I - On Defense Podcast

For review:
1. According to an Axios report, Turkey, Egypt and Qatar are working to organize a meeting this week between White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials in Ankara, Turkey’s capital.
2. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Sunday that if the US attacks Iran, the hostilities will broaden into a regional conflict.
3. An Iranian official on Sunday denied that the country had any plans to carry out live-fire exercises in the Strait of Hormuz this week, amid sky-high tensions in the region.
On Friday, the US military issued a statement warning Iran against carrying out such exercises and urging it to avoid “unnecessary risk.”
4. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir was in Washington, DC, over the weekend for a series of discussions with American defense officials regarding Iran.
5. The Rafah Border Crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt opened Sunday for a day of systems checks and tests ahead of its expected opening for pedestrians Monday.
6.  The Israel Defense Forces launched wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon Friday evening that it said destroyed Hezbollah infrastructure and heavy machinery.
7. Ukraine President: Tr-Lateral Meeting in U.A.E. from 4-5 Feb. 
Neither the Kremlin nor the United States has confirmed the new dates.
8.  Russia will unveil its newest multiple launch rocket system, the Sarma, at the World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh next month.
The 300mm Sarma MLRS, mounted on a 8x8 armored chassis, represents Russia’s attempt to field a lighter, more mobile alternative to its existing heavy rocket artillery systems.
9. Beijing’s newest class of surface combatant achieved operational capability, Chinese military media reported last week.
The milestone was unveiled Jan. 22 during a state media report covering the first Type 054B guided-missile stealth frigate Luohe (545).
10. Japan and South Korea agreed Friday to resume a joint naval search and rescue exercise that was discontinued in 2017.

For review:
1. President Volodymyr Zelensky on Jan. 30 rejected the Kremlin's proposal for holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow but signaled readiness for a meeting in a more appropriate format.
2. It was Vladimir Zelensky who insisted on a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, not the other way around, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov recalled at a news briefing, commenting on statements from Kiev about its desire to host a Russia-Ukraine summit.
3. Speaking at the White House on Thursday, President Trump said he asked Russian President Putin not to fire on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, “and the various towns for a week and he agreed to do that.”
4. Satellite images show activity at two Iranian nuclear sites bombed last year by Israel and the United States that may be a sign of Tehran trying to obscure efforts to salvage any materials remaining there.
5. US President Donald Trump on Friday confirmed he has had dialogue with Iran, as The New York Times reported he was considering potential raids by American troops on facilities within the Islamic Republic.
6. US President Donald Trump said Friday he had given Iran a deadline to make a deal, as Washington moved significant military assets to the Middle East ahead of a potential strike on the Islamic Republic.
7. New Zealand has decided against accepting US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his Board of Peace, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says.
8. The US State Department has approved more than $6.5 billion in potential military sales to Israel in three separate contracts, the Pentagon says.
The US State Department approved a potential sale of Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.98 billion, and another sale of AH-64E Apache Helicopters for $3.8 billion, the Pentagon says in separate statements.
A third military contract was also awarded for $740 million to provide Namer armored personnel carrier power packs & integrated logistics support.
9. The Syrian government and Kurdish forces declared a ceasefire deal on Friday that sets out a phased integration of Kurdish fighters into the state, averting a potentially bloody battle and drawing US praise for a “historic milestone.”
10. Norway selected Hanwha Aerospace’s Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system over prominent Western competitors for its ground-based long-range precision fires system. 
The 19 billion Norwegian kroner (around $2 billion) deal includes 16 launch systems and an unspecified “larger number of missiles” across three range variants, including the 500-kilometer (310-mile) range. 
11. The Senate passed the $838.7 billion fiscal 2026 defense spending bill today, after Democrats and the White House reached a deal to largely avert a government shutdown.

