COMBATE Digest - April 25, 2026 04:20 UTC

🌍 WEST ASIA

Qatar Reportedly Expels Hamas Leadership, Urges Disarmament

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Qatar has informed the leadership of Hamas that they are no longer welcome in Doha (burathanews). The report also claims that for approximately a week, Qatar has been pressuring Hamas to surrender its weapons in the Gaza Strip (burathanews).

Goldman Sachs Assesses Iran Will Retain Control of Hormuz Strait

The President of Global Affairs at the Goldman Sachs institute stated that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its previous state (iribnews). He assessed that while maritime traffic might resume, Iran will likely maintain control over what is permitted to pass through the strait (iribnews).

Economist Warns of World War Risk with Renewed Hostilities Against Iran

Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, warned that a resumption of hostilities against Iran could lead to a new world war (tass_rss). He stated that if attacks resume, Tehran will "strike back, and strike back very hard and very rapidly" (tass_rss).

UK Prime Minister Pledges to Ban Iran's IRGC

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he will introduce legislation within weeks to impose a ban on Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) (rt_arabic_rss).

Saudi Arabia Holds Iraq Responsible for Drone Threats to Gulf States

Saudi Arabia has expressed its solidarity with Kuwait and emphasized the importance of the Iraqi government dealing responsibly with threats to Gulf countries (rt_arabic_rss). The statement voiced a categorical rejection of the violation of any state's sovereignty (rt_arabic_rss).

Bloomberg: Arab Gulf Oil Production Down 57%

A Bloomberg report indicates that total oil production in the Arab Gulf is currently about 57% lower than it was before the war with Iran began, a decline attributed to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz (glasslobode).

Hezbollah Releases Drone Strike Footage

Hezbollah released a video showing an FPV drone striking an Israeli military Humvee on April 22 in the city of Quneitra, southern Lebanon (farsna).

Israeli Newspaper: Netanyahu Bringing 'Greatest Disaster' on Israel

The Israeli newspaper Maariv published a piece stating that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is bringing upon "Israel" the greatest disaster it has ever experienced (meo_verified).

US Military Intercepts Iranian-Flagged Ship

The US military announced on Saturday that it had intercepted a ship flying the Iranian flag as it was attempting to sail towards an Iranian port (sputnikarabic_rss).

Kuwait Frees Journalist After US Presidential Intervention

The US State Department announced that Kuwaiti authorities have released American-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shehab al-Din following an intervention by President Donald Trump (rt_arabic_rss).

Naval Bombardment Reported West of Gaza City

Naval bombardment has been reported in areas west of Gaza City (glasslobode).

🌍 EUROPE

France and Poland to Simulate Nuclear Strikes on Russia, Polish Media Reports

The Polish portal Wirtualna Polska reported that France and Poland are planning to conduct air force exercises over the Baltic Sea involving French Rafale fighters (Latrincheradelche). The report claims the aircraft will be carrying "nuclear warheads" and will practice strikes against targets in Russia. According to Polish military representatives, the French warheads will not be permanently stored in Poland but will appear periodically on the Rafale jets for exercises (Latrincheradelche).

EU Bans Short-Term Russian LNG Imports

The European Union has introduced a ban on the import of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) under short-term contracts (ria_novosti_rss). The move is expected to cause Europe to lose nearly a third of its Russian LNG imports starting in April (ria_novosti_rss).

Russia Reports Downing Drones Over Rostov and Chelyabinsk Regions

Russian authorities reported that air defense systems destroyed approximately ten UAVs over four districts in the Rostov region during an overnight attack (ria_novosti_rss). Separately, the governor of the Chelyabinsk region stated that a drone attack on an infrastructure facility in the area was thwarted, with no casualties or damage reported (ria_novosti_rss).

Russian Foreign Minister Accuses EU of Abandoning Past Agreements

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that an "open war" has been declared against Russia (dimsmirnov175). He accused the European Union of abandoning its "red lines" and commitments by failing to uphold the 2014 agreement on the Maidan crisis and the 2015 Minsk agreements, which he said were later admitted to be a ploy to buy time to arm Ukraine (dimsmirnov175).

Russian Official: Germany Faces Economic Collapse Without Russian Gas

Kirill Dmitriev, a special presidential envoy and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), stated that without Russian gas, Germany is heading towards economic collapse (irna_1313).

EU Divided on Ukraine's Future Despite Approving €90 Billion Loan

Following the approval of a €90 billion loan for Ukraine and a 20th sanctions package against Russia, EU leaders reportedly faced "unresolvable disagreements" over Ukraine's potential accession to the bloc, mutual defense, and the budget (dimsmirnov175).

