Morning Brief: US Coast Guard Commissions First New Icebreaker in Over Two Decades; US, China Trade Accusations Over Panama Canal at UN Security Council

· Guy D. McCardle

USNS Montford Point (T-ESD 1) transits the Panama Canal en route from Portland, Oregon, to Norfolk, Virginia. (DVIDS)

Good morning. Busy Tuesday ahead. Here’s a quick rundown for this morning’s brief: America’s got a new icebreaker in the Arctic, a steel plant blast rocks Pittsburgh, and the US and China are trading jabs at the UN Netanyahu’s gearing up for a bigger Gaza push, Sudan’s Darfur sees fresh atrocities, and the European Union’s telling Trump to keep Ukraine at the table before his Putin sit-down.

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US Coast Guard Commissions First New Icebreaker in Over Two Decades

The US Coast Guard has commissioned USCGC Storis (WAGB-21), its first major icebreaker since 1999, in a ceremony held Saturday in Juneau, Alaska.

Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said the medium icebreaker adds “vital capability” to the polar fleet at a time when US adversaries are increasing activity near American waters.

Storis joins USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) and the heavy polar icebreaker USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10), expanding the fleet to three vessels. Healy handles most Arctic operations, while Polar Star conducts annual icebreaking at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Storis will focus on Arctic missions.

Originally built as the commercial vessel Aiviq for the oil and gas industry, Storis was purchased for $125 million, with an additional $25 million slated for refurbishment.

While ultimately planned for a Juneau homeport, it will be based in Seattle until pier upgrades in Alaska are complete.

The commissioning comes as the Coast Guard has secured over $5 billion for at least three Arctic Security Cutters and a new class of icebreakers.

The move also follows delays in the Polar Security Cutter program, with the first vessel, Polar Sentinel, now expected to be delivered in 2030.

 

Two Dead, 10 Injured in Explosion at US Steel Plant Near Pittsburgh

An explosion at the US Steel Clairton Plant outside Pittsburgh on Monday killed two workers and injured 10 others, including one person rescued after hours trapped in rubble.

The blast occurred late Monday morning, sending thick black smoke over the Mon Valley. Officials have not determined the cause.

Emergency services reported a fire following the explosion, with multiple smaller blasts rattling the area.

US Steel, now owned by Nippon Steel Corp., said it is working with authorities to investigate.

Seven patients were treated at Allegheny Health Network, with five discharged, while three remain at UPMC Mercy’s trauma and burn center.

The plant employs about 1,400 workers.

The Clairton facility, the largest coking operation in North America, has a history of industrial accidents, including fatal explosions in 2009 and 2010, and a deadly burn incident in 2014. In February, a battery problem caused a combustible buildup and minor injuries.

Environmental groups have called for a full, independent investigation into the latest incident.

Located along the Monongahela River, the plant converts coal to coke for steelmaking, a process producing hazardous gases. Authorities initially advised residents within a mile to shelter indoors, but lifted the alert after air monitors showed no dangerous pollution levels.

The incident comes just months after US Steel finalized its $15 billion acquisition by Nippon Steel, a deal shaped by national security concerns and political scrutiny.

 

US, China Trade Accusations Over Panama Canal at UN Security Council

The United States and China clashed Monday at a UN Security Council session over Beijing’s role in the Panama Canal.

Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea warned that China’s “outsized influence” over critical infrastructure and port operations near the waterway poses a threat to global trade and security, citing Beijing’s “unlawful maritime claims” and aggressive actions in other regions.

China’s UN Ambassador Fu Cong rejected the accusations, calling them “fabricated lies” meant to justify US control of the canal. He insisted China respects Panama’s sovereignty and the canal’s neutrality, accusing Washington of economic coercion and being the “biggest disrupter” of regional stability through its military deployments.

Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino, presiding over the council, reaffirmed his country’s ownership and the canal’s neutrality under international treaty.

The exchange comes amid US pressure for the Hong Kong-based operator of ports at both canal ends to sell to a US consortium, and after a recent US-Panama security agreement granting American troop access to strategic facilities — a move that sparked protests in Panama City.

The Panama Canal, vital for linking the Atlantic and Pacific, has been under Panamanian control since 1999.

The US and China’s competing claims over its influence reflect broader tensions over maritime security and global trade routes.

 

Netanyahu Plans Expanded Offensive in Gaza as Hostage Concerns Mount

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to expand military operations beyond Gaza City into the remaining areas not under Israeli control, including the central Nuseirat and Bureij camps, Muwasi displacement zone, and Deir al-Balah. These areas host much of Gaza’s population of 2 million, many already displaced and facing severe hunger.

The move, which could take weeks to mobilize, is seen partly as a pressure tactic on Hamas to release roughly 50 remaining hostages.

Critics in Israel, including families of hostages and former senior security officials, warn that escalation risks killing captives without delivering significant military gains.

Netanyahu said civilians would be directed to “safe zones” with aid, but Muwasi (designated as such earlier in the war) has faced repeated strikes, killing civilians.

The expanded offensive would add to the destruction of a territory already 75 percent destroyed and deepen the humanitarian crisis.

Netanyahu has proposed eventual relocation of Gaza’s population abroad, which Palestinians and most of the international community view as forced expulsion.

