Morning Brief: Trump Vows to Block West Bank Annexation, South Korea Fires Warning Shots on North Korean Ship

· Guy D. McCardle

Trump speaks in the Oval Office, stating he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. (Screenshot)

Good morning, here’s your Friday, September 26, 2025 brief. Quick rundown: Trump blocked Israeli annexation plans as Netanyahu faces UN backlash, and he hosted Pakistan’s PM Sharif to strengthen ties while relations with India cool. Defense Secretary Hegseth upheld Medals of Honor from Wounded Knee, and the Navy retired its last Avenger-class mine ship in the Middle East. In New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill’s leaked military records shook the governor’s race, while the House moved to restore Fort Moore’s name. Moldova braces for pivotal elections under Russian meddling fears, the IAEA warned after drones struck near a Ukrainian nuclear plant, and India ordered 97 Tejas jets while retiring its MiG-21 fleet. South Korea fired warning shots at a North Korean vessel crossing the disputed sea border.

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Trump Vows to Block Israeli Annexation of West Bank Amid Global Pressure

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he will not allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, rejecting recent suggestions by Israeli officials that such a move was possible.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he had discussed the issue with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and insisted, “It’s not going to happen.”

The statement comes as several US allies, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and France, have recognized a Palestinian state, while Israel continues expanding West Bank settlements and intensifying its Gaza offensive.

Trump has consistently supported Israel but is under pressure from Arab leaders, who warn annexation would cross a “red line” and eliminate chances for a two-state solution.

More than half a million settlers live in the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 war, along with East Jerusalem and Gaza.

Netanyahu’s coalition strongly favors annexation, but Trump’s stance could complicate his visit to Washington next week and test his close relationship with the Israeli leader.

 

Trump Hosts Pakistan’s Sharif at White House as US-Pakistan Ties Warm

President Trump met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the White House on Thursday, signaling improved relations between Washington and Islamabad.

The meeting followed Sharif’s participation with other Muslim leaders in UN General Assembly talks on ending the Israel-Hamas war.

Ties between the US and Pakistan have strengthened as Trump’s relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cooled over India’s discounted oil purchases from Russia. In July, the US and Pakistan signed a trade agreement lowering tariffs and opening the door for US investment in Pakistan’s energy and resource sectors.

Sharif, accompanied by Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, praised Trump as a “man of peace” and credited his role in facilitating a ceasefire with India earlier this year. Both leaders discussed counterterrorism cooperation, trade, and investment, with Sharif inviting Trump to visit Pakistan.

The warming ties contrast with Trump’s recent imposition of steep tariffs on India, though he has also signaled interest in mending trade disputes with Modi in the near future.

 

Hegseth Rules Wounded Knee Soldiers Will Keep Medals of Honor

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that the 20 US soldiers awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions at Wounded Knee in 1890 will retain their medals.

The decision followed a review ordered in 2024 by former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after Congress recommended reconsideration of the awards.

At Wounded Knee, US Army troops from the 7th Cavalry killed an estimated 250 Lakota Sioux, including women and children, while attempting to disarm fighters who had already surrendered. The soldiers received Medals of Honor for acts described as bravery, rescues, and efforts to dislodge Sioux fighters.

Critics argue the medals commemorate a massacre rather than combat heroism.

Hegseth said the review concluded the awards were justified and declared the matter settled, adding that the soldiers “deserve those medals.” His decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s March executive order on “restoring truth and sanity to American history” and follows other reversals of military reforms, including restoring Confederate-linked names and monuments.

Congress formally apologized to descendants of Wounded Knee victims in 1990, but has never revoked the medals.

 

US Navy Retires Last Avenger-Class Mine Countermeasure Ship in Middle East

The US Navy has decommissioned USS Devastator (MCM-6), marking the departure of the last Avenger-class mine countermeasure ship from service in the Middle East, the 5th Fleet announced Thursday.

Based in Bahrain since 2012, Devastator and sister ships Dextrous, Gladiator, and Sentry supported mine-clearing and maritime security missions for more than three decades.

The four ships will be transported back to the East Coast under a $7 million Defense Department contract, with the move expected to conclude by February. Their role in the region will now be carried out by Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) outfitted with mine countermeasure mission packages, including USS Canberra (LCS-30), USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32), and USS Tulsa (LCS-16), with a fourth LCS to follow.

Four Avenger-class ships remain in service at US Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan.

 

Sherrill Blasts Release of Military Records as Governor’s Race Erupts in Controversy

New Jersey’s governor’s race was jolted Thursday after the National Archives admitted it mistakenly released Representative Mikie Sherrill’s mostly unredacted military records, including personal information, to an ally of her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli.

Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot and Democrat, accused the Trump administration and Ciattarelli’s team of illegally weaponizing her records for political gain and threatened legal action.

The Archives apologized, calling the disclosure a “rare” breach caused by staff error.

On the same day, Sherrill confirmed she was barred from walking at her 1994 Naval Academy graduation after refusing to report classmates involved in a high-profile cheating scandal, though she was not accused of cheating and still graduated and was commissioned.

Ciattarelli seized on the disclosure, arguing Sherrill concealed her punishment and demanding full transparency on her service record.

The records release included Sherrill’s Social Security number, addresses, performance evaluations, and classified nondisclosure agreements, raising concerns over violations of the Privacy Act.

The dispute comes six weeks before Election Day, with a new Emerson College poll showing Sherrill and Ciattarelli tied in the closely watched race.

