17 February 2026
US-Philippines
The State Department said the US military will deploy additional missile systems to the Philippines. This will likely include more Typhoon missile systems, which can hit large areas of mainland China from the Philippines, as well as shorter-range N-missiles anti-ship missiles. Typhon is basically just a launcher for Tomahawks and SM-6 missiles.
US-Iran
Iran and the United States reached an understanding on guiding principles for nuclear talks. Iran’s foreign minister claims that Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons. The United States wants to discuss Iran’s ballistic missile programme, but Iran refuses to do so. The US would need access to all of Iran’s military sites to conduct inspections of its missile programme, something which is out of the question for Tehran.
Hungary & Slovakia
Hungary and Slovakia approached Croatia to allow Russian oil to flow through the Adria pipeline in Croatia. This comes after oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukrainian territory, was halted after a Russian attack. Budapest blames the halt in oil deliveries to Kyiv as a political measure. Croatia has denied Hungary’s request to transit Russian oil through the pipeline.
United Kingdom
The UK government is considering a significant increase in defence spending. The government committed itself to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2027. New proposals are seeking 3% until at least 2029. The government is realizing that they need to be quicker and more effective with defence spending to meet the new geopolitical reality.
Afghanistan
The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) said its forces attacked a Taliban checkpoint in Bala Hesar Square in Kunduz. The Taliban have not commented on the attack. The AFF claims that they killed two Taliban and injured two others. The group also claimed another attack in Kunduz on 15 February, also claiming two Taliban members were killed.
Nigeria
More information has arisen about the US deployment to Nigeria. As expected, dozens of US troops have been deployed to assist with training and intelligence sharing with the country. Nigeria continues its campaign against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups. Just recently, Nigerian security officials intercepted a suspicious vehicle and recovered approximately ₦37 million in cash, alongside multiple mobile phones suspected to be linked to terrorist activities, in Borno State.
Social media wires
US fighter jet movement from Europe toward the Middle East
Ukrainian ground drone in combat
Featured Photo: “Exercise Winter Camp” – Beth Prodger, UK MoD Imagery, 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.