Hamas maintains it will release hostages only in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal. Since a March ceasefire collapse, Israel has intensified airstrikes, enforced a blockade pushing Gaza toward famine, and expanded its buffer zone. Hamas has released only one hostage since then.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people in Israel and abducted 251 others.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 61,500 Palestinian deaths, about half women and children, figures accepted by the UN and independent experts but disputed by Israel.

 

US Designates Pakistan’s Balochistan Liberation Army as Foreign Terrorist Organization

The US State Department has formally designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its armed wing, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, adding the Majeed Brigade to the BLA’s existing Specially Designated Global Terrorist listing.

The BLA, blamed for multiple deadly attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, was first sanctioned in 2019.

The updated designation cites recent attacks, including 2024 suicide bombings in Karachi and Gwadar, and the March hijacking of the Jaffar Express train that killed 31 people and held over 300 passengers hostage.

The announcement coincides with Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Washington and follows a new trade deal allowing US companies to help develop Balochistan’s oil reserves and lowering trade tariffs for Pakistan.

Pakistani security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali said the move signals a shift in US policy toward South Asia, deepening counterterrorism cooperation with Islamabad and aligning with Pakistan’s concerns over Baloch insurgents.

The designation also reflects US interest in stability in Balochistan, a province rich in energy resources but plagued by insurgency targeting Pakistani security forces, foreign workers, and Chinese-backed projects.

Violence in the region persists despite government claims of progress.

Last week, Pakistani forces killed 47 insurgents in Zhob district, adding three more on Tuesday for a total of 50.

Separately, an explosion struck an arms depot in Nowshera district. Authorities have not yet released details.

 

Sudan’s Paramilitary Attack on Displacement Camp in North Darfur Kills 40

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a raid Monday on the famine-stricken Abu Shouk displacement camp outside el-Fasher, North Darfur, killing 40 people and injuring at least 19, according to local rights groups.

The camp, housing about 450,000 displaced people, has faced repeated attacks during the civil war.

Rights activists said RSF fighters targeted residents inside their homes.

The Resistance Committees in el-Fasher described the assault as a severe violation against defenseless civilians.

Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab reported satellite imagery showing 40 vehicles in the camp and alleged footage of RSF fighters shooting at people trying to escape while using ethnic slurs.

Other imagery indicated RSF control of key escape routes north of el-Fasher.

The Sudanese army said it repelled a large-scale RSF attack in the city on Monday, destroying or capturing dozens of combat vehicles.

The RSF claimed advances and equipment seizures.

Darfur Governor Mini Arko Minawi praised el-Fasher for resisting the assault.

In North Kordofan province, RSF forces have displaced over 3,000 families from 66 villages since early August, killing 18 civilians and looting property, according to the Sudan Doctors Network and UN reports.

UN officials warn of an “extreme dire situation” in Sudan, with over 60 deaths from malnutrition reported in el-Fasher last week, mostly women and children.

The conflict, ongoing since April 2023, has killed more than 40,000 people, displaced 12 million, and pushed parts of the country into famine.

 

Iran, Iraq Sign Joint Security Memorandum Amid Regional Tensions

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, visited Baghdad on Monday to finalize what he called an “important security deal” with Iraq.

While details remain undisclosed, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirmed the signing of a joint security memorandum focused on border coordination.

Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qassim al-Araji said the agreement aims to prevent security breaches targeting neighboring countries.

The visit comes after Iraq accused Israel of using its airspace during June’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran.

Baghdad also claims to have stopped Iran-linked armed groups from joining the conflict, with al-Sudani saying security forces blocked 29 attempted missile and drone launches.

Larijani praised Iraq’s balanced foreign policy and discussed regional issues, including the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. His trip precedes a planned visit to Lebanon to meet officials amid ongoing Israeli strikes against Hezbollah despite a November ceasefire.

Lebanon’s government is pressing Hezbollah to disarm by year’s end.

 

EU Urges Trump to Defend Ukraine’s Interests Ahead of Putin Summit

European Union (EU) leaders on Tuesday called on US President Donald Trump to protect European security interests in his upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, set for Friday in Alaska.

The EU has been excluded from the meeting and fears any deal could be reached without Ukraine’s participation.

Trump has suggested Ukraine may need to cede Russian-held territory and indicated a possible “land swap” arrangement, alarming European and Ukrainian officials who fear concessions could embolden Moscow.

EU leaders stressed that “the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine” and reaffirmed the need to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international borders.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected giving up land for a ceasefire.

Russia continues to hold partial control over four Ukrainian regions and is pressing advances in Donetsk, where its forces are nearing Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub. Losing the city could be a significant blow to Ukraine ahead of the summit.

On the battlefield, a Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian military training facility killed one soldier and wounded 11. Military analysts warn the next 48 hours will be critical for the defense of Pokrovsk.

Trump’s remarks, including criticism of Zelenskyy’s leadership and praise for Putin’s longevity in power, have unsettled Ukraine’s backers.

EU leaders plan to make a final push to influence Trump’s position at a virtual meeting led by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday, though it is unclear if Trump will attend.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Putin’s closest ally in the EU, refused to endorse the bloc’s joint statement.

 

Sources: News Agencies