COMBATE Digest - combate-20260911-1200Z

🌍 WEST ASIA

Gulf States, Iran to Discuss Strait of Hormuz Deal in Oman

Gulf states and Iran will discuss a Strait of Hormuz agreement in Oman, with one source saying details have yet to be finalized but several countries already confirming participation (tass_rss). The Financial Times claimed the Iranian foreign minister and his Gulf counterparts will meet Monday in the Omani coastal city of Salalah to advance the Hormuz accord (mehrnews). NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance is not involved in any mine-clearing operations in the strait, stressing the waterway falls outside NATO territory (presstv). Reuters ship-tracking data showed Hormuz transits fell to seven vessels Thursday, down from 11 on Wednesday and a 10-day average of 15 (irna_1313). Pakistan's envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the US and Iran show a "slight lack of willingness" to resolve the conflict, while Islamabad remains engaged with both at senior levels (tass_rss).

Trump Refused Saudi Plea to Strike Yemen as Forces Neared Bab al-Mandeb

Axios, citing two US officials, reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump twice on Thursday — first briefing him on the deteriorating Yemen situation, then asking him to order strikes on Ansar Allah as its forces closed on Bab al-Mandeb — and that Trump refused (1087968996, rt_spanish_rss). Some 200 US personnel are stationed in Saudi Arabia providing intelligence and target-identification support against Yemeni forces, and CENTCOM chief Admiral Cooper flew to Riyadh for an emergency coordination meeting (1087968996, irna_1313, gordanesam313). Axios reported Trump ordered US forces to remain focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz and to avoid opening a second front. A senior US official said Washington is focused on "protecting core national security interests, such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, while empowering regional partners" (1087968996).

UN Envoy: Yemen Entering "More Dangerous Phase"

UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg warned that Yemen is entering a new and more dangerous stage of the conflict and that its repercussions may not remain confined within the country's borders (rt_arabic_rss, rt_spanish_rss).

UPDATE: Yemeni Forces Halt Advance After Taking Fourth Island; Warn Riyadh of Reciprocity

Yemeni forces secured Perim (Mayyun) island — their fourth — completing control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait, which is roughly 29 km wide at that point; AFP noted Ansar Allah now controls nearly all of Yemen's Red Sea coast facing the strait, calling it one of the most significant territorial gains of the entire war (sepahcybery, sepahcybery). After liberating some 4,200 square kilometers in the southwest, the advance halted in the Dhubab and Al-Wazi'iyah districts of Taiz following a message from Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Supreme Political Council, as forces consolidated gains and secured the islands (iswnews_en). Sanaa's Supreme Political Council declared an end to clashes in the western-coast districts, claiming Saudi-led mobilizations had been expelled (rt_arabic_rss). After Saudi strikes on Mokha airport (farsna), Ansar Allah Political Bureau member Hezam al-Asad warned that under an "escalation for escalation" equation, any Saudi attack on infrastructure, airports or ports in Mokha, Dhubab, Mayyun or elsewhere in Yemen will be met with a comparable reciprocal response (gordanesam313, sepahcybery); he separately assured that freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb is guaranteed, calling the coastal battle an internal operation to recover Yemeni land (irna_1313). Yemeni military expert Ali al-Nasi said Saudi-aligned commander Tareq Saleh never evacuated his wounded from the coastal fronts and the Hanish and Jabal Zuqar islands, abandoning them (irna_1313). Yemen's government Defense Council claimed gains in Marib, Al-Jawf and Al-Bayda while admitting its forces repositioned on the western coast (rt_arabic_rss).