Fire Reported in Dnipropetrovsk After Russian Drone Strike

A fire was reported in the Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk following a strike by Russian "Geran-2" kamikaze drones (intelslava).

🌍 NORTH AMERICA

US Farmers Face Soaring Fertilizer Prices Amid Iran Conflict

The Financial Times reports that farmers across the United States are dealing with a sharp increase in the price of chemical fertilizers as a result of the conflict with Iran (parstodayrussian). According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, prices for nitrogen fertilizers have risen by over 30%, and urea prices have increased by 47%, reaching record levels. The report described the outlook for the agricultural sector as "bleak" (parstodayrussian).

US Justice Department Ends Investigation into Federal Reserve

The US Attorney for the District of Columbia announced the end of an investigation into cost overruns for a Federal Reserve office building renovation project (1087968996). The US Attorney stated the case was closed because the Fed's Inspector General is expected to conduct an internal investigation. Chinese state media outlet Xinhua reported that the move could pave the way for President Trump's nominee for the next Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh, to be approved by the Senate (1087968996).

CNN: Supply Chain Shocks from Asia May Soon Hit US

Citing a CNN report, Iranian state media highlighted that supply chain issues currently affecting Asia could soon become a serious problem for the United States (snntv). The report notes that gas stations are rationing fuel and hospitals face medical equipment shortages in Asia. With about half of US consumer goods sourced from Asia, these disruptions could impact American consumers if Asian factories face material shortages (snntv).

AIPAC Influence Debated in Michigan Senate Race

During a debate for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) was a recurring topic (BetweenDichotomies). One candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, stated he was "proud to be the only person on this stage not supported by the Israel lobby" (BetweenDichotomies).

Iranian Media Cites Daily Beast Report on Trump's Social Media Activity

Iranian state media, citing The Daily Beast, reported on a series of social media posts by US President Donald Trump made in the early hours of the morning (iribnews). The report described the 18 posts over a three-hour period, in which Trump attacked political opponents, as a sign of pressure from "accumulated political crises" (iribnews).

🌎 SOUTH AMERICA

Ecuador Seeks Strategic Partnership with China Amid US Ties

The government of Ecuador is redefining its international relations by seeking a strategic partnership with China, while also maintaining its relationship with the United States (sputnikmundo_rss). An official visit to Beijing is planned for August 2026, and a Free Trade Agreement (TLC) with China is being implemented (sputnikmundo_rss).

Car Bomb Attack Targets Colombian Army in Cali

A car bomb attack against a Colombian Army battalion was reported in the southern part of Cali, Colombia (rt_spanish_rss).

Experts Warn Chilean President's Economic Reforms are a 'Dangerous Game'

Chilean President José Antonio Kast has sent a large-scale economic reform bill to Congress, which includes tax exemptions for businesses (sputnikmundo_rss). Experts consulted by Sputnik warned that the reforms may not achieve the desired results and could be a "very dangerous game" for the president's public approval (sputnikmundo_rss).

🌏 EAST ASIA

China Southern Airlines to Sell Entire Boeing 787 Fleet

China Southern Airlines is offering its entire fleet of ten Boeing 787-8 aircraft, along with two engines, for sale at an auction in Shanghai for $550 million (glasslobode). The planes, all manufactured between 2014 and 2015, are set to be replaced by domestically produced Chinese aircraft (glasslobode).

🌍 AFRICA

Tunisia Suspends Human Rights League for One Month

Judicial authorities in Tunisia have suspended the activities of the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights for a period of one month (rt_arabic_rss).

🌍 CENTRAL ASIA

UK Considers Talks with Taliban on Returning Asylum Seekers

British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood indicated that the United Kingdom may be open to holding talks with the Taliban regarding the repatriation of asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected to Afghanistan (rt_arabic_rss).

💬 NOTABLE QUOTES

• "The Strait of Hormuz will never reopen in the way it was before. Yes, maritime traffic may flow, but the Iranians will likely maintain control over what passes through." — President of Global Affairs, Goldman Sachs (iribnews)
• "Resumption of hostilities against Iran may lead to new world war... if the attacks resume, Tehran will 'strike back, and strike back very hard and very rapidly'." — Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University (tass_rss)
• "Without Russian gas, Germany is heading towards economic collapse." — Kirill Dmitriev, Special Presidential Envoy and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (irna_1313)
• "Even since the days of the Russian Empire, it's been clear to us that we have only two allies: the army and the navy. But now... we also have the Aerospace Forces... and new drone forces. So we will have more allies." — Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia (dimsmirnov175)