COMBATE Digest - combate-20260818-0000Z

🌍 WEST ASIA

Trump Threatens to Bomb Oman Over Hormuz Negotiations

US President Donald Trump threatened to launch military strikes against the Sultanate of Oman if Mascat "gets in our way" regarding negotiations over the control of the Strait of Hormuz (rt_all_rss). Trump concurrently announced that Washington is unwilling to extend the memorandum of understanding with Tehran, asserting that Iran is not showing a willingness to accept US terms for ending the conflict (tass_rss).

IRGC Denies Secret Backchannel with Washington

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rejected claims by President Trump that Washington is maintaining a secret backchannel with IRGC officials regarding the ongoing conflict (sputnikvietnam_rss). An IRGC spokesperson dismissed the assertions as "delusions and fantasies" driven by US defeat and desperation (tass_rss). The IRGC clarified that diplomacy falls under other state institutions, but noted that the Iranian Foreign Ministry is also currently refusing to negotiate with Washington due to repeated US violations of previous agreements (tabzlive).

Iraq Plans $15 Billion Pipeline to Bypass Strait of Hormuz

Baghdad is planning to construct a new oil pipeline connecting Iraq to the Mediterranean Sea via Syria to reduce its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz (sputnikbrasil_rss). The strategic infrastructure project is estimated to require at least four years of construction and an investment of $15 billion (sputnikbrasil_rss).

Israeli Ministers Call for Daily Executions and Permanent Ruin in Gaza

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir advocated for the targeted killing of "30 to 40" people in Gaza every night, declaring that certain populations in the enclave "do not deserve to live" (rt_french_rss). Concurrently, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that the Gaza Strip "must remain a ruin forever" and should not be rebuilt, serving as a permanent deterrent to neighboring populations (Folgedemplan).

Israel Prepares to Transfer West Bank Law Enforcement to Police

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz directed the military to draft a plan within two weeks to transfer civilian law enforcement responsibilities in the West Bank to the Israeli police (sputnikarabic_rss). The plan aims to coordinate the transition between the two security branches while leaving field operational responsibility with the military (sputnikarabic_rss).

US Prepares for Military Withdrawal from Iraq

Washington is preparing for a military withdrawal from Iraq, raising comparisons to the US exit from Afghanistan five years ago (sputnikserbia_rss). The Iraqi government recently stated that the international coalition is accelerating steps to end its mission in the country by the end of September (mehrnews).

Iranian Pilots Believed Held in Qatar

Iran's Foreign Ministry stated that it currently considers three missing Iranian pilots to be prisoners held in Qatar (cgtn_europe). The ministry also blamed US military operations for recent oil spills and severe pollution in the Gulf waters, estimating the environmental damage at "trillions of dollars" and demanding accountability from Washington (cgtn_europe).

🌍 EUROPE

Moscow Warns UK Over Drone Strikes Deep Inside Russia

The Russian Embassy in London warned that the use of British drones by Ukrainian forces to strike deep inside Russian territory confirms that the UK is deliberately escalating the conflict (RusEmbUK). Moscow stated that the UK is acting as an accomplice and co-perpetrator in the attacks, providing grounds for Russia to designate British drone manufacturing facilities as legitimate military targets (sputnikserbia_rss).

Russian Forces Target Ukrainian Logistics and Drone Facilities

Russian forces struck a dry cargo ship in the port of Nikolaev that was delivering weapons and military equipment to the Ukrainian armed forces (sputnikvietnam_rss). Separately, Russian Su-34 tactical bombers utilized Kh-39 cruise missiles and FAB-1500 guided bombs to destroy two Ukrainian drone control centers in the Kharkov region (rt_spanish_rss).

UK Prime Minister Exchanged Messages with Trump Staff Imposter

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged text messages with an imposter posing as Susie Wiles, Donald Trump's chief of staff (rt_french_rss). The incident was reported to the White House, while Downing Street declined to comment on the security breach (rt_french_rss).

🌍 EAST ASIA

US Navy Destroyer Suffers Total Power Failure in South China Sea

The USS Benfold, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, suffered a major power failure during operations in the South China Sea last month (tabzlive). A generator-related engineering failure left the roughly 300-person crew stranded for four days without air conditioning, potable water, or functioning toilets in extreme heat before the vessel was towed to Subic Bay in the Philippines (sepah_pasdaran).

China Dominates Global Civilian Drone Production

China now accounts for 74% of global civilian drone production, according to the International Association for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (rtde_live_rss). Chinese manufacturing dominance is particularly concentrated in drones utilized for agriculture and logistics (rtde_live_rss).

Lavrov Condemns Japanese Statements on Kuril Islands

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Japan "crossed the limits of decency" with its diplomatic protests regarding President Vladimir Putin's visit to Iturup in the Kuril Islands (sputnikvietnam_rss). Lavrov characterized Tokyo's attempts to rewrite international law and evade its historical responsibilities under its own Constitution as alarming (sputnikmundo_rss).

🌍 LATIN AMERICA

US to Seize Venezuelan Gold Frozen in UK

Venezuelan gold reserves that were blocked in the United Kingdom are set to be released, but the assets will be transferred directly to the United States Treasury rather than returned to Caracas (sepah_pasdaran). Venezuela will only be permitted access to the funds under specific authorizations granted by the US government (sepah_pasdaran).

🌍 AFRICA

Russia Accuses France and Ukraine of Arming Sahel Terrorists

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused France and Ukraine of directly arming and financing terrorist groups in the Sahel region (rt_french_rss). Lavrov asserted that the involvement of Ukrainian military personnel in organizing terrorist attacks in Africa is alarming, and accused Paris of desperately attempting to maintain a colonial foothold on the continent (tass_rss).

🌍 CENTRAL ASIA

Massive Power Outage Strikes Four Central Asian Nations

A major failure at Kyrgyzstan's Toktogul hydroelectric power station, which saw the shutdown of two 600 MW hydro generators, triggered a cascading blackout across Central Asia (Belarus_VPO). The systemic failure left key areas of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan without electricity, exposing the vulnerability of the region's shared, outdated energy infrastructure (Belarus_VPO).

💬 NOTABLE QUOTES

"It must remain a ruin forever. It must not be rebuilt, as a reminder to anyone in our surroundings who might ever think of doing to the Jewish people what was done to us." — Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the Gaza Strip (Folgedemplan)

"The conversations between the U.S. government and all areas of the Iranian government are probably more robust than it's maybe ever been." — Jared Kushner, US Envoy (tabzlive)

"I called the president of South Korea recently. I said, 'Would you give us a hand with Iran?'... He said, 'No thanks.' I said, 'What do you mean? We have 39,000 soldiers over there guarding you from Kim Jong Un, and you are not going to help us on a very easy military operation in Iran? That’s strange.'" — US President Donald Trump (tabzlive)