_s2_fwd_ (2025)

07/09/2025

POLITICO: Pentagon officials are proposing the department prioritize protecting the homeland and Western Hemisphere, a striking reversal from the military’s yearslong mandate to focus on the threat from China.

A draft of the newest National Defense Strategy, which landed on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desk last week, places domestic and regional missions above countering adversaries such as Beijing and Moscow, according to three people briefed on early versions of the report.

The move would mark a major shift from recent Democrat and Republican administrations, including President Donald Trump’s first term in office, when he referred to Beijing as America’s greatest rival. And it would likely inflame China hawks in both parties who view the country’s leadership as a danger to U.S. security.

“This is going to be a major shift for the U.S. and its allies on multiple continents,” said one of the people briefed on the draft document. “The old, trusted U.S. promises are being questioned.”

The report usually comes out at the start of each administration, and could still make changes to the plan. But in many ways, the shift is already occurring. The Pentagon has activated thousands of National Guard troops to support law enforcement in Los Angeles and Washington, and dispatched multiple warships and F-35 fighter planes to the Caribbean to interdict the flow of drugs to the U.S.

A U.S. military strike this week allegedly killed 11 suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang in international waters, a major step in using the military to kill noncombatants.

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05/09/2025

POTUS Statement on n aircraft near US ships

US President says if Venezuelan military aircraft ‘puts us in a dangerous position then they will be shot down’ when asked about Venezuelan F-16s flying near a US navy ship yesterday.

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05/09/2025

Venezuela Update: Deployment of F-35's following flyover of USS Jason Dunham

On September 4th, two n F-16 fighter jets flew over U.S. Navy destroyer USS Jason Dunham in the Caribbean on Thursday, to which the US Department of Defense called "highly provocative." Following this incident, the US has ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to a Puerto Rico airfield to conduct operations against drug cartels

Following the fly-over of the USS Jason Dunham, the DoD released the below message on X:

“Two Maduro regime military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters. This highly provocative move was designed to interfere with our counter narco-terror operations."

“The cartel running Venezuela is strongly advised not to pursue any further effort to obstruct, deter, or interfere with counter-narcotics and counter-terror operations carried out by the US military,” the statement continued.

The Dunham is one of at least seven U.S. warships deployed to the Caribbean, carrying more than 4,500 sailors and Marines, in a military buildup that has drawn concern from Caracas.

U.S. Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit have also been carrying out amphibious training and flight operations in southern Puerto Rico.

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02/09/2025

The US conducted a strike against a vessel leaving Venezuela

“As POTUS just announced moments ago, today the U.S. military conducted a lethal strike in the southern Carribean against a drug vessel which had departed from and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization..” - Secretary of State Marco Rubio via X account

A senior defense official also said that “We can confirm the U.S. military conducted a precision strike against a drug vessel operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization. More information will be made available at a later time."

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02/09/2025

US offers $15 million reward for info leading to arrest of ’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López.

The US is also offering a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros.
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01/09/2025

Venezuela accuses Guyana of trying to open a “war front”

Venezuela on Monday accused neighboring Guyana of "trying to create a war front" when it publicly accused Caracas of launching an attack on a boat transporting election materials over the weekend.

Security forces in Guyana say a boat carrying election officials and ballot boxes was shot at "from the Venezuelan shore" in the contested Essequibo region.
Police and the Guyana defense force said in a joint statement that the incident occurred on Sunday, ahead of the South American nation's general election on Monday. The patrol that had been escorting the officials "immediately returned fire," and no one was injured, Guyana's security forces said. Venezuela has denied being behind incident, which comes amid a territorial dispute between the two nations over the oil-rich Essequibo region.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino accused Guyana of "inciting a conflict" by blaming Venezuela for the shooting.

Venezuela claims the Essequibo region in , which constitutes 74% of Guyana’s territory. Venezuela’s has become increasingly aggressive about it since oil was discovered off Guyana’s coast.

Padrino also stated on Sunday the country is ready to confront "any attack" from the United States as tensions escalate over 's military presence in the Caribbean. His remarks came amid growing friction between Caracas and Washington following U.S. President 's deployment of naval forces to the region for anti-cartel operations.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday claimed that eight US vessels, armed with “1,200 missiles," were targeting his country, calling the presence of these ships as an “absolutely criminal, bloody threat" and warned of the “greatest danger seen on our continent in the last 100 years." The United States, which accuses of leading a drug cartel, has sent a naval task force to the southern Caribbean as part of an anti-drug trafficking operation.

Several US ships, including the USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, USS Fort Lauderdale, USS Lake Erie, and USS Newport News, are positioned near .

24/08/2025

US military withdrawal from Al Asad Airbase and Victory Airbase

Arab media reported on August 18 that a US military convoy departed Ain al Asad Airbase, a military facility hosting US forces in western Iraq, on its way to Syria. An Iraqi security source speaking to Shafaq News claimed that all US soldiers will leave Ain al Asad by September 15. A limited number of US forces may remain in Baghdad, while others relocate to bases in Syria and Erbil.

In a statement to the Iraqi News Agency, Hussein Alawi, an advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani, said that the international coalition gathered to fight the !$lamic $t@te will end its mission in Baghdad and Ain al Asad airbase next month.