For review:
1. US President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday that time was running out for Iran, and that the next potential US attack on the Islamic Republic — if Tehran doesn’t make a nuclear deal — would be far worse than the June 2025 strikes. 
2. The United States announced on Tuesday that it was conducting an aerial military exercise in the Middle East amid ongoing tensions with Iran.
3. Iranian officials issued stark warnings Wednesday against any US strike on the country, with a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader threatening that Tehran would attack Israel in any such event with an “unprecedented” retaliation, including “at the heart of Tel Aviv.”
4. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his assertion that Israel will not allow Gaza’s reconstruction before terror groups in the Strip disarm, and said Israel would maintain security control over Gaza and the West Bank, in a wide-ranging press conference on Tuesday evening.
5.  Israel is preparing for talks with the Trump administration on a new 10-year security deal. 
In 2016, the US and Israeli governments signed a memorandum of understanding for the 10 years through September 2028.
6. Territorial issues over Donetsk are the remaining item that still require a bridging of views at US-mediated talks to end Russia's war in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, describing the issue as "a very difficult one."
7. Sweden has had very early discussions with France and the United Kingdom about possible nuclear weapons cooperation, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has revealed. 
No concrete proposals or timelines for any cooperation were outlined, and Kristersson emphasized that talks remain preliminary in early stages.

For review:
1. The body of the final hostage held in Gaza was identified and brought back to Israel on Monday, 843 days after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, 24, a police officer killed fighting the Hamas invaders, had been the last of 251 people kidnapped that day to remain captive, following the return of the rest of the hostages, living and dead, under the current ceasefire. 
2. President Trump told Axios in an interview on Monday that the situation with Iran is "in flux" because he sent a "big armada" to the region but thinks Tehran genuinely wants to cut a deal.
Sources with knowledge of the situation say Trump hasn't made a final decision. He will likely hold more consultations this week and be presented with additional military options.
Those options will be enhanced by the arrival of an aircraft carrier strike group to the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln entered CENTCOM's area of responsibility on Monday.
3. U.S. officials leading the talks are convinced that Russian negotiators have taken a more pragmatic tone behind closed doors than Moscow's public hardline rhetoric suggests. 
The next round of talks is expected on Feb. 1.
The most difficult issues — Russian demands for Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of Donbas and control of the nuclear power plant— are set to dominate the agenda.
4. NATO chief Mark Rutte warned Monday, January 26, that Europe cannot defend itself without the United States.
5. Estonia is gearing up to acquire a missile defense system, participating in broader efforts by the Baltic States to boost investments in expanding their air-defense network.
6. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has invited seven domestic firms to present autonomous drone concepts designed to operate alongside the British Army’s Apache AH-64E attack helicopters.
7. Armor Not Dead: Israeli arms developer Elbit Systems has received a $228-million contract to provide its proprietary Iron Fist active protection system for the US Army’s Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.

For review:
1. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Sunday evening that it was searching for the remains of Master Sergeant Gvili, the last remaining hostage held in the Gaza Strip, on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line in the enclave’s north.
2. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Sunday that Israel will reopen the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt after it completes a military operation launched Sunday to recover the body of the last deceased hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili.
3. Commander of the United States Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper was in Israel on Saturday for meetings with senior officials.
Admiral Cooper met with IDF Chief of Staff LTG Eyal Zamir at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder and Operations Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen also participated in a meeting with the military chiefs.
4. Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, , is “more ready than ever, finger on the trigger,” its commander said Saturday, as US warships headed toward the Middle East.
The IRGC  commander, Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, warned the United States and Israel “to avoid any miscalculation.”
5. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has gone into hiding in a Tehran bunker, according to the opposition-affiliated Iran International news site.
According to the report, which cites “information received” by the opposition news site, the Supreme Leader went underground after senior officials assessed an “increased risk of a potential US attack,” as the US moves significant military forces into the region.
6. IDF Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo said Sunday that the military is preparing for the possibility that a US strike on Iran could trigger Iranian retaliation against Israel.
He added that Israel is also closely watching whether Hezbollah could join a wider confrontation, saying, “We are very alert, very prepared, and ready both in strong defense and in preparing offensive responses.”
7. Ukraine and Russia ended a second day of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Saturday without a deal. 
A UAE government spokesperson said there was face-to-face engagement between Ukraine and Russia - tackled “outstanding elements” of Washington’s peace framework.
The UAE statement said the talks were conducted in a “constructive and positive atmosphere.
8. US Army Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (CAML) Program.
9. Blackbeard Hypersonic Strike Weapon.