25 August 2025
Israel-Houthis
Israel conducted airstrikes on the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. Israel targeted the Yemen Petroleum Company, the Hezyaz Power plant, as well as the Presidential Palace. This comes two days after the Houthis launched a missile at Israel. The IDF is looking into the unidentified human or technical error as to why the ballistic missile was not shot down. Examination of the missile showed that it is the first Houthi missile to contain cluster munitions.
US
Lt. Gen Jeffery Kruse was fired from his position as head of the US Defence Intelligence Agency by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The media has been linking Kruse’s firing with the leaked DIA report that contradicted the White House’s assertions that Iran’s nuclear facilities were destroyed. Two other senior officials have also been let go – potentially the chief of the US Naval Reserves and the commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command.
Iran
Iran’s Supreme Leader said the current situation with the United States was “unsolvable”, and that Tehran would never bow to pressure to obey Washington, amid a standoff with Western powers over its nuclear programme, state media reported on Sunday. The Islamic Republic suspended nuclear negotiations with the United States after the U.S. and Israel bombed its nuclear sites during a 12-day war in June. France, Britain and Germany have said they could reactivate United Nations sanctions on Iran under a “snapback” mechanism if Tehran does not return to the table.
North Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test-firing of two types of new anti-air missiles on Saturday while the US and South Korea were holding military drills. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the test proved the missiles effective in countering aerial threats such as drones and cruise missiles, and that Kim assigned unspecified “important” tasks to defence scientists ahead of a major political conference expected early next year. The report did not specify the missiles that were tested or where the event took place. It did not mention any remarks by Kim directed at Washington or Seoul.
Canada-Ukraine
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told Ukrainians that peace will come, and “Canada will be there” when it does, in a speech to mark Ukrainian Independence Day. Attending as the guest of honour alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv’s Sophia Square, Carney described the war with Russia as a “maniacal quest to recreate a history that itself was filled with injustice.” The prime minister also offered a new breakdown of the additional $2 billion in support Canada pledged during June’s G7 summit. More than half will go towards buying military equipment for Ukraine, including armoured vehicles, drones and ammunition. Some of those funds include investing in Canadian-made drones. About $680 million will be for a NATO package of military equipment made by the United States, including air defence capabilities.
Feature Photo: “The Memorial Equipment Exhibition of Baharestan Square, Tehran, 2017, Tasnim Media, Wikimedia Commons, 2025
The Wires Brief is a weekly breaking news report incorporating wire service news and social media updates. DefRep cannot verify the authenticity of social media reporters nor the accuracy of social media updates