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Donald Trump Makes Major Shift on Russia-Ukraine War

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Ukraine can reclaim all territory lost to Russia, marking a sharp shift from his earlier calls for Kyiv to make concessions.
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Trump's evolving stance on the Russia-Ukraine war signals a major shift in the United States' foreign policy with global implications. After months of pressuring Ukraine for concessions and floating the idea of territorial swaps with Russia, Trump has now called for Ukraine to possibly reclaim lost territory and previously threatened sweeping new sanctions on Russia.

These moves come amid continued Russian strikes in Ukraine and stalled peace talks, underscoring the U.S.'s pivotal role in shaping the conflict's trajectory and the security of Europe.

What To Know

Trump shared the new position in a social media post shortly after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

“I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original borders from where this war started is very much an option.”

The president continued: "Why not? Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like 'a paper tiger.' When the people living in Moscow, and all of the Great Cities, Towns, and Districts all throughout Russia, find out what is really going on with this War, the fact that it’s almost impossible for them to get Gasoline through the long lines that are being formed, and all of the other things that are taking place in their War Economy, where most of their money is being spent on fighting Ukraine, which has Great Spirit, and only getting better, Ukraine would be able to take back their Country in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that! Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act."

"In any event, I wish both Countries well. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," Trump said.

Last month, Trump commented that a peace agreement could involve "swapping of territories" between Russia and Ukraine, an apparent nod to negotiations over disputed regions. "Well, you're looking at territory that's been fought over for 3 1/2 years…you know, a lot of Russians have died. A lot of Ukrainians have died."

"So we're looking at that, but we're actually looking to get some back," Trump said, adding, "Some swapping. It's complicated…but we're going to get some back, we're going to get some switched. There'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both, but we'll be talking about that either later or tomorrow."

Trump also previously threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on Russia and secondary tariffs on other countries trading with Russia in July, if a peace deal is not reached within fifty days.

Zelenskyy told reporters on Tuesday, after meeting with Trump, that the president seems "closer to this situation" following his shift in remarks, The Associated Press reports.

“I see that Trump is a game changer, and Xi Jinping can also have influence on Russia,” Zelenskyy said. He also called his meeting with Trump a "good one," the AP notes.

MORE ON UKRAINE WAR

Donald Trump Says NATO Should Shoot Down Russian Aircraft Entering Airspace

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he believes NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft when they violate NATO airspace.

The president made the remark in response to a reporter's question as he met with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. "Mr. President, do you think that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace?" a reporter asked.

"Yes, I do," Trump said quickly, and then moved to the next question. The comments came during a press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Why It Matters

Several members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)—most recently Estonia—have raised concerns about recent Russian airspace violations, drawing global criticism toward Moscow amid its ongoing war against Ukraine. NATO on Tuesday described the recent incursion as "part of a wider pattern of increasingly irresponsible Russian behaviour." NATO is a military alliance, and Article 4 of its charter states that an attack against one member state should be treated as an attack against all.

What to Know

Trump's comments come after Estonia invoked Article 4 and accused Russia of violating its airspace on Friday with three MiG-31 fighter jets. On September 10, Poland also said Russia violated its airspace. The Associated Press reported that it was the first direct encounter between NATO and Russia since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had not received credible information about the claims, saying that "such rhetoric only serves to heighten hostility."

NATO on Tuesday warned Russia that it bears "full responsibility" for the incursions, which it described as "escalatory." NATO's response will "continue to be robust," according to the statement.

The incidents have strained the already-tense relationship between Russia and NATO, which has been critical of its Ukraine invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin faced criticism over the conflict, as many world leaders view the invasion as unjustified and in violation of Ukraine's sovereignty.

World leaders have been critical of the alleged airspace violations. Donald Tusk, prime minister of Poland, said Monday that his country's military would shoot down any objects that violate its airspace "without discussion," the AP reported.

French President Emanuel Macron said during an interview with CBS News' Face the Nation over the weekend that "there is no mistake" in the incursions.

"There is just a project which is to destroy the maximum territories of Ukraine, to have a victory in Ukraine, and just to highlight what they want, the weakness of NATO," he said.

Russia Claims NATO Plotting Ukraine ‘Landing’, Moldova ‘Occupation’

Russia has said it believes NATO is plotting a "landing" in Ukraine as part of a bid by the European Union to "occupy" Moldova.

