COMBATE Digest - combate-20260920-1200Z

🌍 WEST ASIA

Iran's Lead Negotiator: Hormuz Stays Closed Until US Meets Tehran's Terms

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf — who also heads Iran's negotiating delegation with the United States — said Washington will have no chance to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or return to previous negotiating conditions until it implements Iran's terms and commitments (sputnikvietnam_rss, tass_rss, rt_spanish_rss, sputnikserbia_rss). Ghalibaf said Iran regards the "war or talks" dilemma as false because "one should both fight and negotiate," and warned that both the pursuit of endless war and the prescription of surrender to one-sided enemy terms are strategic miscalculations (sputnikglobe_rss).

Yemen's Ansar Allah Warns Turkey and Pakistan Against Backing Saudi Arabia

Senior Ansar Allah official Muhammad al-Bukhaiti warned Turkey and Pakistan to "maintain your respect," saying that if they support Saudi Arabia, "we swear by God we will strike you and discipline you with an iron fist, just as we disciplined America, Britain and the others" (rt_spanish_rss). On Friday, million-strong marches in support of Yemen's armed forces were held in Sanaa, Saada, Al-Hudaydah, Amran, Dhamar, Al-Bayda and other cities, with notably large gatherings in newly taken southwest coastal towns from Al-Mokha and Hays to Moze' and Al-Shuqairah (iswnews_en).

Around West Asia

Iran's Intelligence Ministry said three operational cells linked to terrorist groups serving the US and Israel, which planned assassinations and sabotage of economic infrastructure, were killed or arrested across three provinces (mehrnews). A shooting attack near Neve Tzuf, northwest of Ramallah, wounded several Israelis, with some sources reporting a settler killed and the attacker escaping (mehrnews); the IDF later announced soldiers apprehended the attacker at a hospital near the scene after a soldier wounded him during the pursuit (idfofficial). In Gaza, at least four Palestinians — including a 10-year-old girl and Basir al-Bursh, son of Gaza Health Ministry director general Munir al-Bursh — were killed in Israeli attacks, including a strike near the Jabalia camp (rt_french_rss); Gaza's NGO network warned the health system is near total shutdown, with 28 hospitals damaged and needs escalating (sputnikarabic_rss). The Syrian Observatory documented 1,068 Israeli military incursions into southern Syria between the fall of the Assad government in December 2024 and September 19 (presstv). Netanyahu posted a video with AI-generated elements and footage of attacks on Lebanon, Gaza, Syria and Iran, claiming Israel "changed the Middle East" and is "stronger than ever" (rt_spanish_rss); Israeli media reported a "severe shortage" of troops and military equipment after three years of war on Gaza and other regional operations (yt_almayadeenespanol). Israeli forces abducted eight Palestinians in Ad-Deqaiqa in the Masafer Yatta area south of Hebron after a settler attack (presstv). Fox News published satellite images claiming notable activity at Iran's Taleqan nuclear site and a new concrete structure built over it (sepah_pasdaran). Iran transferred 159 Iranian prisoners from Iraqi prisons back to the country (mehrnews). Turkey's parliament speaker warned Israel against pursuing "empty dreams" linked to "promised land" plans that have affected several Middle Eastern countries (rt_spanish_rss).

🌍 EUROPE

Moscow Repels Largest Ukrainian Drone Attack of the War

Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said the largest drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region was repelled, with more than 1,600 UAVs intercepted across all defensive lines since Saturday and 450 stopped as they approached the capital (sputnikindia_rss); Sobyanin said the attack was intended to sabotage the Duma elections (sputnikbrasil_rss). A total of 186 drones were downed overnight on approach to Moscow, with 35 more intercepted in the morning (dimsmirnov175). The overnight assault killed at least two civilians and wounded 20, including three children, hitting homes and the Moscow oil refinery, with 400 people evacuated and flight restrictions imposed at Moscow airports (rt_french_rss, parstodayrussian). The Kapotnya refinery — Moscow's largest — caught fire after the drone wave (farsna). Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal terrorism case over the attacks on civilian infrastructure in Moscow and the Moscow Region (sputnikglobe_rss). The Defense Ministry said air defenses destroyed 1,110 Ukrainian drones overnight (tass_rss) and 1,951 fixed-wing drones, eight Flamingo cruise missiles and eight guided aerial bombs over the past day (sputnikindia_rss, sputnikmundo_rss).

