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For review: 1. The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government said Wednesday that air defenses intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles and two drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi group toward different regions of Saudi Arabia. 2. Iran is producing 50 ballistic missiles a month, about half its prewar capacity, according to Western intelligence estimates reported on Wednesday, shortly before Iran unveiled a new underground “missile city.” 3. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has recently moved from his Washington, DC, residence to a US military base due to Iranian threats against his life, three people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. 4. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he sees no need to resume major combat operations against Iran because economic restrictions are working so effectively. 5. The US diverted refueling tankers from RAF Mildenhall on Monday because of a threat from Iran, WSJ reported. 6. After criticism from the US-backed Board of Peace over Israel’s restrictions on aid into the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday insisted that Israel was doing what it can to allow winter equipment into Gaza, and that Hamas, not Israel, was not honoring its commitments. 7. Ukraine and Russia have agreed in principle to a major prisoner exchange following two days of US-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi, although negotiations ended without a breakthrough on the central issues dividing the two sides, Euronews reports from the UAE. 8. A White House decision on establishing a permanent US military base in Poland could come as early as next month, the country’s defense minister said following discussions with US War Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon.

For review: 1. On Sunday, Syrian officials told The Associated Press news agency that Damascus has already sent Syrian military advisers to Saudi Arabia and 600 special forces were due to arrive in the kingdom next week. 2. US President Donald Trump says the US will not be launching a renewed military offensive against Iran for the time being, thanks to “positive momentum” toward ending the conflict and a desire from Washington’s Gulf allies to avoid an escalation in the interim. Trump makes the announcement on Truth Social, as part of a readout on his “excellent” meeting earlier Monday in the White House with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who has been a key mediator in the Iran talks. 3. The Iranian Foreign Ministry also said UN inspectors had examined one of its nuclear sites at Bushehr, saying the inspection “serves as evidence that this regulated cooperation continues” between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. 4. G7 top diplomats began a two-day meeting in Paris, with European foreign ministers set to press US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure any settlement in the war with Russia was fair to Ukraine and steer clear of any new escalation with Iran. 5. The Israeli military on Monday announced the formation of two new battalions under the Golani and Nahal infantry brigades, in a move aimed at expanding the Ground Forces. The IDF said the two battalions will specialize in operating drones, robotics, surveillance and other visual intelligence systems, as well as advanced weaponry and precision-guided munitions, “to improve reconnaissance and attack capabilities on the battlefield.” 6. The White House is "cautiously optimistic" as peace talks between Russia and Ukraine resume in Abu Dhabi this week, U.S. officials said on Monday.

For review: 1.  The Houthis claimed attack on Saudi oil facilities, Riyadh airport and troop positions, and said they would continue responding to Saudi military action, warning that Saudi Arabia would face further attacks.  2.  Thousands of Syrian troops are set to deploy to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, with some already on the ground, multiple Yemeni officials have told AFP.  Syria will send around 3,000 troops to join the Saudi-led coalition’s fight, a source from the Presidential Leadership Council, Yemen’s top governing body, told AFP.  3.  US President Donald Trump said Friday that the US military carried out limited strikes on Iran, targeting an air defense system.  Iranian media reported that two missiles struck Qeshm Island.  4.  The US military said late Saturday it disabled a St. Kitts-flagged ship after it ignored multiple warnings and attempted to leave the region after visiting an Iranian port. Saturday’s disclosure comes in the wake of at least two instances in which US Central Command did not announce military strikes it has carried out in the region, and officials at the command declined to confirm strikes when asked about local reports of explosions.  5.  Washington is offering a $20 million reward “and possible relocation” for information about Iran’s nuclear program, the US military said Friday, as President Donald Trump reiterated his claim that Tehran wants to make a deal to end the war.  6.  Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Saturday that a self-proclaimed limit of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) on the range of its ballistic missiles “has been lifted,” suggesting the country may seek to develop missiles capable of reaching more distant targets amid fears of renewed all-out war.  7.  Thousands of European troops will gather in Poland next week for the Coalition of the Willing’s first major military exercise, a rehearsal for deploying a multinational force to Ukraine once the war with Russia comes to an end, European officials announced this week.

