According to a release from U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), at the direction of SOUTHCOM, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) interdicted a vessel in the Eastern Pacific operating as a refueling station supporting illicit at-sea drug trafficking operations for the Los Choneros designated terrorist organization. The individuals on board were apprehended and turned over to the Ecuadorian authorities and the vessel and its attached support vessels were destroyed.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has released post strike video of the M/T Kylo showing the ship going under water.

As we mentioned earlier, U.S. sanctions on Russia as a result of their invasion of Ukraine makes the rescinding of such economic coercive measures the primary precondition for the Kremlin before engaging in Russia-U.S.-Ukraine talks. Per Barak Ravid of Axios, the Head of U.S. sanctions efforts, Gene Lange, attended the three and a half hour meeting between Russian Direct Investment Fund head Kirill Dmitriev, White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and White House envoy Jared Kushner.

According to the Romanian Armed Forces, at 11:40 yesterday night, Romanian radar systems detected a number of aerial targets of unspecified origin operating near the Ukraine-Romania border, prompting air defenses to be put on alert. F-18s from the Spanish Air Force, deployed to Romania as a part of NATO’s enhanced Air Policing and Air Defence mission, and a Romanian Puma gunship helicopter were put on standby as a result of the event. Per the release, Romanian airspace was not violated during the event.

President Donald J. Trump’s Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials to discuss efforts to end the war with Russia.

The meeting follows more than three hours of talks Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The White House described those discussions as substantive and said the sides discussed concrete plans for the next steps toward ending the war.

This marks Witkoff and Kushner’s first official visit to Ukraine in their roles as U.S. negotiators.

According to Axios, citing a source with knowledge on the matter, during the visit of White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and White House Envoy Jared Kushner to Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky briefed the two on Ukraine’s preparations for operations in the winter months. However, per the report, both Kushner and Witkoff pushed Zelensky to find a ‘breakthrough’ before the winter months arrive.

In addition to their 2 on 1 meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Witkoff and Kushner held a second meeting where national security advisers from the E3 nations (UK, France, Germany) were present. Axios also reported that talks went well and were “substantive,” with one source telling Axios that “Things may move in a good direction if there's a follow-up by all parties involved.”

With recent escalations in the Middle East between Iran and the U.S., and both sides now trading tit-for-tat strikes on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, traders on Polymarket are now predicting that it’s unlikely the U.S. and Iran will meet diplomatically in the near-term, with traders assessing that there is a 7% chance such a meeting could happen by September 30, 2026.

According to a release from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), since the renewed blockade of vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports, 92 vessels have been redirected, 3 vessels have been disabled to ensure compliance, and 2 have been boarded.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has provided an update on the flight that crashed after overrunning the runway at Miami International Airport today, confirming that the flight, 21 Air Flight 7598 overran the runway after landing and crashed, and deferring further inquiry to the airport. Per reports at least 6 individuals have been killed and/or injured in the incident.

As the conflict in Yemen between Saudi Arabia, the Internationally Recognized Government, and the Houthis continues to escalate, the Houthis are now claiming to have shot down a Saudi Wing Loong II drone northwest of Sanaa.

Footage shows the moment that the 21 Air Flight 7598 overran the runway and crashed at Miami International Airport. Per reports, at least 5 individuals are dead with an unspecified number of injuries.

The Financial Times is reporting that Saudi Aramco’s Jizan refinery has been attacked for the second time in just over a month. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, and there are currently no reports of casualties.

The attack comes amid a significant escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis since July. Saudi airstrikes on Houthi positions and the Houthis’ subsequent attacks on Saudi territory have increasingly focused on energy infrastructure and maritime traffic.

The Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi linked shipping in the Red Sea in July and have claimed attacks against Saudi oil tankers, military targets and energy facilities. On August 9, the group claimed an attack on the Jizan refinery, where a fire was reported and later extinguished.

The escalation has also spread into Yemen, with Saudi backed forces and the Houthis engaged in increasingly heavy fighting along the western coast. Recent clashes have raised concerns that the fragile 2022 ceasefire could be collapsing altogether.

A second apparent strike on Jizan would mark another step in the widening Houthi-Saudi confrontation, particularly as the group continues to target Saudi energy infrastructure and shipping.

Source: https://www.ft.com/content/9ffb0fb3-51f6-4aa8-9270-a949196bf441?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Sweden has authorized the purchase the U.S. M142 HIMARS, with the deal reported at approximately $729 million.

The decision follows a U.S. State Department approval in March for a potential $930 million Foreign Military Sale to Sweden covering up to 20 HIMARS launchers, GMLRS and Extended-Range GMLRS ammunition, and 20 ATACMS pods.

The March approval was authorization for a potential sale, not a completed Swedish purchase. Sweden's decision now moves the procurement forward.

The final number of launchers and ammunition being purchased by Sweden appears to be smaller than the maximum package approved by the United States. The exact composition of the final order has not yet been fully disclosed.

HIMARS will give Sweden a long-range precision fires capability it currently does not have, complementing its existing Archer artillery systems.

Consistent with reports that Saudi Aramco’s Jizan refinery was targeted in a strike earlier today, NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) detected three thermal anomalies in the facility’s storage and distribution area.

The three heat signatures were detected at approximately 4:40 a.m. UTC. FIRMS detects thermal anomalies from satellite observations, but the data does not by itself establish what caused them.

Today’s incident would mark the second reported attack on the Jizan facility in just over a month. The refinery, which has a capacity of approximately 400,000 barrels per day, was also targeted by the Houthis in August.

The repeated targeting comes amid a broader escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with attacks increasingly affecting Saudi energy infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis have not yet publicly claimed responsibility for today’s strike, according to the Financial Times.