 

House Moves to Restore Fort Moore Name, Reversing Trump-Era Base Renaming

The Republican-led House passed a defense spending bill that would rename Georgia’s Fort Benning back to Fort Moore, reversing a Trump administration decision earlier this year.

The measure would again honor Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, a decorated veteran of Korea and Vietnam, and his wife Julia, known for her support of military families. Fort Benning, originally named for Confederate General Henry Benning, became Fort Moore in 2023 under the Biden administration before Trump officials restored the Benning name in honor of World War I hero Cpl. Fred Benning.

The switch has drawn criticism for politicizing military history and incurred costs exceeding $1.4 million across both renamings. Supporters say honoring the Moores offers a lasting example of military leadership and sacrifice.

The bill also includes a provision to rename Fort Gordon in Augusta to Fort Shughart Gordon, recognizing Medal of Honor recipients Randall Shughart and Gary Gordon for their heroism in Somalia.

The Senate’s version of the defense bill does not include the base renaming language, meaning the issue will head to conference negotiations before a final vote.

 

Netanyahu Heads to UN Amid Global Backlash, ICC Warrant, and Rising Calls for Palestinian State

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the UN General Assembly on Friday as he faces unprecedented international pressure over Israel’s war in Gaza.

In recent days, Australia, Canada, France, and the UK recognized a Palestinian state, while the European Union weighs sanctions and tariffs.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant accusing Netanyahu of crimes against humanity, and the UN’s top court is considering genocide allegations, both of which Israel denies.

Netanyahu vowed to “tell our truth” and condemn world leaders supporting Palestinian statehood, which he calls unacceptable. His government recently advanced a settlement project that critics say could cut the West Bank in two, raising further concerns about annexation.

President Trump, while maintaining US support for Israel, warned Thursday that Washington would not allow annexation of the West Bank.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the assembly by video a day earlier, urging the international community to move beyond symbolic recognition and ensure Palestinian statehood.

More than 150 countries now support the effort, though Netanyahu remains firmly opposed, saying a Palestinian state would reward Hamas.

 

Moldova Votes in Pivotal Election Amid Russian Meddling Fears and EU Membership Push

Moldovans head to the polls Sunday in a parliamentary election that could decide the country’s path toward joining the European Union.

The vote follows warnings from President Maia Sandu that Russia is spending heavily to sway the outcome and orchestrating efforts to stir unrest.

Moldova, with 2.4 million people, has faced economic strain and energy shortages since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, while also battling Russian influence at home.

The ruling pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) risks losing its majority, raising the likelihood of coalition talks with parties less committed to European Union integration. A coalition could slow Sandu’s goal of joining the EU by 2030.

Opposition groups, including the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc, have gained ground by capitalizing on inflation, corruption, and voter frustration with slow reforms.

Sandu has called the election Moldova’s most consequential, warning that the country’s “sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and European future are in danger.” Western leaders, including those of France, Germany, and Poland, have backed Moldova’s EU bid, while Moscow denies interference.

Moldova’s diaspora, which typically favors pro-European parties, could play a decisive role in the outcome.

 

Drone Downed Near Ukraine’s South Ukraine Nuclear Plant, IAEA Warns of Safety Risks

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Thursday that a drone was downed and detonated about 800 meters from Ukraine’s South Ukraine nuclear power plant overnight, creating a crater and damaging nearby structures but leaving the facility unharmed.

Monitors reported 22 drones in the area, some within 500 meters of the plant, and heard explosions around 1 a.m. local time. A downed power line was not connected to the plant.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi warned that drones flying so close to nuclear facilities pose serious safety risks, saying “next time we may not be so lucky.”

Ukraine operates four nuclear power plants, all of which have faced incidents during the war, including the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia station, which has lost external power for over 48 hours and is relying on emergency generators.

Separately, Russian officials reported a Ukrainian drone strike attempt on the Kursk-2 nuclear power plant construction site, which caused no casualties.

Grossi, attending a Moscow nuclear forum, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss nuclear safety, non-proliferation, and energy issues.

 

India Orders 97 Tejas Fighter Jets in $7B Deal, Retires MiG-21 Fleet

India signed a $7 billion contract Thursday to purchase 97 domestically designed Tejas fighter jets as its air force phases out its aging Russian-made MiG-21 fleet.

The deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited includes 68 single-seat and 29 twin-seat Mk-1A aircraft, with deliveries beginning in 2027 and concluding within six years.

Defense officials said the jets, built with more than 64 percent indigenous content, will become the “mainstay” of the Indian Air Force.

The order marks one of India’s largest single acquisitions of fighter aircraft and underscores its push to modernize forces while boosting domestic defense production. The move comes as New Delhi faces security challenges, particularly from Pakistan, and follows recent multibillion-dollar deals for French Rafale jets and new indigenous weapons programs.

India will hold a flypast on Friday to mark the final retirement of its MiG-21s, first inducted in the 1960s.

 

South Korea Fires Warning Shots at North Korean Ship Crossing Disputed Sea Border

South Korea’s military said it fired warning shots early Friday after a North Korean merchant ship briefly crossed the Northern Limit Line near Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea.

The vessel retreated following an audio warning and the shots, and no exchange of fire occurred, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The western sea boundary, drawn after the Korean War, has long been disputed and has seen past clashes, including North Korea’s 2010 attacks that killed 50 South Koreans. Pyongyang does not recognize the line, with Kim Jong Un declaring last year that it encroaches on North Korean waters.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions, with North Korea expanding its weapons program and aligning more closely with Russia while rejecting South Korea’s calls for renewed diplomacy.

 

Sources: News Agencies