Good morning! It’s Monday, February 3, 2025, and we’re kicking off the week with the latest updates on defense and global affairs. Here’s what’s making headlines today.
Unveils Underground Missile Base Packed with Cruise Missiles
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards showed off Saturday its new underground missile base on the country’s southern coast, adding to its growing network of hidden military facilities.
Its state TV aired footage of the site, boasting that it houses hundreds of cruise missiles designed to evade electronic warfare and strike enemy vessels from hundreds of kilometers away.
The showcase also introduced a new long-range missile, the Ghadr-380, which officials claim has anti-jamming capabilities and a range of over 1,000 kilometers (600+ miles).
Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri didn’t hold back, saying these weapons could “create hell for enemy vessels.”
This announcement comes just two weeks after Iran revealed an underground naval base for fast attack boats near the Strait of Hormuz.
The country has been ramping up military drills, including exercises to defend its nuclear sites from potential US or Israeli strikes.
With US President Donald Trump back in the White House, Tehran is bracing for what his second-term Iran policy will look like, given his past “maximum pressure” strategy that included pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposing heavy sanctions.
Russia Advances in East as Both Sides Suffer Heavy Casualties
Kyiv and Moscow are pointing fingers Sunday after a deadly strike on a school in the Russian-occupied town of Sudzha, located in Ukraine’s Kursk region.
Ukraine says Russian forces bombed the former school, which was being used as a civilian shelter, killing four people and injuring several others.
Russia, on the other hand, claims Ukraine launched a targeted missile strike and has opened a criminal case against a Ukrainian commander.
Meanwhile, Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s center and east left at least 18 people dead.
A strike in Poltava killed 14, including two children, as rescue teams searched through the rubble. Other attacks hit Sumy, Kharkiv, and Kherson, with more civilian casualties reported.
Russia also says two people died in Ukrainian drone strikes on its Belgorod region.
On the battlefield, Moscow continues to push forward, recently capturing the village of Krymske near Toretsk, a key city in eastern Ukraine.
Trump Envoy Pushes Ukraine-Russia Compromise to End War
US President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, says both Kyiv and Moscow will need to make compromises if peace talks are going to happen.
In a Fox News interview, Kellogg suggested Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is already softening his stance on territorial concessions, while Russian President Vladimir Putin will have to do the same.
Zelenskyy has long refused to give up Ukrainian land, but as battlefield losses mount and US support remains uncertain, he may have little choice.
Meanwhile, Russia wants guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO.
Putin recently said he’s open to peace talks—but not with Zelenskyy, whom he called “illegitimate” since Ukraine hasn’t held elections since the war began.
Trump has repeatedly claimed he could end the war quickly but has offered few details on how.
Kellogg insists Trump is serious about brokering peace, saying, “I feel very, very confident that we can actually make something happen.”
While he didn’t give a concrete timeline, he suggested it could take months rather than years.
Since taking office, Trump has also threatened harsher sanctions on Russia while claiming that Zelenskyy is ready to negotiate.
US Pushes Panama to Review China Ties, Threatens Action
Tensions are heating up between the US and Panama over China’s influence in the Panama Canal.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a firm message on Sunday to Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, warning that Washington will take action if Panama doesn’t address what the Trump administration sees as Beijing’s growing control over the waterway.
Trump has even floated the idea of taking back the canal, claiming Panama violated the US-Panama treaty by allowing a Hong Kong-based company to operate ports at both canal entrances. While Trump downplayed the need for military intervention, he made it clear that “something very powerful” would happen if changes weren’t made.
Mulino, for his part, agreed to review Chinese business deals in Panama but insisted that his country’s sovereignty over the canal is not up for discussion.
Meanwhile, China has denied any involvement in operating the canal and accused the US of stirring unnecessary tensions.
Rubio’s visit also included discussions on migration, with Panama agreeing to expand a deal that allows the US to deport Venezuelans, Colombians, and Ecuadorians through an airstrip in Panama. As Rubio continues his Central American tour, the US is making it clear that countering China’s influence in Latin America is a top priority.
Trump Admin Pressures FBI Over January 6 Cases, More Firings Expected
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) employees are on edge after being ordered to fill out a questionnaire about any work they did on criminal cases related to the January 6 Capitol attack.
The memo, seen by Reuters, asks for job titles and details of any involvement in the investigations, raising concerns that another wave of firings may be coming.
The order follows a string of high-profile dismissals under the Trump administration.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove recently fired eight senior FBI officials and over a dozen Justice Department prosecutors who worked on now-dismissed cases against Trump.
On Trump’s first day back in office, he pardoned all January 6 rioters and commuted the sentences of 14 individuals connected to the attack.
Legal experts argue that the firings may violate due process, and some FBI employees have reportedly started clearing out their desks in fear of losing their jobs.
However, Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll assured staff that, aside from those named in Bove’s memo, “NO ONE has been told they are being removed at this time.”
Still, with the administration tightening control over federal law enforcement, tensions remain high within the bureau.