For review: 1. The Saudi and Syrian defense ministries signed a military cooperation agreement on Wednesday, as relations between the two countries continue to deepen. The pact was signed during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh, where he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the second time in a month. 2. Turkish legislators have ratified a defense cooperation agreement among Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as Riyadh seeks increased regional support in its conflict with Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.  3. President Trump met with his national security team Thursday to discuss whether to resume military operations against Iran, senior officials confirmed to Fox News. 4. US President Donald Trump’s announcement on Tuesday that the United States would cease providing nearly $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel by the end of this year, rather than nearly two years from now, sent shockwaves through the Israeli defense establishment. 5. US First Lady Melania Trump expressed hope that the humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky would inspire progress toward a “more enduring” peace, as she hosted representatives from Russia and Ukraine at the White House on Thursday. 6. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un inspected the ongoing construction of a new warship that is larger than the country’s 5,000-ton destroyers on Monday during a visit to North Korea’s Nampho Shipyard, state media reported Wednesday. The under-construction warship is believed to be a 10,000-ton cruiser.

For review: 1. Yemen’s top diplomat says the Houthi rebels are not willing to strike a peace deal with the internationally recognized government to end the country’s yearslong civil war. Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba speaks to The Associated Press in Paris, where she met with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot. “The problem is that the Houthis aren’t willing, and they will not be ready for peace,” al-Zouba tells AP. 2. The Houthis have launched multiple cross-border raids into Saudi Arabia in recent months, in an expansion of the conflict beyond Yemen a western and Arab official with direct knowledge of the raids told Middle East Eye. 3. The US carried out strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, an American official said late Monday. The strikes, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, appeared to be limited and were not a resumption of major combat operations, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Another official said the strikes were defensive measures against Iranians “using surface-to-air missiles against US assets.” 4. The Trump administration on Monday signaled a negotiated deal with Iran was possible after Tehran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, albeit under strict conditions. 5. Russia on Tuesday confirmed that peace talks with Ukraine and the U.S. will go ahead next week in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, while also signaling that a meeting between Presidents Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping to end the conflict was on the table.  Putin aide Vladimir ​Medinsky will serve ⁠as Moscow’s chief negotiator ​at the talks in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11, Kremlin spokesman ​Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call, according to Reuters.  6. Australian military officials have been furtive about how they will use Anduril-developed Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous underwater vehicles – or XLAUVs.  In an official unveiling at Anduril Australia’s manufacturing center in Sydney on Oct. 19, three Ghost Shark payloads were revealed. One entailed sea mines, another was a swarm of Altius-600 loitering munitions, and the third was logistics supply caches.

For review: 1. Saudi air defenses intercepted at least two suspected Houthi drones on Saturday morning, according to the spokesman for the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition. 2. Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday reportedly warned the United States and Israel against returning to war, according to a written statement, following threats from Tehran’s foes of a possible resumption of strikes, which a report said could come as early as November 4, the day after the US midterms. 3. US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly spoke on Saturday morning over the phone as the United States laid plans to resume strikes on Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported the call, citing people familiar with the conversation, as Trump told reporters in Palm Beach later in the day that the US wanted to destroy up to two more targets in Iran. 4. Iran on Sunday said that any renewed war with the United States or Israel could last longer than the previous round of fighting, warning that US President Donald Trump would not be able to dictate its end. 5. A multi-day ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv in the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Oleshky ended late Sunday with no violations reported by either side. The truce, announced by US first lady Melania Trump to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations, took effect Tuesday and was extended beyond Oleshky, in the Kherson region, to provide safe passage for humanitarian convoys. 6. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Oct. 30 denied that Moscow seeks to arrange a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky instead of a face-to-face meeting. 7. German tank maker KNDS and Norway’s Ritek have begun producing Leopard 2A8 tanks in Norway, adding a land-based industrial foothold to a security partnership spanning submarines, missiles and military operations in Europe’s north.  8. Hanwha Philly Shipyard has won a $269 million contract to build the Marine Corps’ Landing Ship Medium, according to a Friday announcement from the program’s vessel construction manager.

