I - On Defense Podcast

For review:1. At least seven U.S. service members were injured during Operation Absolute Resolve, according to a Pentagon official and a person familiar with the situation. The Cuban government said this week that 32 of its officers died in the raid.2. France, the United Kingdom and Ukraine signed a “Declaration of Intent” on Tuesday to send their forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia.3. Israel and Syria on Tuesday agreed during the second day of talks in Paris to create a mechanism that will facilitate de-escalation, diplomacy and commercial opportunities between the two countries, according to a joint statement from the two countries and the US that was released by Washington.4. Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met his Syrian counterpart Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani in Paris on Tuesday.5. Israeli military intelligence has warned that Iran is plotting to assassinate Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa. According to the Israeli military's assessment, al-Sharaa is facing threats from Iran alongside other hostile actors.6. Iran Warns of Preemptive Strikes Against Imminent Security Threats.7. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Somaliland on Tuesday for the first official visit since Israel recognized the breakaway state last month, where he met with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi.8. N. Korea launches 2 x hypersonic missiles into the Sea of Japan. 

For review:1. Former Venezuelan Vice-President (Delcy Rodriguez) sworn in as official President.2. President Trump: US Not at War with Venezuela.3. Britain and France on Sunday said they had carried out joint strikes on the Islamic State group in Syria to prevent the Islamist extremists from resurging.4. A fifth round of talks between Israel and Syria started on Monday in Paris, the first meetings in nearly two months, after progress toward a security arrangement between the two countries stalled.5. Israel launched a series of airstrikes deep inside eastern and southern Lebanon on Monday, which the Israel Defense Forces said targeted buildings used by Hamas and Hezbollah.6.  Azerbaijan's President: No Peacekeeping Force Envisaged (in Gaza). Azerbaijan has no intention of sending a contingent of its troops to take part in peacekeeping operations outside its borders, including in the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, President Ilham Aliyev says.7. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump's adviser Jared Kushner will take part in a leaders' summit on Ukraine's security guarantees in Paris on Jan. 6, a White House official told the Kyiv Independent.NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will also attend the summit, the alliance's press service said. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-host the meeting.8. The German military has awarded a 4.2-billion-euro ($4.92-billion) contract to a joint venture between Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland for the delivery of 200 Puma infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).9. USAF Designates Northrup Grumman Talon CCA as YFQ-48A.The Air Force in early 2025 dubbed the first round of CCAs, made by Anduril and General Atomics, the YFQ-44A & the YFQ-42A, respectively.

1. US Raid Captures Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

For review:1. The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it was pulling its remaining forces out of Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed a call for UAE forces to leave within 24 hours.2. Somaliland FM: No Resettlement of Palestinians or Military Bases. Somaliland on Thursday officially denied that it had agreed to accept Gazan refugees or allow Israel to establish military bases on its soil in exchange for Israeli recognition.3. The Iranian foreign ministry designated the Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist organization on Tuesday in what it said was retaliation for Canada’s 2024 blacklisting of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.4. Reuters Report: In the weeks before the Gaza ceasefire on October 10, Israel widely deployed a new weapon: M113 Armored Personnel Carriers repurposed to carry between 1 and 3 tons of explosives.5. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy New Years Address.6. Russian President Putin New Years Address.7. Russia's Oreshnik Missile Fielded in Belarus.The Belarusian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that the Oreshnik has a range of up to 5,000 kilometers, or 3,100 miles.8.  China Tests YJ-20 Hypersonic Missile from Type 055-class Destroyer.Along with a 1,500-2000 km range, the YJ-20 has the capability to maneuver upon reentry. 

For Review:1. Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen’s port city of Mukalla on Tuesday over what it described as a shipment of weapons for a separatist force there, which arrived from the United Arab Emirates. 2. US Drone Strike on Venezuelan Port.The drone strike targeted a remote dock on the Venezuelan coast that the US government believed was being used by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to store drugs and move them onto boats for shipping. There were no casualties, according to the sources.3. The United States is offering Ukraine security guarantees for a period of 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday.4. A top Russian official on Monday issued personal threats against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russia claimed that Ukraine launched a drone attack on one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's official residences.5. President Trump meets wit Israeli PM Netanyahu; Discusses Gaza Peace Deal; Iran Missile Development; Lebanon; & Syria.  6. The United States defended Israel’s right to recognize the breakaway territory of Somaliland as a state at the United Nations on Monday, comparing it to the recognition of a Palestinian state by numerous countries.7. Chinese forces fired more than two dozen rockets and rehearsed port seizures on the second day of ongoing blockade drills around Taiwan.In statements and posters, Beijing cites Washington’s recent $11 billion arms sale of artillery systems, short-range ballistic missiles and loitering munitions to Taipei as one of the main reasons for the Justice Mission drills.