Evening Brief: Defense Secretary Convenes Top Brass, Abbas Rejects Hamas Role in Postwar Gaza, Iran Suspected of Fresh Missile Launch

· Guy D. McCardle

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the UN General Assembly via video. (@Journal_UN_ONU/X)

SOFREP Evening Recap: Thursday, September 25, 2025.

 

Defense Secretary Calls Sudden Meeting of Top US Military Leaders

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered hundreds of generals and admirals to gather at Marine Corps Base Quantico next week for an unannounced meeting, according to officials familiar with the directive.

The Pentagon confirmed only that Hegseth will address his senior commanders but did not disclose the agenda.

The move follows a series of abrupt and unusual decisions by Hegseth in recent months. He has ordered steep cuts to general and flag officer positions, fired several high-ranking leaders without explanation, and removed the military’s top lawyers. Among those dismissed were Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top officer, and General James Slife, the Air Force’s second-highest officer.

The latest firing involved a general who led a military intelligence agency and whose assessment of US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites reportedly angered President Donald Trump.

The large-scale gathering of one-star officers and above, described as rare, comes as uncertainty grows over Hegseth’s direction for the military’s leadership structure.

 

Trump Approves TikTok Deal as Qualified Sale Under National Security Rules

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring that a proposed agreement for TikTok to continue operating in the US qualifies as a sale that addresses national security concerns.

The move follows legislation signed by President Joe Biden last year requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to sell its US assets or face a nationwide ban.

Details of the arrangement remain unclear, but Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping approved the deal.

The outcome could significantly affect how Americans use the platform, which has become a major source of news for younger audiences.

A Pew Research Center report released Thursday found that 43 percent of US adults under 30 regularly get news from TikTok — more than from YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram.

 

Dallas ICE Facility Shooting Investigated as Targeted Attack

Authorities say Joshua Jahn, 29, opened fire on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas on Wednesday, killing one detainee and critically wounding two others before fatally shooting himself.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Jahn’s actions were a premeditated attempt to terrorize ICE agents, citing a note he left behind and online searches tied to ballistics, ICE tracking, and the recent assassination of activist Charlie Kirk. Jahn fired from a rooftop at a van carrying detainees, but did not hit ICE personnel.

Investigators seized electronic devices, handwritten notes, and downloaded documents on Homeland Security facilities from his home.

Officials labeled the attack an “act of targeted violence” and ordered heightened security at ICE sites nationwide.

The shooting follows a string of recent assaults on federal immigration facilities and comes amid growing backlash against immigration enforcement.

Lawmakers and advocacy groups condemned the violence, calling for an end to political attacks and for the protection of both government employees and immigrants.

 

Lewiston Shooting Victims Refile Lawsuit, Cite Army Failures in Reporting Threats

Survivors and families of the 18 people killed in the 2023 Lewiston mass shooting have refiled their lawsuit against the US government, citing a new Defense Department watchdog report that faults the US Army for failing to report violent threats by service members nearly half the time.

The amended lawsuit argues that the Army’s lapses allowed Robert Card, a reservist who killed himself after the attack, to carry out the shootings despite clear warning signs.

The inspector general’s review found the Army failed to follow reporting rules in 32 of 67 violent threat cases in 2023, including Card’s. Attorneys for the victims said proper reporting would have prevented Card’s release back into the community while he suffered from paranoia, delusions, and homicidal ideations.

The suit, filed in US District Court for Maine, seeks unspecified damages from the Army, Defense Department, and Keller Army Community Hospital.

Federal officials have not commented on the case.

An independent state commission has also concluded that both Army and civilian authorities missed multiple chances to intervene before the attack.

 

USS Gerald R. Ford Joins NATO Allies in Large-Scale Neptune Strike 2025 Exercise

The US Navy’s aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and its strike group are participating in Neptune Strike 25-3, a NATO-led exercise spanning the Mediterranean, Adriatic, North, and Baltic seas.

The operation, running Monday through Friday, brings together more than 10,000 personnel from 13 NATO nations to strengthen interoperability, deterrence, and maritime security.

NATO has assumed command of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group for the drills.

Activities include carrier-based air missions, amphibious landings in southern Italy, submarine patrols, surface warfare, and a mass casualty drill. Alongside the Ford, participating ships include USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20), Turkey’s TCG Anadolu (L-400), Italy’s ITS San Giorgio (L9892), as well as destroyers, frigates, submarines, and aircraft from allied nations.

The exercise, directed by STRIKFORNATO under US Vice Admiral Jeffrey Anderson, highlights NATO’s ability to integrate multinational strike forces rapidly and operate across critical waterways.

US and allied units have already carried out combat search-and-rescue drills, boarding exercises, and joint fighter training with Danish, French, German, Swedish, Finnish, and Turkish forces.

NATO described the event as defensive, long-planned, and compliant with international law, emphasizing its role in promoting regional security and stability.

 

Abbas Rejects Hamas Role in Postwar Gaza, Calls for Palestinian Statehood at UN

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the United Nations General Assembly by video Thursday that Hamas will have no role in governing Gaza once the war ends and must surrender its weapons to his administration.

Speaking after the US denied him a visa, Abbas rejected the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and pledged his authority is “ready to bear full responsibility for governance and security” in Gaza.

Abbas accused Israel of waging “a war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement” in Gaza and urged the international community to back a two-state solution. He welcomed recent recognition of Palestinian statehood by France, the United Kingdom, and Canada but said symbolic gestures are not enough without concrete steps to end occupation.

