difficult issues — Russian demands for Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of Donbas and control of the nuclear power plant— are set to dominate the agenda.

4. NATO chief Mark Rutte warned Monday, January 26, that Europe cannot defend itself without the United States.

5. Estonia is gearing up to acquire a missile defense system, participating in broader efforts by the Baltic States to boost investments in expanding their air-defense network.

6. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has invited seven domestic firms to present autonomous drone concepts designed to operate alongside the British Army’s Apache AH-64E attack helicopters.

7. Armor Not Dead: Israeli arms developer Elbit Systems has received a $228-million contract to provide its proprietary Iron Fist active protection system for the US Army’s Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.

Iran's IRGC Commander: "More Than Ready" + Report: Iran's Supreme Leader in Fortified Bunker + US Army Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher Program + Blackbeard Hypersonic Strike Weapon Jan 25, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Sunday evening that it was searching for the remains of Master Sergeant Gvili, the last remaining hostage held in the Gaza Strip, on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line in the enclave’s north.

2. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Sunday that Israel will reopen the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt after it completes a military operation launched Sunday to recover the body of the last deceased hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili.

3. Commander of the United States Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper was in Israel on Saturday for meetings with senior officials.

Admiral Cooper met with IDF Chief of Staff LTG Eyal Zamir at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder and Operations Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen also participated in a meeting with the military chiefs.

4. Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, , is “more ready than ever, finger on the trigger,” its commander said Saturday, as US warships headed toward the Middle East.

The IRGC commander, Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, warned the United States and Israel “to avoid any miscalculation.”

5. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has gone into hiding in a Tehran bunker, according to the opposition-affiliated Iran International news site.

According to the report, which cites “information received” by the opposition news site, the Supreme Leader went underground after senior officials assessed an “increased risk of a potential US attack,” as the US moves significant military forces into the region.

6. IDF Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo said Sunday that the military is preparing for the possibility that a US strike on Iran could trigger Iranian retaliation against Israel.

He added that Israel is also closely watching whether Hezbollah could join a wider confrontation, saying, “We are very alert, very prepared, and ready both in strong defense and in preparing offensive responses.”

7. Ukraine and Russia ended a second day of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Saturday without a deal.

A UAE government spokesperson said there was face-to-face engagement between Ukraine and Russia - tackled “outstanding elements” of Washington’s peace framework.

The UAE statement said the talks were conducted in a “constructive and positive atmosphere.

8. US Army Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (CAML) Program.

9. Blackbeard Hypersonic Strike Weapon.

US - Russia - Ukraine Tri-Lateral Talks in Abu Dhabi + US CENTCOM Commander to Visit Israel Saturday + Latvia to Procure Archer SP 155mm Howitzers from Sweden + 2026 US National Defense Strategy Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. Commander of the United States Central Command Adm. Brad Cooper is expected to arrive in Israel on Saturday for meetings with senior officials.

2. Air France and Dutch airline KLM have canceled flights to Israel, Dubai and Saudi Arabia until at least Sunday, citing “security tensions in the region” amid concern of renewed conflict with Iran.

3. Iran’s foreign minister launched a furious tirade on Friday against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the latter commented in Davos that the deadly crackdown on protests in the Islamic Republic showed that if authorities “kill enough people,” they stay in power.

4. US - Russia - Ukraine Tri-Lateral Talks in Abu Dhabi.

5. Latvia’s government has approved the planned purchase of Archer 155 mm self-propelled howitzers for the country’s armed forces.

6. Pentagon leadership has made “no decision” yet about a potential reorganization that would affect the future of US Africa Command.

In December The Washington Post reported that the Defense Department was weighing a significant reorganization of the combatant commands that could see AFRICOM subsumed with US Central Command and US European Command under a new US International Command.

7. The Pentagon’s unclassified version of the National Defense Strategy places the homeland as the department’s number one priority above the Indo-Pacific.

The top four priorities for the Pentagon, as ordered by the NDS, are: Defend the US homeland; Deter China in the Indo-Pacific “through strength, not confrontation”; Increase burden-sharing with US allies and partners; & “Supercharge” the US Defense industrial base

8. Armor Not Dead: The Army is rolling out four prototypes of the M1E3 to a platoon this summer — five years earlier than the service initially planned, the Army Chief of Staff said.

Eight Muslim Countries Join Board of Peace + Israel Joins Board of Peace + President Trump: "Concept of a Deal" on Greenland; No Tariffs + FY26 ($838.7 Billion) Defense Appropriations Bill Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. Eight prominent Muslim countries jointly announced their decisions to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace on Wednesday

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates will each appoint a representative to sit on the panel of world leaders, their foreign ministers announced in a joint statement.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace, the premier’s office announced Wednesday.

