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US and Jordan Strike ISIS Targets in Syria + Human Rights Group: More Than 500 Killed in Iran Protests; President Trump Weighing Military Options + Armor Not Dead: US Army to Unveil M1E3 Prototype at Detroit Auto Show Jan 11, 2026

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For review:

1. US and Jordan Strike ISIS Targets in Syria.

2. Human Rights Group: More Than 500 Killed in Iran Protests; President Trump Weighing Military Options.

3. Hamas says it has instructed its government agencies to prepare to hand over their powers to the independent committee of Palestinian technocrats that is supposed to administer Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan.

4. Israel on Sunday carried out major airstrikes against seven Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, using more than 30 munitions in two waves of strikes, the military said.

5. A group of European countries, led by Britain and Germany, is discussing plans to boost their military presence in Greenland to show U.S. President Donald Trump that the continent is serious about Arctic security, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday.

6. EU countries should weigh whether to set up a combined military force that could eventually replace US troops in Europe, the bloc’s defense chief said Sunday.

EU defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius floated creating a “powerful, standing ‘European military force’ of 100,000 troops” as a possible option to better protect the continent.

7. The UK Friday earmarked 200 million pounds ($268 million) to prepare British troops to be deployed to Ukraine as part of a “multinational” force if a ceasefire is agreed between Moscow and Kyiv.

8. Armor Not Dead: US Army to Unveil M1E3 Prototype at Detroit Auto Show.

Iranian Protests Continue for 13th Day; Spread Across Iran's 31 Provinces + Russia Strikes Lviv with Oreshnik Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile + US Seizes Tanker in the Caribbean Sea Jan 09, 2026

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For review:

1. Iranian Protests Continue for 13th Day; Spread Across Iran's 31 Provinces.

2. During visit to Beirut, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi has said his country is seeking to open a new chapter in relations with Lebanon, at a time when Lebanon is continuing with plans to disarm Tehran's most potent proxy- Hezbollah.

3. Iran’s supreme leader signaled Friday that security forces would crack down on protesters after they screamed from windows and marched through the streets overnight, directly challenging US President Donald Trump’s pledge to support those peacefully demonstrating.

4. Report: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will escape to Moscow if his regime collapses- an intelligence report shared with The Times of Israel says.

The Supreme Leader Khamenei, 86, will flee Tehran with his aides and family members if his security forces fail to halt the growing demonstrations or desert his side amid the unrest, the report says.

5. Russia fired its new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile at the western Ukrainian city of Lviv overnight on Jan. 9, the Russian Defense Ministry said, calling the attack "retaliation" for an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences, a claim Kyiv has denied.

6. The US has seized another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, US Southern Command said on Friday.

7. The head of NATO’s forces in Europe, US General Alexus Grynkewich, said Friday the military alliance was far from being in “a crisis,” following President Donald Trump‘s threats to bring Greenland under US control.

8. Lockheed Martin says it delivered 191 F-35 Stealth Fighters in 2025, a record for the program facilitated by a backlog of jets held in storage.

US Seizes Oil Tanker in N. Atlantic Ocean + Somaliland in Talks with Israel About Possible Military Base + US Ready to Start Phase 2 of Gaza Peace Agreement + USMC Selects Industry Team for CCA Program Jan 08, 2026

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For review:

1. US Seizes Oil Tanker in N. Atlantic Ocean.

2. President Trump's advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Wednesday in Paris with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev to discuss the U.S. plan for peace in Ukraine.

3. Somaliland in Talks with Israel About Possible Military Base.

4. US Ready to Start Phase 2 of Gaza Peace Agreement.

5. The Lebanese army announced Thursday that it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, covering the area in the country’s south between the Israeli border and the Litani River.

But Israel, which maintains a troop presence in a number of key locations in southern Lebanon to defend the border, was skeptical about the Lebanese claim.

6. President Donald Trump issued a warning to Raytheon on Wednesday, saying he would cut the defense giant’s government contracts if it does not accelerate weapons production and act to rein in stock buybacks.

7. USMC has selected a team of Northrop Grumman and Kratos to deliver the service’s first batch of drone wingmen, the companies announced today.

