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Report: Russia Providing Iran and its Proxies Satellite Imagery for Precision Strikes in Saudi Arabia + Representatives from Mecca Mutual Defense Pact Nations Meet in Tehran + USAF Air-launched Hypersonic Missile Oct 27, 2026

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For review:

1. Top officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan met Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday in a bid to de-escalate the Middle East conflict.

2. Qatar’s ruler and the Iranian president discussed the Middle East war and the blockaded Strait of Hormuz during a meeting in Moscow, the emir’s office said Tuesday.

3. A private geospatial intelligence firm said it examined 40 missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and militias in Iraq between July 1 and October 19.

In every case, the firm found the same pattern of Russian government and military satellites orbiting above the areas for days before and after.

4. The Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group has spent three months preparing for a possible resumption of hostilities with Israel, after receiving an infusion of cash from Iran, according to Lebanese security personnel briefed on its activities.

5. Albania finalized its participation agreement with the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza over the weekend, with Albanian liaison officers expected to deploy to the region in November, according to a statement from the US-backed Board of Peace.

6. The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a nearly $700 million contract for the production and fielding of a hypersonic missile.

The service granted Lockheed the $694 million contract in late September as it moved the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon from prototyping and flight testing to production.

President Trump Endorses PM Netanyahu in Upcoming Israeli Elections + IDF & Shin Bet: Hamas Not Willing to Disarm; Rebuilding its Forces + Report: China Leading the World in Combat Shipbuilding Tonnage Oct 25, 2026

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For review:

1. Havana on Friday, October 23, mocked the "desperation" of the United States after it called for Cubans to collaborate with the CIA, as Washington intensifies its pressure on the communist island.

2. Houthi media reported Saturday that Saudi strikes killed 11 people in Yemeni capital Sanaa, shortly after the Saudi-led coalition fighting them said it had intercepted two missiles targeting Saudi cities.

3. Two Iranian officials, one of them a Revolutionary Guards member, confirmed to NYT on Saturday that the Islamic Republic is preparing to target US diplomats and personnel, the newspaper said.

The unnamed officials US officials were seen as “fair game” given the number of Iranian officials and their relatives that the US and Israel have killed.

4. US President Donald Trump doubles down on his endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling Israelis he needs to be reelected on Tuesday so that the two leaders can “finish the job” against Iran.

5. Senior Israeli military officials have presented intelligence to their US counterparts that indicates Hamas has no intention of disarming and is instead rebuilding its forces in the Gaza Strip in preparation for possible renewed fighting.

6. Denmark will acquire two types of long-range precision missiles in an effort to “strengthen national and collective deterrence.”

The purchases of F-35 Joint Strike Missiles, and ground-launched Anthem cruise missiles, “are a significant step towards making Denmark better able to defend itself,” said Minister of Defence Jeppe Bruus in a statement.

7. China built more than twice the naval tonnage of the United States in the 2024-25 period, narrowing the gap between the two countries’ navies, according to the World Defense Shipbuilding.

The combined tonnage of combat ships built by China in the two years through to December 2025 amounted to 636,208 tons, compared to 270,509 tons for the United States.

Create Positive Change: US Secretary of State Encourages Cuban Population to Partner With CIA + US First Lady Mediates Russia - Ukraine Humanitarian Ceasefire + UK Fighter Jets Deploy to Defend Cities & Infrastructure in Saudi Arabia; No Offensive Strikes Oct 24, 2026

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For review:

1. US SEC of State urged Cubans seeking political change Friday to discreetly cooperate with the CIA.

"To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba - now is the time," Sec of State Rubio wrote in a post on X.

2. The UK is sending military support to Saudi Arabia as Iran-aligned Houthi rebels launch repeated attacks on the kingdom.

The aircraft will protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure from drones and missiles, the Ministry of Defense said. They will not carry out offensive strikes against Houthi targets.

3. Tehran has drawn up detailed plans to target undersea communications cables in the Persian Gulf if the United States and Israel attack Iran again, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters.

4. A US envoy claimed Friday that Washington could strike Iran this weekend, but President Donald Trump appeared to pour cold water on the idea, subsequently telling reporters he was unfamiliar with such plans.

5. Up to 500 Moroccan personnel have undergone training in preparation for deployment with the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, a Board of Peace official told The Times of Israel Monday, as preparations for the multinational force continue despite significant delays in implementing the US-backed Gaza peace plan.

6. French and British air forces have for the first time staged a joint exercise simulating a nuclear strike, the countries’ defense ministries said in a statement Friday.

7. U.S. First Lady Melania Trump has mediated a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in and around the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in Kherson Oblast to allow the safe evacuation of civilians and delivery of humanitarian aid.

8. The Pentagon and LM announced today they reached a framework agreement covering a decade’s worth of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production and sustainment, potentially inaugurating a transformative deal for the stealth jet’s enterprise.

9. The U.S. Marine Corps stood up its first Medium-range Missile Battalion last week as the service works to integrate longer range and maritime strike capabilities across the force.

10. The U.S. Army’s recently activated a Guam-based air defense battalion meant to protect the island from increasingly advanced air and missile threats fielded by China and North Korea.

Show of Force: Israeli Warplanes Rehearse Attack on Iran Before National Elections + Russia Agrees to Tri-lateral Talks with US & Ukraine in November + Turkey's Parliament Reviews Mecca Joint Defense Agreement Oct 21, 2026

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For review:

1. Washington has ordered non-essential US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, the State Department says, as the kingdom comes under sustained deadly attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.

2. Yemen's Houthis said that they had neither launched drones towards the Saudi holy city of Medina on Wednesday nor conducted military operations towards Saudi ‌Arabia, refuting earlier comments from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

3. Turkey’s government has asked parliament to ratify a mutual defense agreement it signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan,.

Mirroring NATO’s Article 5, the so-called Mecca Joint Defense Agreement commits the sides to view an armed attack against one as an attack on all three.

4. Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia signed a deal on Wednesday to deepen their defence industry cooperation,.

The four countries signed the memorandum of understanding in Doha, building on existing military projects through joint production, technology transfers and more closely integrated supply chains.

5. Turkish spending on platform procurement is projected to increase by 229 percent under the proposed fiscal 2027 budget, said Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz.

6. Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei told visiting Pakistani army chief Asim Munir on Tuesday that Tehran will not allow nuclear material to leave the country, according to state TV, and delivered the message that there would be no talks with Washington until its demands were met.

7. Dozens of Israeli fighter jets and refueling aircraft reportedly flew over Syria and Iraq toward the Iranian border earlier this week, following a flight path resembling an attack on Iran.

The aircraft turned around shortly before reaching Iranian territory and returned to Israel, according to an Axios report citing unnamed US and Israeli officials.

8. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin would be ready to resume trilateral Russia-US-Ukraine peace talks after mid-November, at the request of US special envoy Steve Witkoff who met with Putin for around three hours Wednesday.

The meeting in St. Petersburg came off the back of Witkoff’s “productive” Tuesday summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway, as the United States seeks to advance proposals to end to the war.

9. Norway is set to begin receiving its 16 South Korean-made Chunmoo rocket artillery systems in 2028, the acting chief of the Norwegian army told Breaking Defense, as the country faces an increasing Russian threat.

“Initial capability is expected by 2029 and the operators will be trained in Norway.

Tri-lateral Summit Possible in China; Potential Meeting for President Trump with Chinese & Russian Leaders in November + Egypt to Support Saudi Arabia Defend its Security + US Army Long-Range Artillery Battery Fires Tomahawk Missile Oct 19, 2026

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For review:

1. The US Military is deploying several hundred Army soldiers to Latin America for training and joint exercises with regional, Fox News confirmed.

The deployment involves soldiers from the Army's 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum, New York, with the first troops from a roughly 600-soldier battalion expected to deploy to Panama, according to the NYT, which first reported the deployment. Separately, several hundred soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are expected to help staff a new Western Hemisphere military command based in Miami.

2. More than 50 people were killed and over 200 wounded when Yemen’s Houthis hit a military camp in the energy-rich Shabwa province with ballistic missiles, officials and military sources said on Monday.

3. Egypt's top security body said Sunday it has agreed to support close ally Saudi Arabia in the major escalation of fighting between the kingdom and Houthis in Yemen, which has marked the latest front in the Iran war.

4. Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir placed the military on its “highest state of alert” ahead of next week’s election and canceled soldiers’ leave, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israel’s enemies not to test the country.

5. Ukraine and Russia should focus on ending the war between them, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters during his visit to Uzbekistan on Monday.

6. US President Donald Trump said Monday, Oct. 19, that he was willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in China next month, potentially without President Volodymyr Zelensky, while renewing his criticism of Kyiv and suggesting that someone else should negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf.

7. The German Ministry of Defence has formally notified Boeing that it will not be directly procuring the company’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone wingman, as Berlin readjusts plans for a lucrative Collaborative Combat Aircraft procurement.

8. A specialized Army artillery battery focused on the European theater carried out its first test fire of a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile from a Typhon missile system in recent weeks.

US CENTCOM CDR: Strait of Hormuz Controlled by US & Regional Partners + Report: Iran Providing Targeting Intelligence to Houthis + Ukraine & EU to Establish Separate Diplomatic Track with Russia to End War Oct 17, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. Many of the recent drone & missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi terrorists on Saudi Arabia are based on targeting intelligence provided by the Islamic regime, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

2. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said on Saturday Egypt would take any measures necessary to defend Saudi Arabia “if requested,” amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom, and parliament announced an emergency session on Sunday.

3. Adm. Brad Cooper, head of the US military’s Central Command, said in a video statement Saturday that “there are reports” that Tehran’s regional proxies were withholding payments to fighters to “funnel money back” to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

He also said the “Strait of Hormuz is controlled by the United States and our regional partners, not Iran,” even as at least one tanker was reportedly struck in the key waterway.

4. Four Hamas operatives, including a terrorist who invaded Israel during the October 7 onslaught, were killed in recent strikes in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military announced Saturday.

5. The U.S. Army laid out its plans to prepare for a prolonged fight in the Pacific along the First Island Chain in the service’s new warfighting guidance released this month.

6. Ukraine is negotiating with its European partners to establish a separate European track for dialogue with Russia aimed at achieving a diplomatic settlement to the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Report: US Planning Use of MOAB on Iranian Infrastructure if Fighting Resumes + Houthi Missile & Drone Attack Targets Yemen Presidential Palace in Aden + France to Continue Next Gen Combat Aircraft Program Solo Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. Iran-aligned Houthi rebels carried out a deadly attack on the presidential Al-Maashiq Palace in Aden, the headquarters of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, on Thursday, killing five people, including two members of Prime Minister Shaya Al-Zindani’s security detail.

2. The United States is considering using its biggest non-nuclear bomb against Iran if US President Donald Trump should decide to renew combat in the war that has hit a deadlock, CNN reported Thursday.

3. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated Wednesday that he is against a US or Israeli attack on Iran in the coming days, ahead of the Israeli election on October 27.

4. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday told Druze supporters that he spoke with Syria’s leader Ahmed al-Sharaa shortly after Israel, citing the need to protect Syrian Druze, bombed government targets in Damascus last year.

5. France will develop a next-generation combat aircraft domestically as a successor to the Rafale, after a joint project with Germany and Spain for a future combat air system collapsed earlier this year, Air and Space Force Chief of Staff Jérôme Bellanger said.

6. US Army is looking to expand its Common Autonomous Multi-doman Launcher (CAML) program by adding a third, light variant in partnership with the Australian military.

7. Lockheed Martin is investing $300 million to expand its plant in Grand Prairie, Texas, which supports all programs across its Missiles and Fire Control business, including the PAC-MSE, THAAD interceptors, the Precision Strike Missile, and the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile.

Saudi Arabia Strikes Back at Houthi Capital; Targets Oil Company in Sanaa + Iran Threatens Ground War Against Regional Neighbors if Fighting Resumes Oct 13, 2026

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For review:

1. The Saudi-led coalition confirmed Tuesday it had targeted a Yemeni oil company facility in Sanaa and two sites in other provinces, hours after urging civilians to evacuate the area of the strike in the Houthi-held capital.

2. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Monday that a suspected plot targeting the RAF Fairford airbase in Britain was “highly likely” to have been coordinated in Iran, and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

3. Iran is strengthening defenses around its nuclear sites and preparing for possible renewed fighting with the United States, while Iranian officials have warned of possible ground incursions into neighboring countries, The WSJ reported on Monday.

4. The foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom have called on the Palestinian Authority to reverse its decision to delay legislative and presidential elections, originally planned for November, until September 2027.

5. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to what he described as an “energy ceasefire,” prompting surprise from Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, who said the announcement was “news” to him.

6. France will begin training Ukrainian pilots on the Rafale fighter jet next month, Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin said in a parliamentary hearing.

7. The U.S. Army has taken delivery of its first Korean-made mobile tactical cannon less than a year after first issuing a solicitation, service officials said Thursday.

Houthi Attack on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport Kills 12; Wounds Over 300 + Yemeni Forces Advance Near Bab el-Mandeb Strait Oct 11, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. Yemen’s Houthis attacked Riyadh’s international airport with a missile on Saturday, in an attack that Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said killed at least 12 people and injured over 300.

2. Yemeni military forces were advancing against the Houthis in areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Saturday, sources told AFP, but have yet to secure control of the waterway after the government launched an operation to recapture lost territory.

3. Greece has reached a deal with the US worth up to $4 billion for weapons purchases and F-16 upgrades.

The package would upgrade older F-16s to the Viper configuration and supply advanced missiles and bombs for the country’s F-16 Vipers, planned F-35 fleet, and Black Hawk helicopters.

4. Lockheed Martin on Friday unveiled PAC-3 Edge, a missile interceptor designed to defend against hypersonic and advanced missile threats.

Report: US Preparing for Intensive Strikes on Iran + US Army M8 Carbine Fielding Starts in December + US Army Activates 4th Multi-domain Task Force Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

For review:

1. Two attacks on Riyadh airport killed three Saudi nationals on Thursday, authorities said Friday, as Yemen’s Houthis stepped up missile strikes on the kingdom and tried to shut down its airspace

The Iran-backed Yemeni rebels had said Thursday that they struck King Khalid International Airport with two cruise missiles.

2. US President Donald Trump has had the Pentagon draw up new plans for three days of intensive strikes on Iranian military and energy sites, focusing on its missile and drone arsenals, NYT reported on Thursday.

3. US Vice President JD Vance said in an exclusive interview with Reuters that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to satisfy US demands and end the countries’ seven-month war, even as Washington was unsure how Tehran makes decisions in negotiations.

4. Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh has informed France that a Palestinian legislative election planned for November 28 will be postponed, possibly until September 2027, because of worsening conditions throughout the Palestinian territories, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

5. President Trump decided to make a diesel fuel deal with Russia after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ignored half a dozen U.S. requests to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, a U.S. official with direct knowledge told Axios.

6. Fielding of the M8 carbine, which appears set to replace Sig Sauer’s M7 as the Army’s standard rifle less than three years after the M7’s initial fielding began, will begin in December with some units at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, company executives confirmed to Military Times Monday.

7. The Pentagon inked a five-year contract with Raytheon for the steady production of ballistic missile interceptors that use force to destroy targets, rather than explosives.

The $6.3 billion contract, which provides two additional option years, will see Raytheon provide the Defense Department with a continuous supply of Standard Missile-3 Block IB interceptors manufactured primarily in Tucson, Arizona and Huntsville, Alabama.

8. A new U.S. Army multi-domain task force was activated this week with a ceremony at Fort Carson, Colorado.

The 4th Multi-Domain Task Force will focus on synchronizing long-range precision fires in the Indo-Pacific region “to deny, disrupt and disaggregate adversary capabilities” and create advantages for other units in the joint force, the Army said in a release.

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