NYT: Vance Bypassed Pentagon for Uncensored War Assessments; Commanders Warn of Munitions Depletion

The New York Times reported that Vice President JD Vance personally contacted senior US commanders in the Middle East, Europe and Asia for unfiltered assessments of the Iran war, bypassing standard channels; the military warned him that Patriot interceptor stocks and other critical munitions are being depleted and that the war may undermine US deterrence of China, Russia and North Korea (internationalreporters_eng, internationalreporters_eng, akhbarefori, irna_1313). On Fox News, asked how Iran can still launch missiles, Trump replied: "They can always launch missiles. They had a lot of missiles and still do" (iribnews). Trump suggested he may not escalate against Iran because of the November midterms (sputnikvietnam_rss, rt_arabic_rss), said Iran is trying to keep the conflict going in expectation of a Democrat win (tass_rss), and admitted the operation ran "a little longer" than planned (rt_spanish_rss). Politico calculated the war has cost each American household about $1,650 (iribnews). The US withdrew damaged Black Hawk helicopters from Jordan (yt_jpmas), and new Sentinel-2 satellite imagery showed at least four impact points at Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti base — a taxiway and three aircraft shelters (akhbarefori). Responding to Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao's admission on Bahrain, Foreign Minister Araghchi said: "Yes, we razed the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain... The American people really shouldn't pay for Israel's wars" (rt_spanish_rss, presstv). The Pentagon acknowledged losing the Saildrone in Hormuz but described it as an old, malfunctioning device carrying no classified equipment (lantidiplomatico). With 54 days to the midterms: gasoline averaged $4.27, diesel $5.97, 30-year Treasury yields stood at their highest since 2007, and Democrats led polls in seven of nine competitive Senate states (parstodayrussian).

Qatar LNG Exports Collapse 96 Percent as War Cripples Ras Laffan

Bloomberg reported the war disabled two of Qatar's 14 LNG trains at Ras Laffan, with repairs taking three to five years; deliveries over six months collapsed from 509 to 18 — a 96 percent drop — with estimated damage of $24 billion, and Doha is now negotiating long-term US LNG purchases (parstodayrussian). Analyst Alexander Nazarov warned European gas prices could hit records this winter if Qatar buys US gas and redirects it to Asian markets (rt_arabic_rss).

Oil Topped $100 as IEA Sees Historic Supply Shock

NYMEX WTI broke $100.88 intraday, up 5 percent, with Brent reaching $105.84 (1087968996); Brent later touched $109.97, a four-month high (irna_1313), with oil heading for its first weekly close above $100 since mid-May (rt_arabic_rss). Reuters attributed the surge to simultaneous pressure on both Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, with weekly gains above 7 percent and at one point near 13 percent (seday_teh). The IEA warned the 2026 supply deficit will deepen and that the war delays the return of normal Middle East oil flows until 2027 (irna_1313); it cut its 2026 global production forecast by 1.4 million bpd to 100.71 million bpd — a historic drop comparable to the four biggest supply shocks of the past 60 years (rt_arabic_rss). OPEC raised its 2027 demand-growth forecast for a fifth straight month while trimming 2026 (1087968996). Satellite imagery showed a smoke cloud stretching more than 100 km over the Saudi desert near oil pipeline routes, with six fire points detected along the line (rt_spanish_rss).

Israel Kills Hamas Khan Younis Commander; Berri Says Lebanon Framework Collapsed

The IDF and ISA announced the elimination of Muhammad Yazouri, commander of Hamas' Khan Younis Brigade, in a precise strike (idfofficial, rt_arabic_rss). Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri warned the situation in the south is extremely dangerous, said the "framework agreement" has effectively collapsed, and cautioned that Israel is capable of occupying if it chooses (rt_arabic_rss). South Lebanon media activists said the site Israel blew up at Ali al-Taher was an empty, long-abandoned center near Kfar Tabnit, with the enormous blast produced by a deliberate overuse of explosives to create an illusion of victory (parstodayrussian). Israel ordered a British military team monitoring settler violence to leave the West Bank just as it prepared to expand its mission (rt_arabic_rss), and Israeli artillery shelled farmland at Beit Jinn on Damascus's western outskirts amid continued attacks in southern Syria (irna_1313). Hillary Clinton sharply criticized Netanyahu, urging a tougher US approach should he win re-election (irna_1313, parstodayrussian). Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich said that if Iran attacks, "we will simply destroy all its energy installations, including domestic ones... That destroys a country" (gordanesam313).