“This development follows Iraq’s agreement with coalition countries to conclude the coalition’s mission within the publicly announced timeframe of 2025 and 2026. Under this agreement, the coalition’s presence at its headquarters in Baghdad and at Ain al-Asad Air Base will officially end in September 2025, marking a new phase of security cooperation focused on advisory roles and capacity-building for Iraqi security forces,” Alawi added.

Several news outlets are reporting that the US informed the Iraqi government that it intends to accelerate the withdrawal and will not adhere to the previously agreed-upon timeline under the framework agreement between Baghdad and Washington.

On Sep. 7, Baghdad and Washington reached an agreement outlining the withdrawal of forces of the U.S.-led Global Coalition from Iraq under a phased plan extending over two years. The plan stipulates that several hundred Coalition troops will leave by September 2025, with the remainder departing by the end of 2026.

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11/08/2025

A Chinese cutter and guided-missile destroyer crashed into each other while attempting to chase off a Philippine Coast Guard vessel in the South China Sea waters. The collision took place between between China Coast Guard (CCG) corvette "3104" and PLA Navy's 052D-class guided-missile destroyer "Guilin."

The CCG vessel suffered serious damage to the bow.

Prior the incident, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) patrol vessels responded to reports of harassment and “hazardous maneuvers” against Philippine fishing vessels around the contested maritime feature, according to a statement from PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela. BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) and BRP Suluan (MRRV-4406) escorted fishing carrier MV Pamamalakaya and 35 local fishing vessels in support of Manila’s Kadiwa Operation, a Philippine government-led initiative designed to support and empower fishing communities in the country’s western exclusive economic zone.

China confirmed that a confrontation took place and accused the Philippines of "forcibly intruding" into Chinese waters, but did not mention the collision.Tensions between Beijing and Manila have sharply escalated in recent years, with each side accusing the other of provocations and altercations at sea, including some involving weapons such as swords, spears and knives. The Scarborough Shoal, a triangular chain of reefs and rocks, has been a flashpoint between the two countries since China seized it in 2012.

Footage taken of the incident by personnel aboard Suluan depicted the 3104 Jiangdao-class cutter crash into Guilin’s bow as the destroyer attempted to cut off the Philippine patrol vessel.

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13/06/2025

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03/06/2025

US-Iran Update:

Iranian spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that “Iran is prepared for any scenario and will not leave the negotiating table,” said at a press briefing. “We are a nation of negotiation and do not have contradictory positions,” Mohajerani said.

Previously, Iranian diplomats stated that Iran was poised to reject a U.S. proposal to end a decades-old nuclear dispute, dismissing the proposed deal as a "non-starter" that fails to address Tehran's interests or soften Washington's stance on uranium enrichment.

The Financial Times reported that Iran is strengthening its air defense systems amid preparations for the possibility of an American or Israeli attack on the country's nuclear infrastructure should nuclear negotiations fail. Western intelligence assessments and satellite imagery reviewed by defense analysts suggest that Iran has since repositioned several surface-to-air missile launchers, including S-300 systems, near key nuclear sites such as Natanz and Fordow.

Multiple Israeli government departments have been allegedly holding meetings to plan for a potential Israeli strike on Iran and to prepare for possible Iranian retaliation.

CNN previously reported that the US obtained intelligence suggesting that Israel is making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. Officials caution it’s not clear that Israeli leaders have made a final decision, and that in fact, there is deep disagreement within the US government about the likelihood that Israel will ultimately act. Whether and how Israel strikes will likely depend on what it thinks of the US negotiations with over its nuclear program. But “the chance of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility has gone up significantly in recent months,” said another person familiar with US intelligence on the issue. “And the prospect of a Trump-negotiated US-Iran deal that doesn’t remove all of Iran’s uranium makes the chance of a strike more likely.”

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28/04/2025

India-Pakistan update

- Pakistan defense minister says military incursion by India is imminent. "We have reinforced our forces because it is something which is imminent now. So in that situation some strategic decisions have to be taken, so those decisions have been taken," Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

- The Indian Army has said that Indian and Pakistani forces exchanged small arms fire along the Line of Control (LoC), marking the fourth straight day of such engagements.

- Pakistan’s defense minister: [Pakistan is] on high alert, will only use arsenal of nuclear weapons if "there is a direct threat to our existence."

- Equipment is being staged on both sides of the border, with dozens of Pakistan Army SH-15 155mm self-propelled guns being spotted 80 km from the Indian border towards the LoC.

So my question is:
With something happen? Or will nothing happen?

Photo unrelated.

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02/04/2025

China announced thqt the name of military exercises around Taiwan as “Strait Thunder-2025".

Reuters: In an escalation of ongoing drills around Taiwan, China's Eastern Theatre Command said that on Wednesday as part of the Strait Thunder-2025A exercise its ground forces had conducted long-range live-fire drills into the waters of the East China Sea, though it did not give an exact location.

"The drills involve precision strikes on simulated targets of key ports and energy facilities, and have achieved desired effects," it said, without elaborating.

A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters there were more than 10 Chinese warships in Taiwan's "response zone" on Wednesday morning, and that China's coast guard was participating with "harassment" drills.
Taiwan's defence ministry, detailing China's movements over the past 24 hours on Wednesday morning, said 76 aircraft and 15 warships were involved.

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