Morning Brief: Houthis Claim Missile Strike on Israeli-Owned Oil Tanker in Red Sea, Modi and Putin Highlight ‘Special Partnership’ at Tianjin Summit

· Guy D. McCardle

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin. (@narendramodi/X)

Good morning. Here’s your Monday, September 1, 2025 brief: Congress faces a shutdown fight, Houthis strike an Israeli-linked tanker, Sweden pushes for space independence, Ukraine arrests suspect in Parubiy killing, Afghanistan reels from a deadly quake, SCO summit spotlights Xi, Putin, and Modi’s growing alignment, and Kim Jong Un prepares to join Beijing’s military parade.

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Congress Returns to Budget Showdown, Nomination Fights, and High-Stakes Oversight

Congress reconvenes after the August recess with a packed agenda dominated by a looming September 30 government funding deadline.

Republicans, fresh off passing President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending cuts, must secure Democratic support to avoid a shutdown, though disputes over rescinded foreign aid threaten negotiations.

In the Senate, Republicans are considering rule changes to bypass Democratic delays on Trump’s nominees, while debate continues on a bipartisan sanctions bill targeting Russia’s trading partners.

Other flashpoints include the fallout at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after leadership resignations over anti-vaccine directives, House divisions on releasing Jeffrey Epstein investigation files, and Republican-led probes into former President Joe Biden’s mental fitness. Lawmakers are also weighing a stock trading ban for members of Congress and future presidents, though opposition remains strong among wealthy legislators.

The month ahead is set to test bipartisan cooperation as both parties press their priorities amid high political stakes.

 

Israeli Tanks Push Deeper into Gaza City as Genocide Scholars Accuse Israel of Meeting Legal Threshold

Israeli forces advanced further into Gaza City on Monday, with tanks entering the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood and detonating explosives-laden vehicles that destroyed homes and forced mass displacement, according to Palestinian officials and residents.

Airstrikes killed at least 19 people, including women and children, as Israel pressed ahead with plans to seize full control of Gaza and eliminate Hamas.

Leaflets urged civilians to flee south, though many residents reported fear and confusion over where to go.

The offensive coincided with the International Association of Genocide Scholars declaring that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal criteria for genocide, a claim Israel has repeatedly rejected.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet to discuss the operation, though a full-scale assault is expected to take weeks as Israel seeks to clear civilians first. Military leaders have warned that hostages held by Hamas could be endangered.

The conflict, now nearing two years since Hamas’ October 2023 attack that killed 1,200 in Israel, has left more than 63,000 Palestinians dead and the enclave in deep humanitarian crisis.

 

Houthis Claim Missile Strike on Israeli-Owned Oil Tanker in Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Monday they launched a missile at the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Scarlet Ray off Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, alleging the vessel has Israeli ties.

The ship, owned by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping and ultimately controlled by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer, fits the Houthis’ stated target profile.

The British military’s maritime monitoring agency confirmed a vessel reported a splash and bang near Yanbu.

The strike marks a potential resumption of Houthi attacks on commercial shipping, which escalated during the Israel-Hamas war and have already hit more than 100 vessels since late 2023, sinking four and killing at least eight sailors. The renewed assault follows Israeli airstrikes that killed the Houthis’ prime minister and Cabinet members, and their raids on United Nations offices in Sanaa that left at least 11 staff detained.

The attack also comes amid fragile ceasefire efforts in Gaza and stalled US-Iran nuclear talks.

 

Thousands Mourn Houthi Leaders Killed in Israeli Strike as Acting Prime Minister Vows Revenge

Thousands gathered at Al Saleh Mosque in Sanaa on Monday for the funeral of 12 senior Houthi officials, including Prime Minister Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahwi, killed in an Israeli airstrike last week.

The attack, the first to eliminate top figures, struck a crowd watching a recorded speech by Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi and wiped out much of the group’s cabinet.

Mohammed Miftah, who became acting prime minister after serving as deputy, vowed retaliation and a crackdown on alleged spies, accusing the US, Israel, and regional allies of orchestrating the strike.

Israel said it had targeted the Houthis’ defense minister and other senior leaders, though the fate of defense chief Mohamed al-Atifi remains unclear.

Abdul Malik al-Houthi remains alive and continues to lead the movement as one of Iran’s key regional allies.

 

Sweden’s Esrange Space Center Positions Europe for Independent Role in Global Space Race

Europe is pushing to expand its own space capabilities as reliance on US security and launch sites comes under scrutiny.

At the forefront is Sweden’s state-owned Esrange Space Center, located above the Arctic Circle in Kiruna, which is developing orbital rocket programs to give the continent a mainland launch site. The center offers vast uninhabited land for safe rocket recovery and a prime location for satellite communication with polar orbits.

Norway’s Andøya Spaceport and projects in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom are also part of Europe’s growing spaceport network.

The effort comes amid the Trump administration’s “America First” approach and US advances in space-based missile defense, prompting European leaders to strengthen their own security and commercial assets in orbit.

Analysts argue Europe must at least double its investment in space to remain relevant as rivals and private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin expand rapidly.

Esrange officials stress that satellites are already integral to daily life and see Europe’s entry into orbital launches as vital for both security and economic growth.

