Evening Brief: Senate Confirms Waltz as UN Envoy, Estonia Protests Russian Jet Incursion, Pakistan Offers Saudi Nuclear Shield

· Guy D. McCardle

Russian MiG-31 fighter jet (Wikimedia Commons)

Your SOFREP Evening Brief for Friday, September 19, 2025.

 

Senate Confirms Mike Waltz as US Ambassador to the United Nations

The Senate confirmed Mike Waltz on Friday as the next US ambassador to the United Nations, ending months of delays and filling the final vacancy in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

Waltz’s confirmation followed a procedural setback that sent his nomination back to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which reapproved him earlier this week. It is unclear if he will be formally designated to represent the US at the United Nations General Assembly next week due to Democratic objections.

Waltz, a former national security adviser to Trump, has pledged to push for reforms at the UN as it faces funding cuts and organizational strain.

 

Trump Plans $100K H-1B Visa Fee in Major Program Overhaul

President Donald Trump is preparing to sign a proclamation that would impose a $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas and introduce other changes to the program for highly skilled foreign workers, a White House official said.

The move, expected as soon as Friday, targets what the administration sees as misuse of the program by consulting firms that hire lower-paid foreign workers and contract them to US companies.

Critics say this undercuts US wages and displaces local workers, while major tech firms argue the lottery-based system has become prone to abuse and needs reform.

The proposed changes aim to curb fraud and shift the program toward higher-wage jobs

 

Remains Believed to Be Travis Decker Found After Months-Long Manhunt

Authorities said they may have found the remains of Travis Decker, the Wenatchee man accused of killing his three young daughters in May, in a wooded area south of Leavenworth, Washington.

The Chelan County sheriff’s office said preliminary findings suggest the remains are Decker’s, though DNA testing is pending for confirmation.

Decker had been the subject of a multi-state search after the girls—ages 5, 8, and 9—were found dead from asphyxiation near his abandoned truck.

He faced charges of aggravated murder and kidnapping. Their mother had previously sought a protection order and filed for divorce citing his mental health struggles.

 

Trump Administration Seeks $6B Weapons Sale to Israel Amid Gaza War

The Trump administration has notified Congress of plans to sell nearly $6 billion in weapons to Israel, including $3.8 billion for 30 AH-64 Apache helicopters and $1.9 billion for 3,200 infantry assault vehicles.

Deliveries would take two to three years or more.

The proposed sale comes as Israel faces mounting international criticism over its war in Gaza and after US-led peace efforts stalled.

Several US Senate Democrats have sought to block offensive arms sales to Israel, while allies like the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Italy have imposed restrictions or condemned Israeli actions.

The deal is part of a 10-year US-Israel defense agreement set to expire soon.

 

UN Resolution to Block Iran Sanctions Snapback Fails After Diplomatic Deadlock

A UN Security Council resolution to stop the reimposition of sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program failed Friday, receiving only four votes from China, Russia, Pakistan, and Algeria, short of the nine required.

The move clears the way for France, Germany, and the United Kingdom to trigger the 2015 nuclear deal’s snapback mechanism, restoring pre-deal UN sanctions including arms and missile restrictions, travel bans, and asset freezes.

Iran condemned the action as illegal but said it remains open to diplomacy and will defend its interests.

European leaders warned Iran the window to avoid sanctions is closing, while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had reached a deal with Tehran to allow full access to its nuclear sites.

The snapback could further escalate tensions after Israel and the US struck Iranian nuclear facilities during a June conflict.

 

Estonia Summons Russian Diplomat After Fighter Jets Violate Airspace

Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered its airspace near Vaindloo Island for 12 minutes without flight plans or transponders, the Foreign Ministry said.

Italian F-35s under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission responded.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna called the incursion the year’s most brazen and said Estonia will start NATO Article 4 consultations, with the North Atlantic Council set to meet next week.

NATO labeled the violation reckless, while European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called it a dangerous provocation.

The incident follows recent Russian drone incursions over Poland that raised fears of the Ukraine war spilling into NATO territory.

 

Ukraine Advances Talks With US, Allies on Legally Binding Security Guarantees

Ukraine is making progress in talks with the United States and European allies on legally binding security guarantees aimed at deterring future Russian aggression, First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya said.

Kyslytsya called US logistical, air, and intelligence support vital and described President Donald Trump’s pledge to defend Ukraine as a breakthrough.

Proposals under discussion include a strong Ukrainian Army, foreign troop presence, funding for weapons, and intelligence sharing.

Kyslytsya urged European leaders to take bold action, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine. He said guarantees must be ratified by national parliaments and could be structured as bilateral or multilateral agreements.

The diplomatic push comes as Ukraine faces mounting battlefield pressure and steps up long-range drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure to weaken its economy.

 

Pakistan Offers Saudi Arabia Nuclear Protection Under New Defense Pact

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said the country’s nuclear capabilities would be available to Saudi Arabia if needed under their new defense pact, marking Islamabad’s first explicit pledge to extend its nuclear umbrella to the kingdom.

The agreement, signed Wednesday, declares that an attack on either nation would be considered an attack on both.

Asif’s remarks come amid heightened regional tensions following an Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar.

Saudi Arabia has long been linked to funding Pakistan’s nuclear program, and analysts view the pact as a signal to Israel, widely believed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state.

 

Sources: News Agencies