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed NATO military units were massing in Romania close to the Moldovan border and were also planning a "landing" in Ukraine's Odesa region, according to TASS, Moscow's state news agency.

Why It Matters

Moldova goes to the polls on Sunday in a critical parliamentary election. The vote is seen as a stark choice for the country between a path to EU membership or closer ties with Moscow.

What to Know

The Russian intelligence report said that the EU was "determined to keep Moldova within the framework of their Russophobic policies."

"This is planned to be done at any cost, including the deployment of troops and the de facto occupation of the country. At this stage, NATO military units are concentrating in Romania near the Moldovan border," the report stated.

"A NATO 'landing' is being prepared in Ukraine's Odesa region to intimidate Transnistria. According to available information, the first group of career military personnel from France and Great Britain has already arrived."

Moldova Detains Dozens over Alleged Russia-Backed Unrest Plot

Moldovan authorities carried out 250 raids and over 70 people Monday as part of an investigation into an alleged Russia-backed plan to incite unrest ahead of the election.

Moldova’s police force said the plan to incite “mass riots” was “coordinated from the Russian Federation, through criminal elements.”

Copenhagen and Oslo airports forced to close temporarily due to drone sightings

Denmark and Norway were forced to close their main airports on Monday night due to drone sightings.

Danish police were unable to confirm the type or the number of drones seen around Copenhagen Airport, but told reporters on Tuesday morning that they were likely flown by a "capable operator" who wanted to "show off".

Police confirmed that armed forces were activated in response to the sighting, but said there was nothing to indicate that the drones were intended to cause harm.

Operations at Copenhagen airport resumed at 00:30 local time (23:30 GMT) after flights were suspended for almost four hours following a drone sighting. Oslo airport also reopened after four hours of airspace closure.

Danish police also said that "a number of measures will be implemented" as part of the investigation, but would not confirm what these measures might be.

They confirmed that around 20,000 passengers were impacted by the airport closure.

On Monday evening, two to three large drones were reported flying in the area around Copenhagen Airport, according to authorities.

Take-offs and landings at the airport were suspended for approximately four hours.

In a statement, the airport warned of ongoing delays and cancellations, and urged passengers to check the status of their flight with their airlines.

Asked by reporters on Monday if the drones were of Russian origin, Deputy Police Inspector Jakob Hansen said he could not confirm or deny this.

In a social media post later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky referenced "Russia's violation" of Nato airspace in Copenhagen on 22 September, but did not indicate a source for the information.

EU and Nato leaders have not made a public attribution.

In Tuesday's press conference, Danish police said there was not anything that "immediately links" the drone incidents in Norway and Denmark with each other.

A spokesperson for Copenhagen Airport confirmed that the airspace over the airport was closed at around around 20:30 local time (18:30 GMT) on Monday due to unidentified drones.

"No aircraft can take off or land at the airport, and as a result, several flights are being diverted to other airports," they said in a statement.

"Police are investigating the matter and we currently have to timeline for reopening."

Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 reported that at least 35 flights bound for Copenhagen had been diverted as a result of the airport's closure.

In Oslo, a drone was also detected near the main airport on Monday evening, Norwegian police confirmed to local media outlet NRK.

A spokesperson for the airport told public broadcaster NRK that airspace above the airport was closed at 00:00 local time (22:00 GMT) due to "drone observation", and all flights would be diverted to the nearest airport.

At around 04:30 local time (02:30 GMT), the spokesperson said Oslo Airport had been reopened.

Russia Responds To Mystery Drones Over Major European Airports

Russia has said it was not involved in the appearance of drones which disrupted air traffic in Norway and Denmark this week.

Airports in Copenhagen and Norway temporarily suspended operations and diverted flights on Monday night after reports of drones in the Nordic countries’ airspace.
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There has not yet been any confirmation of Moscow’s involvement in the appearance of drones which shut down the Danish and Norwegian airports, but there are jitters among NATO members over its airspace facing repeated incursions by Russian drones.

What To Know

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said authorities were not ruling out the possibility that Moscow was behind the incident amid tension between NATO and Moscow after Russian drones entered the airspace of Poland and Romania this month.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that suggestions of Moscow’s involvement in Monday’s incident were “unfounded.”

Kastrup airport in Copenhagen shut for several hours from around 8.30 p.m. local time Monday after several drones were spotted. Oslo airport in neighboring Norway, another NATO member, also had to be temporarily closed after reports of drone sightings. 

Frederiksen told reporters that the motive had been to “disrupt” and “create unrest” as she linked it with recent Russian drone incursions in Poland and Romania and the violation of Estonian airspace by Moscow’s jets

Flemming Drejer, director of operations at Denmark's intelligence service PET said the country was facing a threat of sabotage from an actor that might not want to attack, but test its response, the BBC reported.

Amid the insinuations, Peskov criticized “unfounded accusations.”

Around 20,000 passengers faced disruption on Monday night, with Danish police saying the incidents had been conducted by a “capable actor” with drones coming from different directions from a great distance. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to "Russia's violation" of NATO airspace in Copenhagen in an X post on Tuesday without providing evidence for his claims which Danish police would not comment on.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian Police Security Service said it was trying to clarify if there was a link between the unconfirmed drone sighting at Oslo airport to the drones in Denmark.

NATO Nation Ready To Shoot Down Russian Planes

Sweden would shoot down Russian fighter jets if its airspace was violated, NATO’s newest member has said.

"Sweden will defend its airspace," Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson told the newspaper Aftonbladet.
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Sweden joined NATO in March 2024, marking the expansion of the alliance due to security concerns caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

Jonson’s remarks reflect the growing concerns in the alliance about how to respond to the threat posed by Russia which is accused of breaching the airspace of NATO’s eastern flank members Poland, Romania with drones and Estonia with fighter jets.

What To Know

Jonson told the Swedish newspaper that no country had the right to violate his country’s airspace, which Stockholm would defend “by force if necessary.”

He said that under Swedish IKFN regulations, which relate to responses to violations of Swedish territory, his government had the right to use weapons if necessary, “with or without warning."

Even before it joined NATO, the Swedish Air Force has a history of readiness in the face of regional incursions, particularly over the Baltic Sea.

Sweden possesses advanced Saab JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighter jets, Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, and IRIS-T short-range missiles to counter any threat from Russia, according to military website Army Recognition.

Jonson’s comments follow accusations that Russia has tested the alliance’s resilience with incursions into its airspace. Estonia said that Russian MiG-31 fighters entered its territory on September 19 for 12 minutes. Moscow denied the incursion and said its flight to the Kaliningrad region was in international airspace.

Poland said Russian fighter jets also flew over the Polish Petrobaltic drilling platform in the Baltic Sea on September 19 and Moscow was condemned for drones fired during its bombardment of Ukraine landing in Poland earlier in the month.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said that Warsaw would destroy any hostile objects entering its airspace and its neighbor Lithuania said it would take similar measures with Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė saying on X that Turkey had “set an example” 10 years ago.

This refers to the 2015 incident in which a Turkish Air Force F-16 shot down a Russian Su-24M bomber which had violated its airspace for 17 seconds in the first time a NATO member had downed a Russian warplane since the Korean War.

Concerns are growing about Moscow’s actions in the wider region, amid its full-scale invasion. Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, which helps front-line communities in the war-torn country, told Newsweek that any NATO member should respond to an air incursion by Moscow in the same way as Turkey did a decade ago.

“There were no more Russian jets violating Turkish airspace after the 2015 incident,” he said.

USA

NCTC Supports U.S. Law Enforcement, First Responders by Sharing Intel Product Aimed at Deterring Attacks by Al-Qa’ida

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s (ODNI) National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) recently disseminated an unclassified intelligence product to law enforcement partners aimed at protecting Americans against the threat of Al-Qa'ida left over by the Biden Administration. The NCTC product provides local, state, federal, and international partners with the tools needed to combat targeting attempts by Al-Qa'ida and better protect the American people. It also serves as a Public Service Announcement for Americans who may be at potential risk of targeting by Al-Qa'ida.

Under President Trump’s leadership, NCTC is working across agencies to watchlist, screen, vet, and pass information to combat all potential threats to the American people and best protect the safety, security, and freedom of our nation. While the potential for heightened threat environments may arise as political and international climates shift, NCTC’s recent product serves as evidence that the partnership between our Intelligence Community and law enforcement has never been stronger. President Trump’s policies have ensured that America is more prepared than ever to respond to and address any threat directly, rapidly, and with strategic coordination.

“The relentless pursuit of our enemies means clearly defining and understanding them,” said NCTC Director Joe Kent. “Constant vigilance includes guarding our borders and ensuring our communities are informed. We have the knowledge and leadership to keep America safe. That said, it is critical for first responders and the public to stay alert and vigilant against threats from Al-Qa‘ida’s global network. While a number of threats persist, NCTC and our partners are monitoring 24/7 to thwart these attacks and keep Americans safe.”