2. A meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to take place on Thursday with “land deals” over Ukraine on the table, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told CNBC.

3. President Trump: "Concept of a Deal" on Greenland; No Tariffs.

4. Germany will finance the delivery of five Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine under a contract signed in December 2025, with the first systems expected to arrive in the coming weeks, Rheinmetall announced Monday.

5. Trophy active protection systems will be integrated on the Leopard 2 A8 main battle tanks of Lithuania, the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Croatia under a €300 million ($351 million) deal, manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced on Monday.

6. The British Army’s newly upgraded Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank has undergone and completed crewed live firing, ticking off a key milestone for the £800 million ($1.08 billion) program, expected to eventually deliver 148 vehicles into service.

7. House and Senate appropriators have agreed on an $838.7 billion defense topline for fiscal 2026 in a bipartisan deal that would boost defense funds by $8.4 billion over the Pentagon’s request.

US Plans Signing Ceremony for Board of Peace in Davos + President Trump Calls for Decisive Military Options Against Iran + Truce Announced between Syrian Government Forces and Kurdish SDF Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. The Syrian government and the Kurdish SDF announced a new four-day truce after a previous ceasefire between government forces broke down. The two sides have been clashing for two weeks, amid a breakdown in negotiations over the implementation of a deal to merge their forces together.

2. US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that “we think we know” where the body of the final hostage, slain Israel Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, is being held in the Gaza Strip

MSG Gvili, a member of the Yasam police unit, was killed battling terrorists at Kibbutz Alumim on October 7, 2023, and his body was abducted to Gaza, where it is still being held.

3. Several European countries are considering whether to stop sending personnel to a US military-led coordination center for Gaza, saying it has failed to increase aid flows to the war-shattered enclave or achieve political change, diplomats said.

The Civil-Military Coordination Center was established in southern Israel in October under US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza. It was tasked with monitoring the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, facilitating the entry of aid, and developing postwar policies for the Palestinian territory.

4. US Plans Signing Ceremony for Board of Peace in Davos.

5. Israel on Tuesday began demolishing the East Jerusalem headquarters of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, with Israeli forces entering the compound with bulldozers and other demolition equipment in the early morning and destroying buildings in what UNRWA called an “unprecedented attack.”

6. Iran’s foreign minister hit out at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos late Monday for canceling his appearance over a brutal crackdown on recent protests and said the decision was based on “lies and political pressure from Israel.”

7. Wall Street Journal Report: US President Donald Trump is continuing to push his aides to devise what he calls “decisive” military options against Iran, days after he called off strikes against the Islamic Republic.

President Trump's Board of Peace Invitations Sent: 60 Countries Invited; France Says No + President Trump to Speak at Davos on Wednesday + US Guided-Missile Destroyer & Survey Ship Transit Taiwan Strait Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. A U.S. military strike in northwest Syria resulted in the death of a leader affiliated with Al-Qaeda who was linked to the ISIS attack that resulted in the death of two U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter, the U.S. Central Command announced Saturday.

2. President Trump's Board of Peace Invitations Sent: 60 Countries Invited; France Says No.

3. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Monday that Turkish and Qatari forces would not set foot in Gaza, days after the White House announced that officials from the countries would sit on a key committee set to oversee the Strip’s postwar management.

4. U.S. President Donald Trump is also attending in person for the first time since he addressed the forum during his first term in 2020. Alongside President Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are set to attend in person.

5. Ukraine's top negotiator Rustem Umerov said on Sunday that talks with U.S. officials would continue at the World Economic Forum opening this week in the Swiss resort of Davos.

6. - U.S. President Donald Trump has linked his drive to control Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, saying he no longer thought "purely of Peace" as the row over the island threatened to reignite a trade war with Europe.

The President declined to tell NBC News in an interview whether he would use force to seize Greenland. He did reiterate his threat to hit European nations with tariffs if a deal is not reached.

7. A pair of U.S. naval vessels carried out Washington’s first reported Taiwan Strait transit of 2026, according to Chinese and U.S. officials.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command claimed that Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn (DDG 113 ) and Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship USNS Mary Sears (T-AGS 65) transited the strategic strait between Friday and Saturday.

8. The U.S. and Japan have pledged to further expand joint training across Japan’s southwest region, including the first island chain, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Thursday.

In a 50-minute meeting held this week in Washington D.C., the two defense leaders agreed to prioritize several initiatives meant to strengthen the response capabilities of the U.S.-Japan Alliance.

US Announces (Gaza) Board of Peace Executive Committee; Includes Turkey & Qatar + Ukraine Delegation Arrives in US to Discuss Peace Agreement + US Congressional Budget Office Estimate: Lead Trump-Class Battleship Could Cost $21 Billion Jan 17, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. US Announces (Gaza) Board of Peace Executive Committee; Includes Turkey & Qatar.

2. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said authorities “must break the back of the seditionists” and blamed US President Donald Trump for “casualties” after the Islamic Republic’s bloody crackdown on a protest wave against the country’s clerical authorities.

3. US President Donald Trump, for the first time, appeared to call on Saturday for the end of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s rule in Iran.

“It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” the President told Politico.

4. Mossad director David Barnea was reported to arrive Friday in the US for consultations on Iran’s deadly crackdown on protests and a potential American military response.

5. Ukraine Delegation Arrives in US to Discuss Peace Agreement.

Ukrainian negotiators will meet with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.

6. Troops from several European countries continued to arrive in Greenland on Thursday in a show of support for Denmark as talks among representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. highlighted “fundamental disagreement” over the future of the Arctic island.

7. French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday reaffirmed that "no intimidation or threat" could influence them following US President Donald Trump's announcement to impose new tariffs on eight European countries over the Greenland dispute.

8. US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle: US defense spending needs to be rebaselined to at least 4 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product to enable the Navy to meet current readiness demands and to expand its fleet of warships to contend with future threats.

9. The first Trump-class Battleship could cost up to about $21 billion if ordered today, with the price inching toward $22 billion if ordered in 2030, according to an estimate put forward by the Congressional Budget Office.

President Trump Postpones Plan for Iran Attack; Options Remain on the Table + US Announces Phase 2 of Gaza Peace Plan + Armor Not Dead: US Army Shows M1E3 Tank Prototype at Detroit Auto Show; A Working Platform to Test Ideas Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. US Forces seize 6th sanctioned tanker in Caribbean Sea.

2. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday.

3. US President Donald Trump reportedly informed Iran that he won’t be ordering a strike on the country over its deadly crackdown on protesters after the leaders of four Arab countries convinced him to hold off.

4. US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday announced the launch of phase two of President Donald Trump’s plan for ending the war in Gaza, including the establishment of a new technocratic Palestinian administration for the Strip.

5. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy responded Thursday to President Trump that Ukraine was stalling a peace deal in the country’s ongoing war with Russia, saying his country will “never be a stumbling block for peace.”

The President told Reuters this week that he believes Russian President Putin is “ready to make a deal,” but “Ukraine is less ready.” The President specifically named Zelensky as the person holding up the negotiations.

6. Moscow agrees with U.S. President Donald Trump’s view that Ukraine is holding up a peace deal to end the almost four years of fighting, a Kremlin official said Thursday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “Yes, we can agree with it, it’s indeed so.”

7. Ukrainian military resistance, with France alone providing two-thirds of Ukraine's intelligence capabilities in the war against Russia.

This was stated by French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, January 15, in his New Year's address to the army at the Istres airbase near Marseille, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.

8. The White House meeting to discuss Greenland lasted about an hour. Participating in the meeting were: U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Vivian Motzfeldt.

Denmark’s Rasmussen described the conversation as “frank but constructive,”

The U.S., Denmark and Greenland agreed to establish a high-level working group to try to determine a way forward for the self-governing Danish territory.

9. Armor Not Dead: US Army Shows M1E3 Tank Prototype at Detroit Auto Show; A Working Platform to Test Ideas.

Iranian Officials: More Than 2000 Killed in Protests: Iran Blames US and Israel + Vice President Vance & Secretary of State Rubio to Meet with Foreign Ministers from Greenland & Denmark in Washington D.C. Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. Latest on Iran Protests.

- Iranian Officials: More Than 2000 Killed in Protests: Iran Blames US and Israel.

- Appearing to depart from the notion of negotiating with the Iranian government, US President Donald Trump told protesters in Iran on Tuesday that “help is on its way” and urged them to keep protesting and take control of the country’s institutions.

- Israeli and Arab officials have suggested the Trump administration hold off on striking Iran for now, believing that the Islamic Republic may not be sufficiently weakened in order for an American attack to topple it.

- The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that it remained on alert for possible “surprise scenarios” as anti-government unrest in Iran has prompted the United States to threaten intervention over the killing of protesters.

- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party warned on Monday that foreign intervention in Iran could spark wider turmoil in the region.

2. The United States accused Russia on Monday of a "dangerous and inexplicable escalation" of the war in Ukraine after Moscow launched new attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure in Kyiv, despite ongoing U.S.-led negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.

3. Russia and China are increasingly working together in the Arctic, and their presence there will be a growing threat to NATO allies, said Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

4. Vice President Vance & Secretary of State Rubio to Meet with Foreign Ministers from Greenland & Denmark in Washington D.C..

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

I – On Defense Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected