26 May 2026
Iran-US
On Monday, the US sank two IRGC boats which were laying mines. In retaliation, Iran began firing surface-to-air missiles at American planes, which in turn resulted in a US attack on a missile launch site in southern Iran. Major explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas and in the Persian Gulf.
Iran shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Persian Gulf. Iran believes that it was providing “precise intelligence monitoring”.
Ukraine-Russia War
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Russia will begin strikes on Ukrainian “decision-making centres” and has urged all foreign embassies in Kyiv to evacuate.
Russia
According to Russian authorities, several NATO-produced magnetic mines were detected on the hull of the tanker Arrhenius, which arrived from Antwerp to load LNG. It is believed that the mines were not installed in Russian territorial waters, and the Arrhenius was set to sail to the Turkish port of Samsun.
Russia and India are in talks to supply India with additional S-400 missile systems. In 2018, Russia signed an agreement to supply India with five S-400 systems. Russia supplied India with the first three by 2023, and no further deliveries have occurred since due to the war in Ukraine.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Police fired shots in the air to disperse angry crowds at an Ebola treatment centre in eastern Congo. The crowds were attempting to reclaim the bodies of loved ones who succumbed to the highly infectious disease.
There have been at least three attacks on health facilities in the northeastern province of Ituri, where Ebola patients are being treated. Some patients have fled after those attacks. One hospital permitted more than two dozen patients to run away. Similar attacks on health facilities were conducted during the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak. Some attacks were conducted by angry civilians not being able to bury their loved ones.
Total known infections have surpassed 900 in the DRC, and Uganda just confirmed two new Ebola cases. Both of whom were health workers.
The M23 rebel group is looking to sell critical minerals directly to the United States. M23 controls large swaths of the DRC, and, according to interviews with M23 leadership, it is seeking to sell tantalum, tin, and tungsten to the US in exchange for political legitimacy and economic support.
South Korea
South Korea is seeking to build its first nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s. The government states that the construction will be done in Korea and that it will use low-enriched uranium fuel and comply with international non-proliferation obligations.
Israel-Hezbollah
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to intensify strikes against Hezbollah. The IDF said it had launched strikes against Hezbollah in the eastern Bekaa Valley and other parts of the country. The IDF says it has struck more than 100 targets in the latest wave of attacks.
Australia
A group of Australian women and children are returning to Melbourne after being in an ISIS detention camp in Syria for years. Earlier in May, three of four women, who returned to Australia, were arrested and charged with crimes including crimes against humanity and for joining ISIS.
Social Media Wires
Attacks continue on the Russian land bridge to Crimea
Ukrainian Leopard 1A5 hit by Russian FPV drones
Featured Photo: “HIMARS supporting Epic Fury” – U.S. Central Command Public Affairs, DVIDS Hub, 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.