Iran to Hold 110,000-Strong Volunteer Drill; Answers UN Over Nuclear File

The IRGC's Tehran command announced a 110,000-strong drill of the Janfeda volunteer battalions across Tehran province on September 25 (mehrnews, irna_1313). Iran's UN charge d'affaires Gholamhossein Dehghani wrote to the Security Council president that renewed accusations against Iran's nuclear program are political rather than technical, and that Resolution 2231 has expired (irna_1313). China's deputy UN envoy Sun Lei urged all parties to abandon force and return to dialogue on the Iranian nuclear issue (yt_cgtnespanol). Washington imposed new sanctions on organizations and individuals it accuses of supporting Iran (sputnikvietnam_rss) and on networks it says support Hezbollah and Iran's allies in the region (rt_arabic_rss).

🌍 EUROPE

UPDATE: Peskov Says Lithuania Will Be Targeted If It Hosts Nuclear Weapons

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Lithuania's intention to lift its ban on deploying nuclear weapons "will become a new round of escalation," and that if such weapons are deployed, Lithuanian territory will be in the crosshairs of Russian nuclear forces (sputnikafrica_en_rss, rt_french_rss). Belarusian President Lukashenko said Minsk plans to attack no one but must ensure its own security (sputnikserbia_rss).

Russia Strikes Odesa Port and Kiev Data Center; Claims Two More Settlements

Russia's Defense Ministry said overnight strikes hit Ukrainian military facilities, port infrastructure including Odesa, and naval vessels delivering military cargo (sputnikglobe_rss, rt_spanish_rss); a "Bi-Mobile" data center in the Kiev area storing and processing intelligence for the Ukrainian military was destroyed (sputnikvietnam_rss, rt_spanish_rss), and FAB-3000 glide bombs destroyed a large Ukrainian logistics center in the Kherson region along with a company-sized unit and mercenaries (sputnikvietnam_rss). Russian forces liberated Novogryshino in the Donetsk republic and Zorevka in the Zaporozhye region — eight settlements in a week — with Kiev losing about 9,480 troops over the week (sputnikmundo_rss, rt_arabic_rss). The Black Sea Fleet destroyed 12 Ukrainian unmanned boats during the week (sputnikbrasil_rss). In Belgorod region, four people were killed and 16 wounded by Ukrainian attacks in 24 hours (rt_arabic_rss), and a Ukrainian drone strike set a Russian logistics center on fire (rt_spanish_rss). Rodion Miroshnik said about 75 percent of Ukrainian servicemen were forcibly mobilized (sputnikbrasil_rss).

EU Adds €6.1 Billion for Ukraine Arms; Presses Belgium on Frozen Russian Assets

The European Commission approved an additional €6.1 billion for weapons purchases for Ukraine (rt_arabic_rss) after saying the full €28.3 billion earmarked for 2026 defense needs had already been allocated (sputnikarabic_rss). A Germany-led group of states is pressuring Belgium to consent to using €210 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets for Ukraine, with Kiev's funding gap at $27 billion (rt_arabic_rss, parstodayrussian, sputnikbrasil_rss). European officials privately admit they may not finance all of Kiev's 2026 needs (sputnikbrasil_rss). Zelensky announced Ukraine and Canada agreed on joint drone production, with 30 percent of output going directly to the front (parstodayrussian); the two signed a 100-year alliance (rt_spanish_rss), and Canada sanctioned eight Russian officials including the emergency situations minister (mehrnews). Russia's FSB detained a man who transmitted data on military and fuel-energy facilities in the Tambov region to Ukrainian intelligence via Telegram (sputnikindia_rss).

