🇺🇸⚡️ — The Pentagon's policy chief is drafting a new U.S. nuclear strategy that would place greater emphasis on the potential use of shorter-range tactical nuclear weapons in the event of a regional conflict with China or Russia, according to NBC News.

The classified strategy informs nuclear options for the commander in chief during crises.

🇺🇸🇺🇦⚡️ — The U.S. is continuing talks on allowing Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles, despite recent comments by President Trump casting doubt on such an arrangement, according to Reuters.

The proposals under consideration include producing Patriot components in Ukraine for final assembly in Germany, integrating Kyiv into an existing U.S.-European Patriot production program, or allowing Ukraine to manufacture a lower-cost version of the PAC-3 interceptor.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has been leading the effort and also discussed the plans during a visit to Kyiv last month.

🇺🇸⚡️ — President Trump posted an AI-generated photo of him wearing a military uniform alongside General Patton and General MacArthur.

🇺🇦🇷🇺⚡️ — Ukraine's Air Force says air defenses intercepted none of the Russian missiles launched overnight, confirming our report.

🇸🇦🇺🇸⚡️ — Saudi Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Fayyad Al-Ruwaili met with U.S. Army Central Commander Lt. Gen. Kevin Leahy.

The two military leaders reviewed Saudi-U.S. defense and military cooperation and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties in support of their shared strategic interests.

🇮🇱❌🇱🇧 — An Israeli airstrike targeted Al-Mansouri in southern Lebanon a few moments ago.

🇦🇪⚡️ — The Dubai Media Office reports the fire that broke out in the Jabel Ali Industrial Area overnight stemmed from an incident at a workshop, which caused several trucks and caravans to catch fire, confirming our reporting.

No injuries reported in the incident.

🇺🇸🇨🇳🇷🇺⚡️ — FBI Director Kash Patel told Reuters that the bureau has established new law enforcement partnerships with China and Russia to combat transnational crimes such as fentanyl trafficking, cyber fraud, child sexual exploitation, and organized crime.

Patel said the cooperation includes regular intelligence sharing, personnel exchanges, joint investigations, and coordinated operations, describing the relationships as limited to specific criminal threats rather than broader intelligence cooperation. He recently traveled to Beijing, while a visit to Russia is tentatively planned for October.

According to Patel, one joint operation involving the FBI, China's Ministry of Public Security, and Dubai police led to 300 arrests, the seizure of $300 million, and the rescue of thousands of trafficking victims.

An internal FBI memo also credits cooperation with Chinese authorities for operations targeting fentanyl precursor networks and child sexual abuse material rings.

🇺🇸⚡️ — The U.S. Navy has awarded $76.6 billion in contracts to General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII's Newport News Shipbuilding to expand shipyard capacity and continue production of Virginia-class attack submarines and Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, Axios reports.

The contracts are expected to strengthen the U.S. submarine industrial base, support the AUKUS security partnership, and modernize the country's sea-based nuclear deterrent.

The Navy has already contracted seven Columbia-class submarines, with the lead boat, USS District of Columbia, reported to be 66% complete earlier this year.

🇺🇸⚡️ — Senior Pentagon officials are privately urging Senate Republicans to support a future reconciliation package that would include a major increase in defense spending, according to Axios.

During a closed-door briefing, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and senior Pentagon officials outlined global security threats, emphasizing China, the need to rebuild U.S. munitions stockpiles depleted by the wars involving Iran and Ukraine, and increased investment in artificial intelligence to maintain America's military edge. Democrats were not invited to the briefing.

The Trump administration is already looking beyond the current reconciliation effort and is discussing a potential lame-duck package that could pair substantial Pentagon funding with other priorities, including a debt ceiling increase expected to be needed in 2027.

🇮🇱🇱🇧⚡️ — Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven others were wounded after an explosion inside a booby-trapped building in Majdal Zoun, southern Lebanon, according to Israeli media.

The casualties were evacuated to Rambam Hospital in Haifa.

🇲🇦⚽️ — FIFA President Gianni Infantino will hold a crisis meeting with senior FIFA officials in Morocco today as he seeks to shore up support following the collapse of his proposal to sell a 20% stake in FIFA's World Cup commercial rights business to private investors for $4.2 billion, Reuters reports.

He is now working to consolidate backing ahead of FIFA's presidential election in March 2027.

While he continues to retain support from some confederations and member associations, growing opposition from Europe and parts of Asia and North America has made what was once expected to be a straightforward reelection campaign increasingly uncertain.

🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — Russia's Ministry of Defence released footage of Geran-4 jet-powered drone strikes on three cargo ships in the western Black Sea.

The Russian MoD alleges the vessels were transporting equipment intended for the Ukrainian military.

🇯🇵🇺🇸⚡️ — Japan is considering integrating U.S.-developed AI systems into the Japan Self-Defense Forces to accelerate military decision-making and deepen interoperability with U.S. forces, according to Nikkei Asia.

The systems under consideration include Palantir's Maven Smart System (MSS) and Anduril's Lattice, which are designed to analyze battlefield data, coordinate sensors, support missile defense, and improve command and control.

To reduce dependence on foreign technology, Tokyo is also exploring a Japanese AI "command center," potentially built around Sakana AI's Fugu model, to coordinate multiple AI platforms while keeping critical infrastructure and data processing within Japan.

The initiative is expected to form part of Japan's updated national security strategy later this year.

🇩🇪🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡️ — Several security sources indicated that Russian actors are considered the most likely suspects behind the failed drone incident currently under investigation at Leipzig/Halle Airport, according to RND.

At the time of the incident, four Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft were parked nearby.

Investigators are examining whether the intended target may have been NATO, the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), or Ukraine's logistics operations.