While combating the threat of Al-Qa'ida this year, the NCTC team enabled the removal of a U.S. based Al-Qa'ida terrorist. The criminal entered the U.S. via Biden's “CBP One” app under an asylum claim. While rechecking the vetting of CBP One applicants, NCTC discovered a terrorist with Al-Qa'ida ties and immediately alerted its law enforcement partners. As a result, this dangerous terrorist was detained and will be removed from the U.S.

Additional unclassified products developed by NCTC’s Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team that detail various counterterrorism strategies and mitigation efforts for first responders are available on www.dni.gov.

Ryan Routh tries to stab himself with pen after being convicted of Trump assassination attempt

Ryan Routh, the madman who holed up in a sniper’s nest with an assault rifle at one of President Trump’s golf courses, tried to stab himself with a pen in a Florida courtroom Tuesday after he was convicted of attempting to assassinate the then-GOP nominee.

A dramatic scene unfolded as jurors were leaving the courtroom when Routh took a pen and started trying to jab himself in the neck.

Courtroom marshals sprung to action and dragged him out of the room as his daughter, Sara Routh, screamed at her father. “Dad I love you. Don’t do anything. I’ll get you out. He didn’t hurt anybody,” the daughter yelled.

A few minutes later, Routh was brought back into the courtroom with shackles on. He wasn’t wearing the jacket and tie from earlier and his white shirt didn’t show signs of blood. The judge set his sentencing date for Dec. 18, where he will face up to life in prison.

The jurors took about two hours to find Routh, 59, guilty of five federal charges of attempted assassination, assault on a federal officer and gun crimes following a two week trial in Fort Pierce, Fla. court.

After the verdict was read out, Routh took a pen and stabbed himself in the neck. The extent of his injuries was not immediately clear.

Trump in a post on Truth Social later Tuesday thanked the judge and the jury for their “professionalism, and patience,” and thanked the Secret Service agent who stopped Routh for his “instinct and foresight.”

“This was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him,” the post read. “A very big moment for JUSTICE IN AMERICA!”

Routh — a construction worker, with no formal legal training — represented himself, putting on an amateur and bizarre defense in which he suggested the case should be settled by a golf match to the death.

Melania Trump nearly tumbles on UN escalator — as Leavitt demands probe of possible sabotage

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt demanded that United Nations officials investigate whether an escalator at headquarters was “deliberately” sabotaged as President Trump and first lady Melania Trump stepped on it Tuesday morning.

“If someone at the UN intentionally stopped the escalator as the President and First Lady were stepping on, they need to be fired and investigated immediately,” Leavitt wrote on X, citing a Times of London report that staffers had been overheard joking that they may switch off the escalator and make Trump walk to the hall to give his speech.

“The safety mechanism was inadvertently triggered by someone who was ahead of the president on the escalator,” UN spokesperson Farhan Aziz Haq told The Times Tuesday.

“The escalator was immediately reset and is in operation.”

Video captured the moment when the escalator in the entrance hall to the UN building in New York abruptly stalled as soon as the Trumps stepped on it.

Melania, who was standing directly in front of the president and wearing high heels, jolted forward when it stopped moving.

Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension was more about Bob Iger’s legacy than politics: ABC insiders

Bob Iger’s legacy matters more than politics, it seems.

Some ABC insiders believe Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension had more to do with Iger “trying to steady the ship,” and further cement a Walt Disney-like legacy before he eventually steps down as CEO of the Mickey Mouse company.

“[Iger] may come across as this slick Hollywood Mr. Nice Guy, but he’s no bulls–t. He’s all about business,” one insider told Page Six.
The source added of Iger and Kimmel: “He’s personal friends with Jimmy, which complicated the issue,” of him getting pulled off air.

Kimmel was yanked off-air last week for suggesting MAGA supporters and politicos were using the Charlie Kirk’s assassination for political gain.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” Kimmel said on his show referring to Tyler Robinson last week.

The comment sparked outrage from one of the biggest TV station conglomerates, Nexstar Media, who threatened to pull Kimmel from its ABC-affiliated markets. FCC chairman Brendan Carr thanked Nextar “for doing the right thing” and threatened to take action against ABC, saying, “local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public’s interest.”

He added, “While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community.” (Nexstar is in a bid to purchase, Telstar, another TV station owner, for $6.2 billion, which would need Carr’s approval to seal the deal).

These are the Sinclair and Nexstar-owned ABC stations that won’t air Jimmy Kimmel’s return

Jimmy Kimmel’s comeback to late-night TV on Tuesday following a weeklong hiatus will be blacked out of dozens of markets after Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar announced their ABC affiliates will not air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

Nexstar Media Group, which operates 32 ABC affiliates, said Tuesday it will keep “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off its ABC stations following his false claim that Charlie Kirk was killed by a MAGA supporter.

The announcement came just a day after Sinclair Broadcast Group revealed it would preempt the late-night show despite Disney returning Kimmel to the air.

That means ABC’s two biggest station owners, overseeing dozens of local affiliates, will not show the late-night host’s return to the airwaves on Tuesday.

“Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming,” the company posted on X on Monday.

“Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.”

The decision affects dozens of ABC affiliates in key markets, including WJLA in Washington, DC, KOMO in Seattle, KDNL in St. Louis, KATU in Portland, Ore., and WHAM in Rochester, NY.

Other key affiliates affected include in WSYX in Columbus, Ohio, WBMA in Birmingham, Ala., and KATV in Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Ark.

Sinclair controls more than 180 stations nationwide — 41 of them affiliated with Disney-owned ABC, making it the largest owner of ABC affiliates.

On Tuesday, Nexstar followed suit.

“We made a decision last week to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s ‘ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse,” Nexstar said in a statement.

That means Kimmel won’t be seen in key markets where Nexstar beams ABC content into homes, including Syracuse, Salt Lake City, Hartford and Albany.

Kimmel, who earns $15 million annually, was set to return after Disney suspended him last week over his remarks tying conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s accused killer to the “MAGA gang.”

His absence sparked protests outside ABC television stations as well as calls to boycott parent company Disney.

INTERNATIONAL

ICC charges Rodrigo Duterte with crimes against humanity

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The 80-year-old is accused of being criminally responsible for dozens of murders that allegedly took place as part of his so-called war on drugs, during which thousands of small-time drug dealers, users and others were killed without trial.

The ICC's charge sheet, which includes several redactions, dates from July but was only made public on Monday.

ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said Duterte was an "indirect co-perpetrator" in the killings, which the court alleges were carried out by others, including police.

The first count laid against Mr Duterte concerns his alleged involvement in the killings of 19 people in Davao City between 2013 and 2016 while he was mayor there.

The other two charges relate to times when he was serving as president of the Philippines, between 2016 and 2022, and launched his so-called war on drugs.

The second count relates to the murders of 14 "high-value targets" across the country, while the third relates to the murder and attempted murder of 45 people in village clearance operations.

Prosecutors referred to how Mr Duterte and his alleged co-perpetrators "shared a common plan or agreement to 'neutralise' alleged criminals in the Philippines (including those perceived or alleged to be associated with drug use, sale or production) through violent crimes including murder".

He has offered no apologies for his brutal anti-drugs crackdown, which saw more than 6,000 people killed - although activists believe the real figure could run into the tens of thousands.

Mr Duterte said he cracked down on drug dealers to rid the country of street crimes.

Qatar to Discuss 'New Threat Perception' of Israel with Trump: PM Adviser

A senior Qatari official has told Newsweek that the nation and its fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) partners were planning to convey to President Donald Trump a drastic change in regional views toward Israel as a result of its recent strike in Doha.

Speaking on the eve of the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly that will bring leaders and top officials from across the world to New York City, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari described the Israeli strike that targeted a Hamas office in the Qatari capital, killing six people, including 22-year-old Qatari Internal Security Force Lance Corporal Badr Saad Mohammed al-Humaidi al-Dosari, as "a moment that changed Qatari society forever."

"For the first time in our history, one of our own was killed by an airstrike on our country," al-Ansari, who also serves as adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said, "an airstrike that wasn't warranted, had nothing to do with Qatari participation in any kind of violent conflict, anywhere, and was a direct result of Qatar choosing to be an actor for peace."

The effects of the September 9 strike, which al-Ansari said took place as Hamas officials met to discuss a new ceasefire proposal to the ongoing war in Gaza that Qatar has played a key role in mediating, have reverberated far beyond the peninsular nation of around 2.6 million people bordering Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf.

"This has changed the region forever," al-Ansari said. "Our region post the ninth of September is not the same region as it was before."