For review: 1. Pakistan’s military is “cautiously optimistic” about its mediation between Iran and the United States, its spokesman said on Friday. Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir— has been to Tehran twice this month, most recently on Monday alongside Saudi and Turkish officials. Qatari mediators returned Friday to Tehran, a source briefed on the talks told Reuters, after US Vice President JD Vance contacted Mohsen Rezaei, the hardline head of Iran’s National Security Council, whom Washington reportedly sees as the best-placed official to head off renewed fighting. 2. The US military’s top commander overseeing the Middle East met President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to present military options concerning Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials and others with direct knowledge of the meeting. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine also joined the meeting, at which US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper presented the options, according to the report. 3. As Israel continues to target Hamas operatives in Gaza, the Shin Bet security agency reportedly has been calling members of the terror group ahead of strikes, offering them a choice: Leave their homes and be killed alone, or be killed along with their family members. 4. The State Department announced today that it has approved the potential sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine. 5. Switzerland narrowed down the choice of the country’s second future long-range air defense system to either Israel’s Barak MX system or the French-Italian SAMP/T NG, while also sticking to plans to buy the United States’ Patriot air-defense system. 6. Nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine (K-553), assigned to the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet, launched a RSM-56 Bulava SLBM from the sea of Okhotsk  in northwest Russia.

For review: 1. The Houthis reported 12 killed in strikes Thursday on residential areas of western Yemen, which they blamed on Saudi Arabia, while explosions later rocked Riyadh. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said on Thursday it had intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by the group toward the Saudi capital, soon after fresh explosions were reported there. 2. The United States has informed several unspecified Gulf Arab countries to be ready for a short yet intensive military offensive against Iran following the American midterm elections on November 3, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday evening. 3. US Vice President JD Vance has contacted Iran’s security chief in a bid to revive peace talks that could head off a renewed American assault on the Islamic Republic.  VP Vance sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the WSJ reported, in a move that one of the newspaper’s sources said was directed by US President Donald Trump. 4. Russia’s next round of trilateral talks with Ukraine and the US could take place in Abu Dhabi after Nov. 4, but Moscow has yet to confirm a date and will not invite European representatives, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said. 5. The leaders of Norway and Finland held a rare call Tuesday with Russian president Vladimir Putin to discuss Ukraine. 6. The United Kingdom plans to reach 3 percent GDP spending on defense by 2030, Chancellor John Healey announced today. In addition, he said that next year’s spending review would spell out exactly how the UK plans to hit the NATO commitment of spending 3.5 percent GDP on defense by 2035, and how the UK will be at 3 percent by 2030.

For review: 1. Top officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan met Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday in a bid to de-escalate the Middle East conflict. 2. Qatar’s ruler and the Iranian president discussed the Middle East war and the blockaded Strait of Hormuz during a meeting in Moscow, the emir’s office said Tuesday. 3. A private geospatial intelligence firm said it examined 40 missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and militias in Iraq between July 1 and October 19.  In every case, the firm found the same pattern of Russian government and military satellites orbiting above the areas for days before and after. 4. The Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group has spent three months preparing for a possible resumption of hostilities with Israel, after receiving an infusion of cash from Iran, according to Lebanese security personnel briefed on its activities. 5. Albania finalized its participation agreement with the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza over the weekend, with Albanian liaison officers expected to deploy to the region in November, according to a statement from the US-backed Board of Peace. 6. The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a nearly $700 million contract for the production and fielding of a hypersonic missile. The service granted Lockheed the $694 million contract in late September as it moved the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon from prototyping and flight testing to production.

For review: 1. Havana on Friday, October 23, mocked the "desperation" of the United States after it called for Cubans to collaborate with the CIA, as Washington intensifies its pressure on the communist island. 2. Houthi media reported Saturday that Saudi strikes killed 11 people in Yemeni capital Sanaa, shortly after the Saudi-led coalition fighting them said it had intercepted two missiles targeting Saudi cities. 3. Two Iranian officials, one of them a Revolutionary Guards member, confirmed to NYT on Saturday that the Islamic Republic is preparing to target US diplomats and personnel, the newspaper said.  The unnamed officials US officials were seen as “fair game” given the number of Iranian officials and their relatives that the US and Israel have killed. 4. US President Donald Trump doubles down on his endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling Israelis he needs to be reelected on Tuesday so that the two leaders can “finish the job” against Iran. 5. Senior Israeli military officials have presented intelligence to their US counterparts that indicates Hamas has no intention of disarming and is instead rebuilding its forces in the Gaza Strip in preparation for possible renewed fighting. 6. Denmark will acquire two types of long-range precision missiles in an effort to “strengthen national and collective deterrence.” The purchases of F-35 Joint Strike Missiles, and ground-launched Anthem cruise missiles, “are a significant step towards making Denmark better able to defend itself,” said Minister of Defence Jeppe Bruus in a statement. 7. China built more than twice the naval tonnage of the United States in the 2024-25 period, narrowing the gap between the two countries’ navies, according to the World Defense Shipbuilding. The combined tonnage of combat ships built by China in the two years through to December 2025 amounted to 636,208 tons, compared to 270,509 tons for the United States.

