24 June 2026
US-Iran War
The Pentagon is asking Congress for roughly $80 billion to cover the cost of the war with Iran. Although a formal request has not been made, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is making his rounds on Capitol Hill to drum up support.
The US Senate voted to adopt a resolution for the removal of US forces from the conflict with Iran. The final tally was 50-48 with four Republican senators voting alongside Democrats.
North Korea
North Korea commissioned a 5,000-ton destroyer. Kim Jong-un stated that North Korea’s naval capabilities will be “admirable beyond imagination”. The Choe Hyon destroyer was unveiled last year, and North Korea recently finished weapons testing. North Korea claims that it can fire nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles.
A North Korean soldier is in custody in South Korea after he crossed the demilitarized zone. The soldier in question announced his intention to defect.
Germany
The German Ministry of Defence announced that it will scrap a multi-billion Euro deal for F126 frigates that were supposed to be built in the Netherlands. The Dutch shipyard Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) was unable to fulfill the contract signed in 2020. The German Defence Ministry considered transferring the contract, but due to cost escalations, they scrapped the plans.
TKMS is still on schedule to deliver the first Meko A-200 DEU frigate to the German Navy as planned in 2029. The German Navy plans to acquire 8 Meko frigates from TKMS.
Ukraine-Russia
Ukraine claims to have destroyed the North Crimean canal bridge in a strike on Tuesday. For clarity, this is not the Kerch Strait Bridge, which has been targeted multiple times throughout the war. Ukrainian forces first targeted the bridge on the night of June 22, causing major damage but leaving the bridge intact. Once Russian repair crews arrived on scene, Ukraine struck again on the night of 23 June, this time destroying the bridge fully.
President Putin made his first comments since the Moscow drone attack. “We are aware — and can see — that as the situation at the front rapidly deteriorates for the Kyiv regime, and as the adversary loses territory after territory while our troops capture one settlement after another, the regime has adopted a tactic of striking our civilian targets and infrastructure,” he said. “They are attempting to disrupt energy supplies and impact the tourism season — intentions they have openly communicated to us through various channels.”
Niger
The military junta in Niger formally submitted its bid to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger jointly stated last September that they would withdraw from the ICC. The announcement claimed that the ICC is an “instrument of neo-colonial repression in the hands of imperialism”.
Libya-Pakistan
Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and the Libyan armed forces’ deputy commander-in-chief met to discuss matters of mutual interest, regional security dynamics, defence cooperation, and avenues for enhanced military-to-military collaboration. Last December, Pakistan signed a multi-billion-dollar deal with Libya to sell conventional military equipment to the Libyan army.
Canada-Japan
Defence Minister David McGuinty is in Japan as part of Team Canada’s trade mission. There are 300 executives representing 175 Canadian companies on that trade mission. More than 40 defence and security companies joined the defence minister in Japan to drum up business for Canada.
DRC Ebola Outbreak
A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official warned that the Ebola outbreak in the DRC has the highest number of cases in its first month of any Ebola outbreak in history. As of Monday, officials have confirmed over 1000 cases and over 250 deaths in the outbreak, which began in May.
Featured Photo: “US Capitol Hill and Grant Memorial” – Wikimedia Commons, 2026
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