13 August 2026
Iran War
A senior adviser to the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that Iran could prolong the war until President Trump leaves office. Mohammad Reza Naghdi, a senior IRGC officer, told this to PBS NewsHour. Naghdi also said that the reason Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly during the war is for security reasons.
The CIA reportedly doubted Israeli intelligence that suggested that there was a viable assassination plot on President Trump. The president ultimately switched planes in Türkiye by covertly entering a catering truck. The CIA believed that Israel was attempting to influence President Trump as much as to protect him.
US lawmakers are calling for answers after several sailors have jumped overboard on the USS Abraham Lincoln. The aircraft carrier has been deployed for more than 250 days, and there are reports of deteriorating living conditions and worsening mental health.
Ukraine-Russia War
Ukrainian military intelligence estimates that Russia produces 3,000 Geran-4/5 kamikaze drones a month. The Geran is the Russian version of the Iranian Shahed drone. The Geran-5 is jet-powered, and it is believed that Russia is aiming to have at least 50% of its output be Geran-5.
President Zelensky said that Ukraine needs 5% of the US Patriot interceptor missile stockpile to get through the winter and 10% to shoot down all Russian ballistic missiles. With reports of diminished US stockpiles, it is unclear where those percentages and figures came from. In one Russian attack a few weeks ago, Ukraine failed to intercept any of the 28 ballistic missiles Russia launched at the capital.
Afghanistan
Heavy fighting continues between the Taliban and those loyal to Juma Khan Fateh in Badakhshan. There are reports that because of the number of casualties, the Taliban are removing civilian patients from hospitals to treat their wounded. Fateh’s forces have captured two Taliban outposts in the Doabi and Sarkoh area and several sectors of Nusay district. The Taliban have deployed helicopters and drones to the area.
According to a UN Security Council report from the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, the Afghan Taliban’s support of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, or the Pakistani Taliban) has led to the rise in the frequency and lethality of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The report also outlines that there are growing operational linkages among the TTP, al-Qaeda, Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIL-K) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
Iraq
Because of the Iran War, Iraq is running out of money and cannot fund its large public sector. Between 85 and 90% of Iraq’s budget comes from the sale of oil, and not being able to freely ship it through the Strait of Hormuz is having consequences.
Sudan
Sudan’s Tasis Alliance, of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), claims to have taken the strategic city of Qeissan in the Blue Nile state. The Tasis Alliance consists of the RSF, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), other armed Darfuri groups, and political and civilian forces.
The RSF launched drone attacks on the capital Khartoum and other army-controlled cities on Wednesday. The RSF followed with drone attacks on the capital today. Sudan’s army holds the centre, north and east of the country and took control of a key highway leading to the capital.
Japan-Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first trip to the disputed southern Kuril Islands in Russia’s Far East. Russia seized the islands at the close of WW2, but Japan still claims them. The Russian move, along with pressure from China and North Korea, is seen by analysts as a reaction to Japanese rearmament and strengthening relations with the US, as well as making common cause with Chinese interests in the region. Russia has deployed antiship missiles, warplanes and other military equipment to the Kuril Islands.
Germany
An evacuation around a Bavarian train station was ordered as a precaution after a suspicious object was found. The object was found not to be a bomb, but surrounding roads and railways remain closed while criminal police conclude their investigation.
Social Media Wires
The Oil refinery in the Russian city of Orsk is offline
Taliban deploying forces to Badakhshan
Featured Photo: “Kyiv after missile attack in 2022″, Wikimedia Commons, 2026
The Wires Brief is a daily breaking-news report that incorporates 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 and cropping.