For review: 1. US SEC of State urged Cubans seeking political change Friday to discreetly cooperate with the CIA. "To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba - now is the time," Sec of State Rubio wrote in a post on X. 2. The UK is sending military support to Saudi Arabia as Iran-aligned Houthi rebels launch repeated attacks on the kingdom. The aircraft will protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure from drones and missiles, the Ministry of Defense said. They will not carry out offensive strikes against Houthi targets. 3. Tehran has drawn up detailed plans to target undersea communications cables in the Persian Gulf if the United States and Israel attack Iran again, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters. 4. A US envoy claimed Friday that Washington could strike Iran this weekend, but President Donald Trump appeared to pour cold water on the idea, subsequently telling reporters he was unfamiliar with such plans. 5. Up to 500 Moroccan personnel have undergone training in preparation for deployment with the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, a Board of Peace official told The Times of Israel Monday, as preparations for the multinational force continue despite significant delays in implementing the US-backed Gaza peace plan. 6. French and British air forces have for the first time staged a joint exercise simulating a nuclear strike, the countries’ defense ministries said in a statement Friday. 7. U.S. First Lady Melania Trump has mediated a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in and around the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in Kherson Oblast to allow the safe evacuation of civilians and delivery of humanitarian aid. 8. The Pentagon and LM announced today they reached a framework agreement covering a decade’s worth of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production and sustainment, potentially inaugurating a transformative deal for the stealth jet’s enterprise.  9. The U.S. Marine Corps stood up its first Medium-range Missile Battalion last week as the service works to integrate longer range and maritime strike capabilities across the force. 10. The U.S. Army’s recently activated a Guam-based air defense battalion meant to protect the island from increasingly advanced air and missile threats fielded by China and North Korea.

For review: 1. Washington has ordered non-essential US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, the State Department says, as the kingdom comes under sustained deadly attacks by Yemen’s Houthis. 2. Yemen's Houthis said that they had neither launched drones towards the Saudi holy city ​of Medina on Wednesday nor conducted military operations towards Saudi ‌Arabia, refuting earlier comments from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. 3. Turkey’s government has asked parliament to ratify a mutual defense agreement it signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan,. Mirroring NATO’s Article 5, the so-called Mecca Joint Defense Agreement commits the sides to view an armed attack against one as an attack on all three. 4. Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia signed a deal on Wednesday to deepen their defence industry cooperation,. The four countries signed the memorandum of understanding in Doha, building on existing military projects through joint production, technology transfers and more closely integrated supply chains. 5. Turkish spending on platform procurement is projected to increase by 229 percent under the proposed fiscal 2027 budget, said Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz. 6. Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei told visiting Pakistani army chief Asim Munir on Tuesday that Tehran will not allow nuclear material to leave the country, according to state TV, and delivered the message that there would be no talks with Washington until its demands were met. 7. Dozens of Israeli fighter jets and refueling aircraft reportedly flew over Syria and Iraq toward the Iranian border earlier this week, following a flight path resembling an attack on Iran. The aircraft turned around shortly before reaching Iranian territory and returned to Israel, according to an Axios report citing unnamed US and Israeli officials. 8. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin would be ready to resume trilateral Russia-US-Ukraine peace talks after mid-November, at the request of US special envoy Steve Witkoff who met with Putin for around three hours Wednesday. The meeting in St. Petersburg came off the back of Witkoff’s “productive” Tuesday summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway, as the United States seeks to advance proposals to end to the war. 9. Norway is set to begin receiving its 16 South Korean-made Chunmoo rocket artillery systems in 2028, the acting chief of the Norwegian army told Breaking Defense, as the country faces an increasing Russian threat. “Initial capability is expected by 2029 and the operators will be trained in Norway.