Germany: Baden-Württemberg Signs Intelligence Pact With Kiev; AfD Files Complaint Against Merz

The German state of Baden-Württemberg concluded an accord with Ukraine on countering hybrid threats, with Ukrainian intelligence services and state authorities to exchange information on espionage, drones and cybercrime (rtde_live_rss). The AfD's Bundestag faction filed a criminal complaint against Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his statement that its remigration concept amounts to ethnic cleansing (rtde_live_rss, rt_french_rss).

Serbia: President to Resign Before Elections; Kosovo Parliament Deadlocked Again

The Serbian president announced he will resign before the upcoming elections (rt_spanish_rss). President Vučić presented economic measures, pledging no fuel price increases (sputnikserbia_rss). Kosovo's constitutive session was suspended again after PDK deputies walked out (sputnikserbia_rss), while the Kosovo Security Force participated in NATO's Saber Junction 26 exercise at Hohenfels, Germany (sputnikserbia_rss).

Romania's CIA Black Site Role Documented; EU Auditors Admit Russian Energy Exit Failing

European and US investigations documented Romania's role in the CIA's secret detention program, with a court ruling that Bucharest facilitated illegal imprisonment and torture of detainees (presstv). EU auditors found only $63.5 billion of the planned $348 billion was spent on REPowerEU over four years, with the plan to abandon Russian oil and gas falling short (sputnikmundo_rss).

🌍 EAST ASIA

UPDATE: Putin Meets Modi as BRICS Summit Opens in New Delhi

Putin arrived for his September 11-13 visit and held talks with PM Modi ahead of the September 12-13 summit (rt_arabic_rss, rtde_live_rss, rt_india_rss). BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors called for reform of the IMF and World Bank so their governance reflects the transformation of the global economy (sputnikserbia_rss); India's Jaishankar said greater economic activity within BRICS strengthens members' autonomy (sputnikmundo_rss). Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev said Russia-India nuclear cooperation agreements are finalized and ready for signing (sputnikindia_rss). Russia confirmed delivery of 85 Il-114-300 aircraft to India with a contract for 20 more planned (rtde_live_rss), and the two countries are working toward Indian assembly of the Superjet-100 (sputnikbrasil_rss). RDIF head Kirill Dmitriev announced three new Russia-India initiatives in payments, technology and workforce development, with BRICS expanding settlements in national currencies (rt_arabic_rss, sputnikarabic_rss). Iranian President Pezeshkian arrived Friday to a red-carpet welcome (rt_spanish_rss); the NYT noted Xi Jinping's first India visit in seven years follows de-escalation begun in 2024, though rivalry persists — with both countries chafing at Trump's tariffs (irna_1313). Egypt's Sisi traveled to head his country's delegation (rt_arabic_rss).

Japan Revisits Nuclear-Powered Submarines as Prices Surge

Defense Minister Koizumi reiterated that Japan "will not exclude any options," including nuclear-powered submarines, in revising its security documents — a stance a US Navy official endorsed, citing technical commonalities with civil nuclear plants — while civic groups object that the Atomic Energy Basic Law limits nuclear use to peaceful purposes (1087968996). The Kremlin said Japan's prime minister is behaving "quite aggressively" toward Russia (rt_spanish_rss). Japan's corporate goods price index rose 7.6 percent in August — the third straight month above 7 percent — with a Bank of Japan rate hike widely expected at its September 17-18 meeting (1087968996). A Seoul court acquitted former President Yoon Suk-yeol of charges tied to helping a former defense minister evade a criminal investigation (rt_arabic_rss).

Russia-Asia Economic Notes

The first China-Murmansk voyage along the Northern Sea Route by NewNew Shipping delivered more than 500 containers, turning Murmansk into a major logistics hub (tass_rss). Arctic LNG-2 is suing South Korea's Hanwha Ocean for $1 billion over its halted construction of three icebreaking LNG carriers (rtde_live_rss). CIS states agreed to develop a joint air defense system and strengthen transport security (tass_rss). Russia's central bank held its key rate at 14 percent (rt_arabic_rss).