Iraq Rethinks US Troop Withdrawal After Assad’s Fall
The fall of Bashar Assad in Syria has shaken up the region, forcing Iran-backed factions in Iraq to rethink their push to kick US troops out of the country.
Just months ago, these groups were some of the loudest voices demanding a full American withdrawal, but now, with Syria in chaos and ISIS lurking in the shadows, their stance is shifting.
Iraqi officials are increasingly worried that without US military support, ISIS could stage a comeback, exploiting the instability left in the wake of Assad’s ouster.
Some Iraqi leaders, including members of the Shiite Coordination Framework, now believe keeping American forces in Iraq is a safer bet—at least for now.
Behind closed doors, Iraq has reportedly asked the US to delay its planned troop withdrawal, though no official public statement has been made.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani faces a tricky balancing act: extending the US presence could make Iraq more secure, but it risks backlash from political factions aligned with Iran.
With the security situation uncertain and memories of past insurgencies fresh, Iraq’s leaders are walking a fine line between strategic necessity and political survival.
Djibouti Strikes Rebel Group Near Ethiopian Border, Killing Eight
Djibouti’s security forces carried out a deadly drone strike Sunday near the Ethiopian border, killing eight members of a rebel group and an unknown number of civilians.
The attack targeted fighters from the Armed Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD A), a group Djibouti considers a terrorist organization.
The government claims the strike was necessary to neutralize a threat near the border, but some reports suggest the attack may have hit Ethiopian territory—an allegation Djiboutian officials firmly deny. Ethiopia has yet to respond to the incident.
FRUD A, which emerged from an Afar-led rebellion in the 1990s, has a history of violent clashes with the Djiboutian government. In 2022, the group killed seven soldiers and kidnapped six others in an attack on a military barracks.
While a faction of FRUD now supports President Ismael Omar Guelleh, its armed wing remains active.
Djibouti, home to key US and French military bases, plays a strategic role in regional security.
With tensions rising near the Ethiopian border, the government has launched an investigation into the civilian casualties from the drone strike.
Israel Destroys Buildings in Jenin as Military Operation Escalates
The Israeli military blew up around 20 buildings in the Jenin refugee camp Sunday as part of an ongoing operation targeting Palestinian militants and weapons stockpiles.
Explosions sent thick smoke over the densely populated area, which has been a flashpoint for years. Israel says it has dismantled 23 structures used for weapons manufacturing and militant operations.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack, calling on the US to intervene and requesting an emergency UN Security Council meeting. Meanwhile, Hamas responded by urging an “escalation in resistance” against Israel.
This military campaign began on January 21, just after a Gaza ceasefire, with Israeli forces engaging in gunfights with militants across the West Bank.
The conflict has left at least 25 Palestinians dead, including civilians and militants, while Israeli forces report killing 35 armed fighters and arresting over 100.
The United Nations says nearly all of the Jenin camp’s 20,000 residents have been displaced over the past two months.
As tensions rise, Israel sees the West Bank as another front in its broader conflict with Iranian-backed groups across the region, from Gaza to Lebanon and Yemen.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israeli forces will remain in Jenin until the operation is complete, though no timeline was given.
Arab Nations Reject Trump’s Gaza Relocation Plan
Arab nations are making it clear: relocating Palestinians from Gaza is a non-starter.
Over the weekend, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League all flatly rejected President Donald Trump’s suggestion to transfer Gaza’s population to Egypt and Jordan, calling it a threat to regional stability.
Trump floated the idea last month, suggesting Gaza’s 2.3 million people could be moved out—temporarily or permanently—to “clean out that whole thing.”
But Arab leaders insist the focus should be on a two-state solution and rebuilding Gaza, not displacing its people.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi strongly opposed the idea, warning that once Palestinians leave, Israel might never let them return.
Both countries also worry about the economic and security fallout of absorbing a massive refugee influx.
The Arab nations also criticized Israel’s recent ban on UNRWA, the UN agency that provides vital aid to millions of Palestinian refugees. They called its role “pivotal and irreplaceable,” pushing back against Israeli claims that the agency is infiltrated by Hamas.
With tensions running high, Arab leaders say they’re willing to work with the Trump administration to achieve peace—but only through a two-state solution, not forced displacement.
Finland Expands Explosives Manufacturing as Europe Ramps Up Defense
Finland is stepping up its game in ammunition production, announcing plans for a new TNT factory to address Europe’s growing explosives shortage.
The 200 million euros ($208 million) facility will be built by Finnish explosives company Forcit in the city of Pori.
Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen called the project a “major step” toward increasing European ammunition production, ensuring long-term military support for Ukraine, and strengthening Finland’s security.
Forcit’s CEO Joakim Westerlund echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that expanding TNT capacity is crucial for Europe’s defense.
Meanwhile, 19 EU countries, including Finland, France, and Germany, are pushing the European Investment Bank to ramp up funding for defense manufacturing.
With rising security concerns, European nations are looking to boost private investment and production capacity to keep arms flowing to Ukraine while reinforcing their own military readiness.
Sources: News Agencies