For review: 1. The  US Military is deploying several hundred Army soldiers to Latin America for training and joint exercises with regional, Fox News confirmed. The deployment involves soldiers from the Army's 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum, New York, with the first troops from a roughly 600-soldier battalion expected to deploy to Panama, according to the NYT, which first reported the deployment. Separately, several hundred soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are expected to help staff a new Western Hemisphere military command based in Miami. 2. More than 50 people were killed and over 200 wounded when Yemen’s Houthis hit a military camp in the energy-rich Shabwa province with ballistic missiles, officials and military sources said on Monday. 3. Egypt's top security body said Sunday it has agreed to support close ally Saudi Arabia in the major escalation of fighting between the kingdom and Houthis in Yemen, which has marked the latest front in the Iran war. 4. Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir placed the military on its “highest state of alert” ahead of next week’s election and canceled soldiers’ leave, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israel’s enemies not to test the country. 5. Ukraine and Russia should focus on ending the war between them, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters during his visit to Uzbekistan on Monday. 6. US President Donald Trump said Monday, Oct. 19, that he was willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in China next month, potentially without President Volodymyr Zelensky, while renewing his criticism of Kyiv and suggesting that someone else should negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf. 7. The German Ministry of Defence has formally notified Boeing that it will not be directly procuring the company’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone wingman, as Berlin readjusts plans for a lucrative Collaborative Combat Aircraft procurement. 8. A specialized Army artillery battery focused on the European theater carried out its first test fire of a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile from a Typhon missile system in recent weeks.

For review: 1. Many of the recent drone & missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi terrorists on Saudi Arabia are based on targeting intelligence provided by the Islamic regime, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. 2. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said on Saturday Egypt would take any measures necessary to defend Saudi Arabia “if requested,” amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom, and parliament announced an emergency session on Sunday. 3. Adm. Brad Cooper, head of the US military’s Central Command, said in a video statement Saturday that “there are reports” that Tehran’s regional proxies were withholding payments to fighters to “funnel money back” to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He also said the “Strait of Hormuz is controlled by the United States and our regional partners, not Iran,” even as at least one tanker was reportedly struck in the key waterway. 4. Four Hamas operatives, including a terrorist who invaded Israel during the October 7 onslaught, were killed in recent strikes in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military announced Saturday. 5. The U.S. Army laid out its plans to prepare for a prolonged fight in the Pacific along the First Island Chain in the service’s new warfighting guidance released this month. 6. Ukraine is negotiating with its European partners to establish a separate European track for dialogue with Russia aimed at achieving a diplomatic settlement to the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

For review: 1. Iran-aligned Houthi rebels carried out a deadly attack on the presidential Al-Maashiq Palace in Aden, the headquarters of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, on Thursday, killing five people, including two members of Prime Minister Shaya Al-Zindani’s security detail. 2. The United States is considering using its biggest non-nuclear bomb against Iran if US President Donald Trump should decide to renew combat in the war that has hit a deadlock, CNN reported Thursday. 3. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated Wednesday that he is against a US or Israeli attack on Iran in the coming days, ahead of the Israeli election on October 27. 4. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday told Druze supporters that he spoke with Syria’s leader Ahmed al-Sharaa shortly after Israel, citing the need to protect Syrian Druze, bombed government targets in Damascus last year. 5. France will develop a next-generation combat aircraft domestically as a successor to the Rafale, after a joint project with Germany and Spain for a future combat air system collapsed earlier this year, Air and Space Force Chief of Staff Jérôme Bellanger said. 6. US Army is looking to expand its Common Autonomous Multi-doman Launcher (CAML) program by adding a third, light variant in partnership with the Australian military. 7. Lockheed Martin is investing $300 million to expand its plant in Grand Prairie, Texas, which supports all programs across its Missiles and Fire Control business, including the PAC-MSE, THAAD interceptors, the Precision Strike Missile, and the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile.