JD Vance on Iran:

We have shown an ability to do something amazing for our national security.

JD Vance:

We actually do have a plan to get the economy growing faster than the debt.

Trump:

The economy has never been stronger.

I would win by 25 points if I run again.

Trump on Iran:

We had no choice. I would have done it again 100 times. They cannot have a nuclear weapon.

Trump on Iran:

Iran attacked “sort of semi-neutral” countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

CSIS estimates the U.S. has burned through about half its prewar interceptor stocks and now has roughly 800 Patriots, while Russia alone produces more than 100 ballistic missiles a month.

Allies in Europe, Asia and the Gulf increasingly question whether Washington has both the capacity and political will to defend them simultaneously, particularly Taiwan and NATO.

The Pentagon denies any critical shortage, while the U.S. is investing heavily to expand interceptor production, but rebuilding the arsenal could take years.

Source: WSJ

Russia’s Pacific Fleet conducted a Bastion missile test off the disputed Kuril Islands on Thursday, after Putin visited the area for the first time last week.

The exercise involved a cruiser and nuclear submarine and simulated attacks on ships 300+ km away.

Japan protested, saying Russia’s military buildup on the islands is unacceptable and violates its territorial claims, further worsening already strained Japan-Russia relations.

The DOJ is seeking voluntary interviews with FBI officials involved in the 2022 Mar-a-Lago search as part of a broader investigation into past probes of President Trump.

Investigators are examining whether Trump was targeted by a criminal conspiracy, though it remains unclear what charges, if any, prosecutors are considering.

Source: Reuters

Ukraine sanctioned five Russians and four organizations linked to the production and distribution of Masha and the Bear, accusing the cartoon of spreading pro-Russian narratives.

The sanctions target the studio Animaccord, its executives, creators, and rights holder.

Ukraine wants Elon Musk to allow Starlink-equipped drones to strike Russian missile launchers up to 200 km inside Russia, aiming to destroy launch systems instead of relying on scarce Patriot interceptors.

Musk has not approved the request.

Source: FT

Aisha Wahab won California's 14th Congressional District special election, becoming the first Afghan American elected to the US Congress.

She defeated moderate Democrat Melissa Hernandez 53-47%.

AIPAC's super PAC spent millions backing Hernandez after Wahab called Israel's actions in Gaza genocide and supported ending US military aid.

The two will face each other again in the November general election for the full term.

Zelensky:

This night, our strikes hit oil refineries in Perm, over 1600 kilometers from the border, and the Marinovka military airfield in the Volgograd region.

We also have confirmed that a Russian Su-34 aircraft was damaged at the Akhtubinsk airfield, approximately 600 kilometers from the front line.

And in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, almost 180 kilometers away, a storage, preparation, and launch site for attack drones used by the Russians to target our people was hit.

Ukraine's Army Chief, Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi said NATO’s Military Committee is expected to visit Ukraine in October, its first visit in 8 years.

Talks will focus on long-range strikes, air defense, and battlefield tactics.

The Israeli Air Force has received its second of six Boeing KC-46 “Gideon” refueling aircraft.

The new tankers will replace aging Boeing 707s.

Ukrainian MiG-29 jet closely chasing a Russian jet-powered Shahed drone until it crashes into an open field.

The video shows the fighter trailing the drone in close formation before it loses control and impacts the ground.

Turkish Nationalist Politician Devlet Bahceli issued a sharp warning to Israel over the Syria airbase strike:

When the Turkish nation rises up, there is no force that can stand in its way.

Türkiye is not an actor that will go door-to-door in the face of attacks on its sovereignty rights.

Let us remind them once again: Israel has ignored the warnings we have issued.

He proposed expanding the Mecca Pact into a broader "Jerusalem Pact" with an Islamic Peace Force, called for an "Ankara Declaration" stating Türkiye will never remain passive against Israeli aggression, and urged a Middle East Security Conference under UN auspices.

Bahçeli warned that reading Türkiye's preference for diplomacy as weakness is "a grave strategic error."

Venezuela’s aging oil ports have become a bottleneck as crude production and exports recover.

Tankers are waiting up to 30 days to load, with equipment failures, power outages, slow transfers and oil leaks causing major delays and costly demurrage.

The problem could worsen as more companies gain the right to market Venezuelan oil independently.

Source: Reuters

Taiwan Seeks Record Defense Budget With Drones and Missiles in Focus

Taipei’s 2027 budget would raise defense spending by 18% to more than $34.5 billion, with sharp increases in drones, missiles, and other asymmetric capabilities.

READ MORE

US Faces Critical Missile Shortages: Can It Still Defend Several Allies at Once?

CSIS estimates the US has about 800 Patriot missiles left, sharpening doubts in Europe, Asia, and the Gulf over whether Washington can defend several theaters at once.

READ MORE

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Syria was considering joining the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, but had not yet decided.

“We understand that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are very important countries in the region,” Shaibani said. “Of course, we are studying our options.”

“We don’t have a decision right now whether to join or not to join this alliance,” he added.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani:

Israel is seeking not to give space to Syria to have stability in the country or to rebuild the country.

We want to reconstruct the country, we want the stability of Syria and the region, we don’t want to go into war with Israel, and we want Israel to stop its aggression against Syria.