1 April 2026
Iran
President Trump has made murmurings that the US can still be victorious in its war against Iran, even if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. The administration’s deadline of four to six weeks of operations is coming rapidly, and Iran has only increased its chokehold of the strait. Some officials have estimated that opening the strait for full operation could take weeks, if not months.
President Trump announced that US military operations against Iran could end within two to three weeks. Trump also told reporters that responsibility for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open lies with those who rely on it. There are also reports that Trump is considering pulling the US out of NATO, as no ally attempted to assist the US in opening the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthi rebels fired a third ballistic missile towards Israel. They claim that it was done jointly with their backer, Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group. Houthi action has been very limited since the war began and it was not until last weekend that the Houthi rebels fired their first ballistic missile during this conflict.
The IRGC military council is effectively blocking any access to Mojtaba Khemenei. In essence, the IRGC military council now runs the state of Iran. This was actually hypothesized in DefenceReport’s latest podcast episode.
Hamas
Differences between Hamas and the Board of Peace’s plan are becoming known. There are differences between Hamas and Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, which drafted the recent plan to disarm the organization. It was proposed that Hamas dismantle its tunnel network in the Gaza Strip and give up weapons in stages over eight months. Reconstruction efforts also hinge on Hamas to disarm, something which the organization criticizes.
Pakistan-Afghanistan
China will host the next round of peace talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban. Neither side has yet formally confirmed its attendance. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, travelled to China on Tuesday and met his Chinese counterpart.
United States
Construction of the prototype silo for the Sentinel ICBMs has started in Promontory, Utah. The US Air Force plans to dig and build 450 new launch silos for the LGM-35A Sentinel, to replace the network of Minuteman III silos that are too degraded to be refurbished. The original plan to upgrade the silos was scrapped when it became apparent that it would increase the costs and delay the replacement of the Minuteman III missiles.
Rwanda-US
Rwanda is threatening to stop protecting an Exxon Mobil gas facility in Mozambique from Islamic State militants as it seeks to do away with US sanctions, which have recently been applied for its role in the DRC conflict. This is a pressure point, as only Rwanda has been willing to hold backthe Islamic State in Mozambique. The Exxon facility in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado region is worth billions.
Social Media Wires
A university was raided by Serbian police without any warning
What the future looks like
Featured Photo: “Trump & Rutte at the NATO Hague Summit, 2025”, NATO, Flickr, 2026
The Wires Brief is a daily 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. Feature photos are altered with grayscale.