Under the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) program, Northrop will serve as the prime contractor, integrating mission equipment onto Kratos’s unmanned XQ-58 Valkyrie

France & UK Sign Declaration of Intent to Send Forces to Ukraine After Peace Agreement + Israel & Syria Agree to Establish Diplomatic Mechanism to Support Engagement + Iran Warns of Preemptive Strikes Against Imminent Security Threats Jan 06, 2026

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For review:

1. At least seven U.S. service members were injured during Operation Absolute Resolve, according to a Pentagon official and a person familiar with the situation.

The Cuban government said this week that 32 of its officers died in the raid.

2. France, the United Kingdom and Ukraine signed a “Declaration of Intent” on Tuesday to send their forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia.

3. Israel and Syria on Tuesday agreed during the second day of talks in Paris to create a mechanism that will facilitate de-escalation, diplomacy and commercial opportunities between the two countries, according to a joint statement from the two countries and the US that was released by Washington.

4. Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met his Syrian counterpart Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani in Paris on Tuesday.

5. Israeli military intelligence has warned that Iran is plotting to assassinate Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa. According to the Israeli military's assessment, al-Sharaa is facing threats from Iran alongside other hostile actors.

6. Iran Warns of Preemptive Strikes Against Imminent Security Threats.

7. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Somaliland on Tuesday for the first official visit since Israel recognized the breakaway state last month, where he met with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi.

8. N. Korea launches 2 x hypersonic missiles into the Sea of Japan.

President Trump: US Not at War with Venezuela + UK & France Strike ISIS Targets in Syria + Azerbaijan's President: No Peacekeeping Force Envisaged (in Gaza) + USAF Designates Northrup Grumman Talon CCA as YFQ-48A Jan 05, 2026

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For review:

1. Former Venezuelan Vice-President (Delcy Rodriguez) sworn in as official President.

2. President Trump: US Not at War with Venezuela.

3. Britain and France on Sunday said they had carried out joint strikes on the Islamic State group in Syria to prevent the Islamist extremists from resurging.

4. A fifth round of talks between Israel and Syria started on Monday in Paris, the first meetings in nearly two months, after progress toward a security arrangement between the two countries stalled.

5. Israel launched a series of airstrikes deep inside eastern and southern Lebanon on Monday, which the Israel Defense Forces said targeted buildings used by Hamas and Hezbollah.

6. Azerbaijan's President: No Peacekeeping Force Envisaged (in Gaza).

Azerbaijan has no intention of sending a contingent of its troops to take part in peacekeeping operations outside its borders, including in the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, President Ilham Aliyev says.

7. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump's adviser Jared Kushner will take part in a leaders' summit on Ukraine's security guarantees in Paris on Jan. 6, a White House official told the Kyiv Independent.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will also attend the summit, the alliance's press service said. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-host the meeting.

8. The German military has awarded a 4.2-billion-euro ($4.92-billion) contract to a joint venture between Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland for the delivery of 200 Puma infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).

9. USAF Designates Northrup Grumman Talon CCA as YFQ-48A.

The Air Force in early 2025 dubbed the first round of CCAs, made by Anduril and General Atomics, the YFQ-44A & the YFQ-42A, respectively.

US Strikes Venezuelan Targets During Overnight Raid in Caracas; President Maduro and First Lady Captured; Both Aboard the Amphib Assault Ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7); Enroute to New York to Face Federal Indictment for Narco-Terrorism Jan 03, 2026

Show notes

1. US Raid Captures Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

De-escalation: UAE to Withdraw Forces from Yemen + Somaliland FM: No Resettlement of Palestinians or Military Bases + Russia's Oreshnik Missile Fielded in Belarus + China Tests YJ-20 Hypersonic Missile from Type 055-class Destroyer Jan 01, 2026

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For review:

1. The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it was pulling its remaining forces out of Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed a call for UAE forces to leave within 24 hours.

2. Somaliland FM: No Resettlement of Palestinians or Military Bases.

Somaliland on Thursday officially denied that it had agreed to accept Gazan refugees or allow Israel to establish military bases on its soil in exchange for Israeli recognition.

3. The Iranian foreign ministry designated the Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist organization on Tuesday in what it said was retaliation for Canada’s 2024 blacklisting of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

4. Reuters Report: In the weeks before the Gaza ceasefire on October 10, Israel widely deployed a new weapon: M113 Armored Personnel Carriers repurposed to carry between 1 and 3 tons of explosives.

5. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy New Years Address.

