President Trump announced the launching of “Operation Freedom,” a move to open the Strait of Hormuz for the abundance of vessels that have been caught in the gulf for an extended time frame due to the conflict and Iranian closure of the strait. In the president’s post on Truth Social announcing the move, he framed it as a humanitarian cause. Evidently, sanitary conditions aboard many of the stranded vessels have become an issue for sailors.
The Jordanian air force conducted strikes in southern Syria overnight Sunday, reportedly taking out illegal drug and weapons infrastructure in the Druze area of Sweida. The Kingdom of Jordan is usually very cautious in its use of power, which gives the move even more emphasis and shows what a serious threat Jordan saw in the situation. Syria produces an estimated 80% of the world's Captagon, an illicit, highly addictive amphetamine-type stimulant.
The drone threat in Lebanon is increasingly a problem for Israeli forces. Already in the last few days, two Israeli soldiers have lost their lives to Hezbollah drones that breached their defenses. The threat of drones continues to develop, with new technologies making them impervious to radio signal jamming. The Israeli military is scrambling to find workable solutions. Interestingly, one solution is makeshift nets that are being put up on military vehicles to catch explosive drones before they impact and detonate. |