At a time when Israel was looking to expand its Abraham Accord agreements, al-Ansari said that the unprecedented attack "didn't just change Qatari society, it changed GCC perception of the threat" posed by Israel for the first time in the history of the six-member bloc that also includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

"We have total confidence in our neighbors and our relationship with them, and we know that they will take steps as they see fit," al-Ansari said, "but in accordance with, as I said, the new threat perception in the region, we are here now, collectively in New York."

"There are meetings that will be held between the GCC and President Trump, and one of the main messages that will be conveyed is that new threat perception in the region, and how our relationship with the U.S. needs to address this new threat perception," he added. "And we have total confidence not only in our shared belief of security in the region, but in the partnership with the United States for it."

Iran Threatens US With 'Deadly' Response

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that any miscalculation or act of aggression by the United States or Israel could prompt a "deadly" response. The statement, issued Sunday as Iran marked the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq War, emphasized that Tehran would act decisively and seize battlefield initiative if threatened.

The IRGC placed the warning in the context of past conflicts, including June's 12-day war, highlighting the country's military readiness while underscoring the broader risks of regional escalation.

Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department and Iran's Foreign Ministry for comment.

Why It Matters

The warning highlights the region's volatility following recent clashes between Iran, Israel, and the U.S., reflecting Tehran's determination to protect its strategic interests. That posture is closely tied to tensions over Iran's nuclear program, which the U.S. and its allies view as edging toward weapons capability, even as Tehran insists its work is peaceful. Combined with ongoing sanctions that strain the economy, the IRGC's statements serve both as a domestic rallying point and a signal to foreign powers.

What To Know

The IRGC said Iran's defense strategy is rooted in constant readiness, strategic and tactical innovation, and the steady advancement of military technologies. It added that the country's armed forces are enhancing offensive and defensive systems and will deliver a crushing response to any hostile act by adversaries.

The statement singled out both Israel and the U.S., referring to what Tehran called an "illegal aggression" earlier this year.

12-Day War
On June 13, Israel launched a strike inside Iran that sparked nearly two weeks of fighting, which Tehran called unprovoked and condemned for causing heavy casualties, including military leaders and civilians. The U.S. later carried out airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, actions Iran denounced as serious violations of international law.

On Saturday, President Donald Trump said that the operation destroyed Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles. Speaking at a dinner hosted by the conservative American Cornerstone Institute in Washington, he praised the B-2 stealth bomber pilots who flew the 37-hour mission, calling the strike a success that had "obliterated Iran's nuclear hopes."

North Korea's Kim Teases 'Secret Weapons' to Achieve Military Leap

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sunday hinted at "secret weapons" and touted the country's advancing military capabilities in a speech to the nation's parliament.

Why It Matters

The strongman ruler delivered his remarks during a rare sitting of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly—an event closely watched for new policy signals, legislative changes and insights into the Kim regime's strategic intentions.

Tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula amid Pyongyang's continued development of nuclear and ballistic missile programs prohibited by the United Nations. Kim's government says the weapons are for self-defense, blaming "provocative" military cooperation between the United States and its treaty allies South Korea and Japan.
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Kim told North Korea's lawmakers that the nation was "making unremitting leaps and bounds in strengthening the country's defense capability."

"We have acquired new secret weapons and achieved considerable results in defense science and research that will greatly contribute to a further radical leap forward in our military capabilities," he said, according to a transcript published on Monday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Kim did not offer details about these new weapons. He also praised progress in modernizing North Korea's modest navy, calling the launch of two destroyers this year a "major step" toward becoming a maritime power.

Kim accused the U.S. and its allies of "adventurous" military actions that have raised the risk of nuclear confrontation, calling the security situation "more severe than ever."

He used the occasion to double down on nuclear and missile development and dismissed denuclearization efforts, vowing they would not succeed "even after 100 years."

However, Kim said North Korea was prepared to pursue "peaceful coexistence" with the U.S. if it dropped what he called its "absurd obsession with denuclearization."

As Pyongyang continues to expand both its nuclear and conventional arsenals, U.S. and allied officials believe North Korea has acquired advanced Russian military technology in exchange for supplying munitions and troops for Russia's war in Ukraine.

South Korean officials have cited intelligence that Russia, which signed a new military agreement with North Korea last year, has agreed to provide Pyongyang with fighter jets and nuclear submarine technology.

Kim's comments come as South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung expressed willingness to accept a deal that would allow the North to temporarily freeze its nuclear program rather than immediately start the denuclearization process.