The speech comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to address the UN in person. Netanyahu has rejected Palestinian statehood and vowed that Israel will maintain security control of Gaza after Hamas is defeated. Meanwhile, Hamas has said it will step down from governing but refuses to disarm.

Abbas, 89, concluded with a message of resilience to Palestinians, saying, “The dawn of freedom will emerge,” despite mass destruction and loss of life from Israel’s campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 65,000 people and displaced most of the territory’s population, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

 

Hezbollah Projects Images on Beirut Landmark Despite Government Ban

Thousands of Hezbollah supporters gathered on Beirut’s coast Thursday to commemorate the group’s slain leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, projecting their images onto the iconic Raouche rock despite a government order prohibiting such displays.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had issued a directive banning the use of national monuments for political propaganda without permits, and said the organizers’ gathering permit explicitly barred lighting the landmark. He called for investigations and possible arrests of those responsible.

Nasrallah was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs in September 2024, with Safieddine killed days later in similar strikes.

Hezbollah described the event as an expression of remembrance and freedom of expression, while officials framed it as a challenge to state authority.

The display comes as Hezbollah remains under pressure to disarm following its losses in last year’s war with Israel.

The conflict, which escalated from cross-border exchanges after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, ended with a US-brokered ceasefire in November 2024, but Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have continued.

Lebanese leaders face the challenge of curbing Hezbollah’s power without provoking internal conflict.

 

Satellite Images Suggest Iran Conducted Missile Test Amid Rising Tensions

Satellite photos indicate Iran likely carried out an unannounced missile test last week at the Imam Khomeini Spaceport, despite Tehran offering no official confirmation.

Scorch marks on the launch pad match patterns seen after previous launches, with analysts saying the scale suggests a solid-fuel missile. The incident came as Iran repairs missile sites damaged by Israel during the June war and faces the expected reimposition of UN sanctions over its nuclear program.

An Iranian lawmaker claimed, without evidence, that the test involved an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which would far exceed Iran’s declared 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) range limit. If true, such a capability could threaten targets in Europe and beyond, though US officials have not confirmed the launch.

Iran has previously tested the Zuljanah solid-fuel rocket, capable of placing satellites in orbit but also raising concerns over potential ICBM development.

With Tehran silent on the launch and no record of a new satellite in orbit, analysts say the test may have failed or served as a political signal of defiance. The uncertainty leaves open questions about Iran’s missile ambitions as tensions with Israel and the West remain high.

 

Denmark Probes Drone Flyovers at Four Airports, Calls Incidents Hybrid Attack

Unexplained drones flew over four Danish airports overnight Wednesday into Thursday, prompting security concerns amid heightened tensions with Russia.

Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the incidents as a “hybrid attack” carried out by a “professional actor,” while Danish intelligence officials said the risk of Russian espionage and sabotage remains high.

Flights were disrupted for several hours at Aalborg Airport, which also serves as a military base, and drones were also seen at Esbjerg, Sønderborg, and Skrydstrup, home to Danish fighter jets.

Authorities said the drones flew with lights on but did not attempt to shoot them down.

The incidents follow a similar drone disruption at Copenhagen Airport earlier this week, which Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called “the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date.”

Denmark is coordinating with NATO and neighboring countries on security measures, including an European Union proposal for a regional “drone wall.”

Russia has denied involvement, calling the claims a provocation aimed at escalating tensions.

 

NATO Chief Backs Trump on Shooting Down Russian Aircraft if Needed

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Thursday he agrees with US President Trump that allied nations should shoot down Russian drones or planes if they violate NATO airspace and the situation requires it.

Speaking on Fox News, Rutte said NATO militaries are trained to assess threats and can choose to escort Russian aircraft out of allied territory or escalate to direct action if necessary.

 

Russian Strikes Cut Power to 70,000 in Northern Ukraine

Russian airstrikes on Thursday knocked out electricity for at least 70,000 people in Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region, officials said.

About 29,000 consumers lost power in Chernihiv and nearby districts, while 43,000 were affected in the town of Nizhyn.

Restoration efforts were underway.

Overnight attacks also hit energy facilities in Vinnytsia, sparking fires and disrupting power supplies in parts of the central city.

The strikes are part of Russia’s renewed campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of winter, a tactic it has used repeatedly since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Ukrainian officials said Moscow has also intensified “systematic” attacks on the country’s railway network since the summer.

 

US Sanctions Myanmar Firm, North Korean Network Over Arms Sales for Weapons Programs

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on a Myanmar-based company and individuals tied to a North Korean arms network accused of funding Pyongyang’s weapons programs and supplying Myanmar’s military with bombs and guidance kits.

The State Department said the measures target Royal Shune Lei Company Limited, its director Aung Ko Ko Oo, and associates Kyaw Thu Myo Myint and Tin Myo Aung.

According to US officials, the group worked with Kim Yong Ju of North Korea’s Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID) to supply aerial bomb guidance kits, bombs, and monitoring equipment to Myanmar’s air force.

KOMID, also known as the 221 General Bureau, is North Korea’s primary arms dealer.

The Treasury also sanctioned Nam Chol Ung, a North Korean linked to the regime’s main foreign intelligence agency, for laundering foreign currency through businesses in Southeast Asia.

US officials said the move aims to block funding for North Korea’s weapons programs and cut off arms transfers that have enabled Myanmar’s military to carry out attacks on civilians since seizing power in 2021.

 

Sources: News Agencies