6. Russian President Putin New Years Address.

7. Russia's Oreshnik Missile Fielded in Belarus.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that the Oreshnik has a range of up to 5,000 kilometers, or 3,100 miles.

8. China Tests YJ-20 Hypersonic Missile from Type 055-class Destroyer.

Along with a 1,500-2000 km range, the YJ-20 has the capability to maneuver upon reentry.

US Drone Strike on Venezuelan Port + Saudi Arabia Bombs Yemen Separatist Weapons Shipment in Port City of Mukalla + US Offers 15-Year Security Guarantee for Ukraine + China Conducts Blockade Drills Around Taiwan Dec 30, 2025

Show notes

For Review:

1. Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen’s port city of Mukalla on Tuesday over what it described as a shipment of weapons for a separatist force there, which arrived from the United Arab Emirates.

2. US Drone Strike on Venezuelan Port.

The drone strike targeted a remote dock on the Venezuelan coast that the US government believed was being used by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to store drugs and move them onto boats for shipping. There were no casualties, according to the sources.

3. The United States is offering Ukraine security guarantees for a period of 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday.

4. A top Russian official on Monday issued personal threats against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russia claimed that Ukraine launched a drone attack on one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's official residences.

5. President Trump meets wit Israeli PM Netanyahu; Discusses Gaza Peace Deal; Iran Missile Development; Lebanon; & Syria.

6. The United States defended Israel’s right to recognize the breakaway territory of Somaliland as a state at the United Nations on Monday, comparing it to the recognition of a Palestinian state by numerous countries.

7. Chinese forces fired more than two dozen rockets and rehearsed port seizures on the second day of ongoing blockade drills around Taiwan.

In statements and posters, Beijing cites Washington’s recent $11 billion arms sale of artillery systems, short-range ballistic missiles and loitering munitions to Taipei as one of the main reasons for the Justice Mission drills.

Israel Recognizes Somaliland + Busy Week: President Trump to Meet with Ukraine President & Israeli PM + Chinese DF-27 Missile Has 5000k - 8000k Range; Can Target US West Coast Dec 28, 2025

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For review:

1. The United States hasn’t given up its pursuit of the massive, rusted oil tanker it chased into international waters near Venezuela last weekend,

Officials no longer expect the Bella 1 to return to the country to load up with oil as the US military and Coast Guard chase it. The ship is currently empty.

2. Busy Week: President Trump to Meet with Ukraine President & Israeli PM.

3. Israel on Friday became the first country to recognize Somaliland, a former British protectorate that unilaterally declared independence from formerly Italian-ruled Somalia in 1991.

4. The United Nations Security Council will convene an emergency session on Monday to discuss Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, with members slated to condemn the move.

The European Union joined the chorus of condemnations of Israel’s move.

5. The Israeli Defense Ministry announced on Sunday the delivery of the first operational high-power laser interception system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., dubbed “Iron Beam,” to the Israel Defense Forces.

6. The Pentagon has claimed that Chinese missile forces are operating a new type of anti-ship ballistic missiles that are capable of reaching the West Coast of the United States, according to the annual report on Beijing’s military power.

US Strikes ISIS Militants in Nigeria + US Coast Guard Pursuing Sanctioned Venezuelan Tanker in Caribbean + China Sanctions 20 US Companies over Recent Taiwan Arms Package Dec 26, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. US Strikes ISIS Militants in Nigeria.

2. Venezuela’s ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday accused the United States of committing the “greatest extortion known in our history” at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council called over Washington’s seizures of Venezuelan oil tankers.

3. Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that the United States was reviving piracy and banditry in the Caribbean Sea by blockading Venezuela and said it hoped that U.S. President Donald Trump's pragmatism would help avoid a disaster.

4. US Coast Guard Still Pursuing Sanctioned Venezuelan Tanker in Caribbean.

5. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will meet US President Donald Trump in Florida at the weekend, as talks continue on ending Russia's full-scale war.

6. Lebanon’s foreign minister on Wednesday criticized Hezbollah and demanded its entire military system be dismantled and disarmed, saying that it was “unacceptable” that a non-state armed organization continues to operate within the country.

7. China Sanctions 20 US Companies over Recent Taiwan Arms Package.

The recent announcement of the $10 billion U.S. arms-sale package for Taiwan has drawn an angry response from China, which claims Taiwan as its own and says it must come under its control.

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