🌍 NORTH AMERICA

Inflation Accelerates as Deficit Hits $2 Trillion and Debt Passes $40 Trillion

US wholesale inflation accelerated in August, driven by energy prices amid the Middle East conflict, renewing pressure on the Fed (sputnikmundo_rss). The Congressional Budget Office said the deficit reached about $2 trillion in the first 11 months of fiscal 2026; gross national debt crossed $40 trillion, with annual interest payments now exceeding national defense spending (mehrnews, iribnews). Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna proposed funding Trump's $5,000-per-adult dividend with money earmarked for Ukraine (rt_arabic_rss). Trump set five demands for South Africa to improve relations, including a non-aligned foreign policy (rt_spanish_rss).

🌍 SOUTH AMERICA

Peru to Join "Shield of the Americas" After Rubio Visit

President Keiko Fujimori met Secretary of State Rubio in Lima to discuss security, investment, El Niño effects and bilateral ties; Rubio said the Trump administration prioritizes the region because events in Latin America directly affect the US. Peru will join the "Shield of the Americas" (yt_france24es).

Colombia Seeks US-Funded Military Modernization

President De la Espriella wants Washington to fund an ambitious plan to modernize Colombia's armed forces — compared by experts to the 2000 Plan Colombia — a proposal carrying risks of total dependence on US suppliers (sputnikmundo_rss).

Regional Briefs

Bolivia's government will "evaluate" closing around 10 state companies it calls deficit-ridden and without reason to exist (sputnikmundo_rss). Brazil's Supreme Court lifted secrecy on Banco Master case inquiries as the pre-election scandal deepens (sputnikbrasil_rss), with President Lula defending investigations of all those implicated (sputnikbrasil_rss). Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodríguez visited Suriname at President Geerlings-Simons's invitation (yt_lubrio).

🌍 AFRICA

Algeria, Niger Advance Kafra Oilfield; Algeria-UAE Flight Window Runs to 2026

Niger's oil minister announced promising new data on the Kafra project in the country's north, developed by Algeria's Sonatrach, with large explored reserves (rt_arabic_rss). Under Algeria's airspace closure to UAE aircraft, commercial flights to Algiers will be maintained until the end of 2026 (rt_french_rss). Algerian PM Sifi Ghrieb will make an official visit to Bamako on September 14 (rt_french_rss).

Libya, Mali, Sudan, DRC Briefs

Libya's rival chambers, meeting in Ankara, agreed to resume the 6+6 committee on electoral laws within the constitutional framework (sputnikarabic_rss), as the water crisis deepened, with tanker prices hitting 200 dinars amid blackouts (sputnikarabic_rss). Mali's army said it neutralized dozens of militants while repelling an attack in Dioura, Mopti region (sputnikarabic_rss). The international quintet on Sudan rejected a military solution and insisted on democratic transition (rt_arabic_rss). Ebola spread to a seventh Congolese province, South Ubangi, not bordering the six already affected (rt_french_rss).

💬 NOTABLE QUOTES

"Yes, we razed the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain... The American people really shouldn't pay for Israel's wars." — Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister (presstv)

"They can always launch missiles. They had a lot of missiles and still do." — Donald Trump, US President, on Iran (iribnews)

"Yemen is entering a more dangerous phase in the conflict, and its repercussions may go beyond its borders." — Hans Grundberg, UN Special Envoy for Yemen (rt_arabic_rss)

"If Iran attacks us, we will simply destroy all of its energy installations — including domestic ones. That destroys a country." — Bezalel Smotrich, Israeli Finance Minister (gordanesam313)

"The desire to dominate a unipolar world is deeply rooted among the Americans, but their plan for the Gaza Strip has failed and there are problems with NATO allies." — Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister (sputnikbrasil_rss)