 

Ukraine Arrests Suspect in Killing of Former Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Monday that a suspect has been arrested in the shooting death of former parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy in Lviv.

Zelenskyy said the suspect has given an initial testimony, with urgent investigative work underway.

Interior Minister Igor Klymenko confirmed the arrest in the Khmelnytsky region, noting that dozens of police and security officers took part in the operation.

Authorities believe the killing was a planned attack, with police chief Ivan Vyhivskyi alleging Russian involvement. Reports suggest the shooter disguised as a delivery rider on an electric bike.

Parubiy, a prominent pro-European figure in Ukraine’s 2004 and 2014 protest movements and a defender of the Ukrainian language, had previously survived an assassination attempt.

Russian state media reported he had been wanted by Moscow since 2023.

 

Deadly Earthquake Kills Over 620 in Eastern Afghanistan, Rescue Efforts Underway

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, killing at least 620 people and injuring more than 1,300, according to Taliban officials.

The quake hit Kunar province near Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, collapsing villages and leaving residents digging through rubble for survivors.

The US Geological Survey said the shallow quake was centered 27 kilometers (17 miles) east-northeast of Jalalabad, with several aftershocks following.

Rescue teams from Kunar, Nangarhar, and Kabul have deployed, but many remote areas remain cut off, and casualty numbers are expected to rise. Survivors reported entire villages destroyed, with people trapped under debris.

The Taliban government reportedly pledged to mobilize all available resources for relief.

The disaster comes less than a year after a 6.3 magnitude quake in Afghanistan killed thousands, highlighting the vulnerability of poorly built homes in the region’s mountainous terrain.

 

Shanghai Cooperation Summit Highlights Bloc’s Growing Role as Counterweight to US

Leaders of the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met Monday in Tianjin, China, underscoring the bloc’s growth as a potential challenge to US influence.

Members include Russia, China, India, Iran, Belarus, Pakistan, and Central Asian states, with observer nations such as Egypt and Nepal also present.

Founded in 2001, the SCO has expanded beyond its regional security roots into limited economic and military cooperation, though its effectiveness remains unclear.

Leaders of SCO member states
Group photo of SCO leaders at the 25th Council of Heads of State meeting. (Image grab via X)

China emphasized the summit as the largest in the group’s history, promoting Xi Jinping’s vision of a multipolar world order. India’s participation complicates the bloc’s alignment, as New Delhi maintains ties with both Washington and Moscow while resisting joint positions it views as biased.

The meeting produced agreements on future cooperation and included plans for leaders to attend a military parade in Beijing, where North Korea’s Kim Jong Un will appear.

 

Xi Condemns ‘Bullying’ as SCO Summit Highlights China’s Push for Regional Influence

Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the SCO summit in Tianjin on Monday by criticizing the “bullying behavior” of unnamed countries, a veiled reference to the United States, and urging members to strengthen cooperation amid global turbulence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin used his address to defend the war in Ukraine, blaming Western-backed political upheaval and NATO expansion for the conflict, while expressing appreciation for mediation efforts by China and India.

Leaders including Xi, Putin, and India’s Narendra Modi were seen engaging on the sidelines, with China and India signaling willingness to set aside disputes to prioritize economic ties.

The SCO gathering, attended by over 20 leaders including Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, comes ahead of a major military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end.

 

Modi and Putin Highlight ‘Special Partnership’ as India-Russia Ties Deepen

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Monday on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Tianjin, China, underscoring closer ties between New Delhi and Moscow.

Modi called the partnership “special and privileged,” while Putin praised the decades-long relationship as friendly, trusting, and supported by both nations’ people. The leaders discussed regional stability, energy cooperation, and peace initiatives in Ukraine, with Modi urging constructive steps toward a permanent resolution.

The meeting came just days after US President Donald Trump imposed additional tariffs on Indian imports, raising duties to 50 percent in retaliation for India’s continued purchase of discounted Russian oil. Russia now supplies about 37 percent of India’s crude, fueling record bilateral trade worth $68.7 billion in the 2024-25 fiscal year. Both nations aim to raise that figure to $100 billion by 2030.

The talks, which included a private one-hour exchange between Modi and Putin, highlighted India’s balancing act between its strategic energy needs and growing friction with Washington.

 

Kim Jong Un Inspects Missile Factory Ahead of Beijing Military Parade with Xi and Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a new weapons factory over the weekend as part of his drive to accelerate missile production before departing for China to attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end.

The factory, likely located in Jagang province, features assembly lines designed to speed output, according to state media.

Kim praised workers and approved plans for further upgrades, reinforcing his push to expand munitions production while supplying Russia with artillery, missiles, and even troops for its war in Ukraine.

Kim’s visit precedes his first trip to China in six years, where he will join Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, underscoring growing alignment among the three against US efforts to strengthen alliances with South Korea and Japan.

Analysts say Kim’s attendance aims to deepen ties with China and Russia, bolster North Korea’s international profile, and gain leverage ahead of possible renewed talks with Washington.

Meanwhile, South Korea suspended a military radio broadcast into the North as part of steps to ease tensions, though Pyongyang continues to reject outreach from both the US and Seoul.

 

Sources: News Agencies