Duma Vote Concludes Amid Strikes on Polling Stations

On day three of the State Duma election, more than 44 percent of voters had cast ballots, with all polling stations closing at 20:00 local time and first results expected after 21:00 Moscow time (sputnikserbia_rss). CEC head Ella Pamfilova said Ukrainian forces deliberately destroyed a polling station in a school in the Zaporozhye region on Sunday morning (sputnikserbia_rss); Moscow's electronic voting system continued to come under large-scale attacks, according to the monitoring headquarters (smotri_media).

Ukraine's Steel Industry Halted; Russian Strikes Hit Missile Plants

Metinvest said Ukraine no longer has a steel industry after Russian ballistic strikes since August disabled all three remaining major plants — Zaporozhstal, Kametstal and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (parstodayrussian, sputnikglobe_rss). Overnight Russian precision strikes hit the Radionix radio-electronics plant producing guidance systems for Flamingo, Neptune, FP-7 and FP-9 missiles, a B-mobile data center and a drone-parts warehouse in Kiev, and a military logistics center in the Odesa region (sputnikvietnam_rss, sputnikarabic_rss, farsna).

Europe Briefs

Germany will restore mandatory military service from July 2027, with hundreds of 18-year-old men who did not volunteer already receiving draft notices this summer (parstodayrussian); the Bundeswehr plans 24 modernized centers next year for mandatory military aptitude tests (rt_spanish_rss). Germans voted in state elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — where polls show the SPD leading — and Berlin, where the Left party leads surveys as the CDU slides (rtde_live_rss, sputnikserbia_rss). Serbia's Vucic said preserving peace, stability and fuel supply requires talking with everyone, and he expects to meet Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in New York (sputnikserbia_rss). Moscow warned Armenia of serious economic and social consequences if it leaves the Eurasian Economic Union for EU membership, saying it cannot belong to both blocs (rtde_live_rss). NATO Military Committee chairman Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone said alliance forces are ready for a potential conflict on Europe's eastern flank (sputnikserbia_rss). Czech Prime Minister Babis criticized European politicians as incapable of ending the Ukraine conflict (sputnikserbia_rss); Slovakia's Fico said his country will not send soldiers to fight Russia on a fabricated pretext (sputnikserbia_rss). A US F-35 fighter headed to Finland was stranded in the Azores after its onboard diagnostics flagged a potential electronics malfunction during engine startup (tass_rss).

🌍 NORTH AMERICA

Washington Post: More US Soldiers Died in Iran War Than Pentagon Admits

Sources reported as many as 23 US fallen in the Iran war, while War Secretary Pete Hegseth swiftly dismissed the report as a "lie"; Democrats have pledged to scrutinize the figures if they win a majority (rtde_live_rss).

Pentagon Needs Five Years to Rebuild Depleted Missile Stocks

Bloomberg reported that a Congress report says restocking arsenals emptied by the Iran war will take at least five years even with increased production (rtde_live_rss); RT's German service assessed that Iran's missile attacks are draining US interceptor arsenals faster than industry can replace them, with missing factories, skilled workers and rare earths (rtde_live_rss).

Briefs

US Treasury Secretary Bessent met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York to prepare this week's Trump-Xi summit in Washington, negotiating on AI, tariffs and critical minerals to preserve a tariff truce expiring in November (sputnikbrasil_rss, sputnikarabic_rss). The US military struck a boat in the Caribbean Sea it claimed was carrying drugs, killing four people, with no evidence presented; the raid came 10 days after another Caribbean strike that killed three (mehrnews, sputnikserbia_rss, rt_spanish_rss). US diesel prices set a record above $6.48 per gallon, surpassing the previous June 2022 mark (sputnikbrasil_rss, rt_spanish_rss). Hegseth announced the definitive elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion offices in the Pentagon — "no more trans, just training" (rt_spanish_rss). The US Air Force increased operationally available B-52 bombers by nearly 40 percent under a new readiness campaign targeting maintenance and spare-parts problems (sputnikglobe_rss). New US sanctions targeted Cuban state mining and military enterprises, which Díaz-Canel condemned as "imperial dictates" (rt_spanish_rss).

🌍 SOUTH AMERICA

Sheinbaum Confronts Governor Linked to CIA Case in Mexico

President Claudia Sheinbaum met Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos over the alleged authorization — without Executive approval — of operations by several US agents against drug trafficking in the Sierra Tarahumara, saying: "If anyone violated the law, action must be taken" (sputnikmundo_rss).

Briefs

Brazil's presidential candidates turned the Supreme Court crisis into a campaign theme, proposing term limits, cooling-off periods and limits on relatives' activities for justices amid revelations involving Daniel Vorcaro and magistrates (sputnikbrasil_rss). Michelle Bachelet, Chile's former president, withdrew from the UN Secretary-General race, leaving seven candidates — four women and three men (farsna).

🌍 EAST ASIA

North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile

North Korea fired a ballistic missile from its east coast toward the sea on Sunday, confirmed by South Korea and Japan (mehrnews, sputnikindia_rss).

China Launches Nine Satellites; Condemns US-Philippines Collision Aftermath

Chinese private company CAS Space successfully launched nine satellites aboard a Kinetica-1 (Lijian-1) rocket, intended mainly for space-environment monitoring, disaster prevention and scientific experiments (sputnikindia_rss, farsna). China condemned US support for what it called "deliberately provocative actions" by its ally after a Philippine fisheries vessel collided with a Chinese coast guard ship in the South China Sea (rt_spanish_rss).

Briefs

China's holdings of US Treasuries fell in July to their lowest level in 18 years, while Beijing has continuously built up its gold reserves (rtde_live_rss). China increased imports of Russian oil by 18.1 percent year-on-year from January to August, to 77.65 million tons, according to Chinese customs data (sputnikserbia_rss).

🌍 AFRICA

US Outlines New Three-Stage Track to End Sudan's War

Massad Boulos, Trump's senior advisor for Arab and African affairs, said Washington is pushing a new diplomatic path: a three-month humanitarian truce, then a ceasefire, leading to a political transition to civilian rule (sputnikarabic_rss).

Sisi Meets CIA Director Ratcliffe in Cairo

Egyptian President Sisi discussed strengthening strategic relations with the United States and a range of regional and international crises with CIA Director John Ratcliffe (sputnikarabic_rss).

Uganda Suspends Military Cooperation With Turkey

Kampala announced the immediate suspension of military cooperation with Ankara after Turkey refused to extradite blogger Fred Lumbuye, exiled in Turkey since 2021 and facing 15 charges in Uganda over criticism of President Museveni (rt_french_rss).

Briefs

Canada's Global Atomic said the US Development Finance Corporation gave preliminary approval for a loan of up to $414 million for the Dasa uranium mine in Niger (rt_french_rss). An Interpol-coordinated operation in Tunis identified 126 foreign terrorist fighters using AI analysis of more than 108,000 images from jihadist content (rt_french_rss). Thirty-seven illegal gold miners died in the custody of a paramilitary unit in Nigeria, apparently suffocating in a cramped cell, prompting protests and a curfew in Minna (rtde_live_rss). DR Congo began vaccinating residents with a new vaccine amid the Ebola crisis (sputnikmundo_rss).

💬 NOTABLE QUOTES

"We believe the war or negotiations dilemma is false because one should both fight and negotiate." — Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iranian Parliament Speaker (sputnikglobe_rss)

"If you support Saudi Arabia, we swear by God we will strike you and discipline you with an iron fist, just as we disciplined America, Britain and the others." — Muhammad al-Bukhaiti, senior Ansar Allah official, addressing Turkey and Pakistan (rt_spanish_rss)